Favorite Plants for Fall Color

Often you hear terms like, “year-round interest” and “great fall color.” Occasionally we don’t go far enough in explaining the what, where and why. Below are some landscape staples that serve great purpose in the landscape and also have great fall color.

Autumn Blaze Maple – Let’s begin with an all-time favorite. The autumn blaze maple tree is a unique combination of good traits from the red maple and silver maple. The qualities mixed by the autumn blaze maple tree are brilliant orange-red color in the fall, dense and healthy branching, and enhanced growth that protects from insects and disease. They are known for their unexcelled speed of growth and ability to adapt to poor soil conditions & pollution. Great shade tree!

Burning Bush – The Burning Bush is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub that turns a bright cherry red in the fall. This shrub performs well in both full sun and full shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and thrives under average home landscape conditions. It is not particular as to soil type.  It has many practical uses in the landscape such as a hedge or a focal point plant surrounded by smaller plants. It can also be used to soften the hard edge of a building.

Fothergilla – Fothergilla has showy white flowers in early spring and in the fall the show continues as it foliage changes to deep red. Group or mass in shrub borders, foundation plantings or native plantings.  Mixes easily with rhododendrons which generally share the same soil requirements.

Smokebush – Named the smoke bush due to feathery smoke-like summer blooms, the smokebush is a stunner in spring, summer and fall.  This is an eye-catcher in the landscape. Drought tolerant and deer resistant. The burgundy leaves of the 'Royal Purple' Smokebush deepen through the summer, turning a vibrant purple-red in fall, especially dramatic in full sun

Sedum – Sedum often go unnoticed – they are a great groundcover plant that fills in berm nicely. However, they take the stage in fall with their bright pink and crisp white blooms. Very easy to grow.

Asters- Asters get their name from the Latin word meaning “star” and their fall bloom is the star of the garden. These perennials are fun in the garden and in potted planters.

Mum – Mums come in a variety of fun fall colors and flowers continuously throughout the fall. While many use them only in pots, you can actually plant hardy mums in the ground and they will come back next spring.

Tor White Spirea - The neat mound of rich green foliage provides the ideal backdrop for tight clusters of brilliant white flowers. Foliage becomes gold, red and purple in autumn. Fantastic planted in mass, lining a walkway or as a foundation plant.

Japanese Anemone (Windflower) - A fantastic autumn flowering plant, in fact Japanese wind flowers will flower from summer to early winter depending on conditions. Preferring a humus rich moist soil Japanese Anemone or Japanese wind flowers do well in part shade.

Oakleaf Hydrangea - The Oakleaf gets its name from the shape of its beautiful large leaves. These leaves often turn colors of brilliant red, orange, yellow and burgundy in the fall if planted in a sunny location with a little afternoon shade. The Oakleaf hydrangea can tolerate and even thrive in much sunnier areas than the mophead and lacecaps (macrophyllas).

Limelight Hydrangea – Really many hydrangeas are lovely in the fall due to the dried blooms on their branches. The limelight is particularly pretty with its pinkish green tinged blooms.

Ornamental Grasses: Burgundy Bunny – Everyone wishes Purple Fountain Grass was a perennial, but if you want something close to that look in a perennial form, try the new Burgundy Bunny. A red-tinted sport of the popular 'Little Bunny,' this dwarf Fountain Grass sports carmine foliage among the green all summer, then blazes scarlet from autumn until frost. Everything about it is diminutive, from its short size to its narrow leaves and dainty cream-colored "bunny tail" blooms. Perfect for containers, accent plantings, and small space gardens, it is an irresistible miniature!

Visit The Barn for all your gardening needs this fall. The Barn is located at 8109 S Route 31 Cary. Feel free to call us at 847-658-3883 or visit our website at www.BarnNurseryLandscape.com.