Norway maples are turning a beautiful buttery yellow. The whole tree sometimes changes colour before the leaves fall, and then it looks like a great glorious flame. These are not native trees, but they were introduced here in the 17th century, and by now they are found not only in parks but also growing wild in many woods. They have large, lobed leaves similar to those of the sycamore (which belongs to the maple family), but the lobes have sharp, pointed tips, whereas the sycamore lobes are round-ended. Along streets there are many Swedish whitebeams that now have vivid russet and yellow leaves, and also numerous red berries, many of which have fallen on to pavements and are being trampled on messily. Ginkgo trees are now common in towns. They have golden-yellow, fan-shaped leaves, which they have been dropping for 200 million years, and are dropping once again. The gingko developed before most modern trees, and was once found across the northern hemisphere, but now it is found growing wild only in China, if at all. It was brought here in the 18th century from Chinese and Japanese temple gardens.