Great places to see fall leaves in NYC

Tulip tree
Its leaves (and spring blooms) look like the flower of a tulip bulb, hence the tree's name.

Ginkgo tree
The leaves of this hardy tree resemble a fan or the webbed foot of a duck.

Sweet gum tree
Despite the name, this tree's red, orange or purple star-shaped leaves aren't edible.

Oak tree
The leaves are rich in tannins (polyphenols), which make them turn brown.

Maple tree
Inspiring the emblem of the Canadian flag, these leaves are usually yellow or red.

Ash tree
Each compound leaf is formed of several tiny leaflets, usually yellow or pinkish purple.

Pin oak tree
Pin oaks are the most plentiful oaks among the 24,139 trees in Central Park, and some of the first to change color in New York City; they turn a deep red.

Silver linden tree
Two pairs of these great ladies have prime spots on the Great Lawn.

Bald cypress tree
This state tree of Louisiana turns a "spectacular russet color," according to Central Park Conservancy's Neil Calvanese.

Sweetgum tree
When the Great Lawn was restored in '96, two trees (which turn yellow and maroon) were added.

Want to do more than observe and collect? Dig a bit deeper with these tips (many from Courtney White, director of education at Wave Hill in the Bronx) for appreciating autumn's arboreal adornment.

* Borrow a field guide from your library to identify the trees near your home, or download the Parks Department's informational "Leaf Key" at nycgovparks.org. Once your kids know what they're looking for, set up a scavenger hunt and ask them to find one leaf from each species on your block.

* If you're in the park, group leaves by color and organize them into a spiral or circle. Then leave them for someone else to find.

* Bring leaves home, iron them between sheets of wax paper, and send them via snail mail to family and friends in other parts of the country. Ask them to send you samples of their foliage too!

* Have kids try this project: Place leaves on a piece of white paper, and lay a window screen on top. Dip an old toothbrush in a cup of diluted food coloring and lightly sweep the brush across the screen. When you lift the screen and the leaves, you'll have silhouettes surrounded by awesome speckles—and a cleaner screen.