Kitchen Garden Forum

I agree Acers certainly do look fantastic in Autumn.
I like them planted as group so the different types can really show off against each other.
There is an area of Cotehele House (near Callington, Cornwall) gardens with a collection of Acers planted next to each other and the light just bounces around and through them.
Some of them are quite small though.

It might be worth considering one of the red-leafed Cotinus:

Cotinus coggygria offers beautiful varieties, that will bring the benefits of purple foliage to the garden. 'Royal purple' produces dark red-purple leaves that turn scarlet in autumn. A bushy tree or shrub, it reaches a height and spread at maturity of approximately 5 metres. 'Grace' is a slightly bigger plant (approximately 6 metres when fully grown). It produces oval, purple leaves which turn a brilliant red in late autumn.

I think most people think of it as a bush, rather than a tree, but if you don't want it to have too much 'spread', I've found that it doesn't mind having branches chopped back in February. I do that to my own Cotinus every year, because my garden is quite narrow. I have the Royal Purple variety in my garden, and love it - it lookes good all summer, but is absolutely beautiful in autumn as the already red-coloured leaves change shade.

But I was just wondering, if the tree is wanted as a screen, why doesn't the friend want an evergreen? After all, those houses and factory will still be there over winter!