Plants for Fall Color and Garden Interest
Fall can be one of the most colorful times in the garden, especially when plants are selected to provide flowers, foliage, berries and other forms of seasonal interest. A combination of annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees can extend the garden's display well into the fall while providing valuable food for pollinators and wildlife.
Fall Annuals
Mexican sunflower (Tithonia) is an excellent late-season annual for pollinators. Its bright red, orange and yellow flowers attract butterflies, including migrating butterflies looking for a final source of nectar before the season ends. Tithonia thrives in full sun, tolerates drought and grows in a variety of soils. It can reach four to six feet tall, however, so staking may be necessary to keep the plants upright, particularly with summer storms. The plants can continue blooming until frost.
Celosia, also called cockscomb, provides vivid color in shades of orange, red, yellow, pink and magenta. Plants can continue blooming until frost. Celosia are prolific reseeders, so planting in a container will help contain the seeds.
Crotons are another option for fall. Their large, colorful foliage provides a strong contrast to the flowers of celosia and garden mums. Combining plants with different leaf sizes and textures can create a more interesting container display. As with other annuals, crotons will eventually be killed by frost.
Fall-Blooming Perennials
Asters are a classic fall perennial, with flowers available in shades of blue, white, pink, lavender and yellow. Aromatic aster is particularly useful for extending the bloom season because it flowers late in the fall, and as a result is often covered with pollinators. It also tolerates drought and a range of soil conditions.
Sedum 'Autumn Joy' and 'Autumn Fire' provide another reliable source of fall color. Their pink-to-red flowers bloom in the fall and attract pollinators. The plants are drought tolerant and adaptable to different soil types. Their dried flower heads and stems can also provide winter interest after the flowers fade.
Amsonia, commonly called blue star, adds a different kind of fall display. Its soft, fern-like foliage forms a rounded mound that turns brilliant golden yellow in autumn. Amsonia is also drought tolerant and adaptable to different soils.
For something less common, Nerine, or Guernsey lily, produces a dramatic burst of fall color. The foliage emerges in spring and dies back during summer before the flowers suddenly appear in fall. Flowers may be red, pink or lavender, providing color at a time when relatively few plants are blooming.
Shrubs for Fall Interest
American beautyberry is a native shrub valued for its clusters of bright magenta berries that stand out along the stems in fall. White-fruited forms are also available. Beautyberry is deer resistant and tolerates drought and a variety of soils. One consideration is that it can be susceptible to crape myrtle bark scale in areas where that pest is present.
Caryopteris, or bluebeard, is another shrub that flowers in late summer and early fall. Its blue flowers encircle the stems and provide nectar for pollinators when fewer plants are in bloom. Caryopteris is drought tolerant, adaptable to different soils, deer resistant and disease resistant. Because it flowers on current-season growth, it can be cut back in spring, severely if necessary, to control its size.
Trees With Fall Color
Maples are among the best-known trees for autumn color. Maples offer a range of fall colors, including yellow, orange and red, and many species are tolerant of drought and different soil conditions.
Smooth sumac is another native option for fall color. Its leaves turn bright red, while pyramidal clusters of wine-red fruits add additional interest. Smooth sumac typically reaches 10 to 20 feet tall, making it useful where a smaller tree is appropriate. It is also deer resistant and tolerant of drought and different soils.
Serviceberry (Amelanchier) is a small native tree that provides interest in several seasons. In spring, it produces white flowers, followed by edible berries that can be eaten by both people and wildlife. Its green foliage turns shades of yellow, orange and red in fall. Cultivars such as 'Autumn Brilliance' are noted for their fall color, and the tree generally remains under 30 feet tall, making it suitable for urban and smaller landscapes.
With thoughtful plant selection, fall can offer much more than a final burst of leaf color before winter. Late-blooming flowers can support pollinators, colorful berries can provide wildlife interest, and trees and shrubs can add foliage and structure that carry the landscape into the colder months.
Related Videos:
Refreshing Planters for Fall
Aster
Sedums
Planting a Butterfly Garden
Related Resources:
Growing Fall Asters
Tall Sedum Beats the Heat, and Still Looks Great
Mexican sunflower (Tithonia) is an excellent late-season annual for pollinators. Its bright red, orange and yellow flowers attract butterflies, including migrating butterflies looking for a final source of nectar before the season ends. Tithonia thrives in full sun, tolerates drought and grows in a variety of soils. It can reach four to six feet tall, however, so staking may be necessary to keep the plants upright, particularly with summer storms. The plants can continue blooming until frost.
Celosia, also called cockscomb, provides vivid color in shades of orange, red, yellow, pink and magenta. Plants can continue blooming until frost. Celosia are prolific reseeders, so planting in a container will help contain the seeds.
Crotons are another option for fall. Their large, colorful foliage provides a strong contrast to the flowers of celosia and garden mums. Combining plants with different leaf sizes and textures can create a more interesting container display. As with other annuals, crotons will eventually be killed by frost.
Fall-Blooming Perennials
Asters are a classic fall perennial, with flowers available in shades of blue, white, pink, lavender and yellow. Aromatic aster is particularly useful for extending the bloom season because it flowers late in the fall, and as a result is often covered with pollinators. It also tolerates drought and a range of soil conditions.
Sedum 'Autumn Joy' and 'Autumn Fire' provide another reliable source of fall color. Their pink-to-red flowers bloom in the fall and attract pollinators. The plants are drought tolerant and adaptable to different soil types. Their dried flower heads and stems can also provide winter interest after the flowers fade.
Amsonia, commonly called blue star, adds a different kind of fall display. Its soft, fern-like foliage forms a rounded mound that turns brilliant golden yellow in autumn. Amsonia is also drought tolerant and adaptable to different soils.
For something less common, Nerine, or Guernsey lily, produces a dramatic burst of fall color. The foliage emerges in spring and dies back during summer before the flowers suddenly appear in fall. Flowers may be red, pink or lavender, providing color at a time when relatively few plants are blooming.
Shrubs for Fall Interest
American beautyberry is a native shrub valued for its clusters of bright magenta berries that stand out along the stems in fall. White-fruited forms are also available. Beautyberry is deer resistant and tolerates drought and a variety of soils. One consideration is that it can be susceptible to crape myrtle bark scale in areas where that pest is present.
Caryopteris, or bluebeard, is another shrub that flowers in late summer and early fall. Its blue flowers encircle the stems and provide nectar for pollinators when fewer plants are in bloom. Caryopteris is drought tolerant, adaptable to different soils, deer resistant and disease resistant. Because it flowers on current-season growth, it can be cut back in spring, severely if necessary, to control its size.
Trees With Fall Color
Maples are among the best-known trees for autumn color. Maples offer a range of fall colors, including yellow, orange and red, and many species are tolerant of drought and different soil conditions.
Smooth sumac is another native option for fall color. Its leaves turn bright red, while pyramidal clusters of wine-red fruits add additional interest. Smooth sumac typically reaches 10 to 20 feet tall, making it useful where a smaller tree is appropriate. It is also deer resistant and tolerant of drought and different soils.
Serviceberry (Amelanchier) is a small native tree that provides interest in several seasons. In spring, it produces white flowers, followed by edible berries that can be eaten by both people and wildlife. Its green foliage turns shades of yellow, orange and red in fall. Cultivars such as 'Autumn Brilliance' are noted for their fall color, and the tree generally remains under 30 feet tall, making it suitable for urban and smaller landscapes.
With thoughtful plant selection, fall can offer much more than a final burst of leaf color before winter. Late-blooming flowers can support pollinators, colorful berries can provide wildlife interest, and trees and shrubs can add foliage and structure that carry the landscape into the colder months.
Related Videos:
Refreshing Planters for Fall
Aster
Sedums
Planting a Butterfly Garden
Related Resources:
Growing Fall Asters
Tall Sedum Beats the Heat, and Still Looks Great