Genome-wide analyses of the NAC transcription factor gene family in provide valuable insights into the natural process of leaf senescence.

is a deciduous shrub or small tree. It is a popular ornamental plant because of its beautiful leaves, which change colour in autumn. This study revealed 116 genes within the genome of . These genes are unevenly distributed on the 13 chromosomes of . An analysis of the phylogenetic tree of NAC family members revealed that ApNAC proteins could be divided into 16 subgroups. A comparison of ApNAC proteins with genes from other species suggested their potential involvement in evolutionary processes. Studies suggest that tandem and segmental duplications may be key drivers of the expansion of the gene family. Analysis of the transcriptomic data and qRT‒PCR results revealed significant upregulation of most genes during autumn leaf senescence compared with their expression levels in summer leaves. Coexpression network analysis revealed that the expression profiles of 10 genes were significantly correlated with those of 200 other genes, most of which are involved in plant senescence processes. In conclusion, this study contributes to elucidating the theoretical foundation of the gene family and provides a valuable basis for future investigations into the role of genes in regulating leaf senescence in woody ornamental plants.