Color Up for Fall

Autumn in the North is a treat. With all the colorful native foliage, decorations using pumpkins and corn stalks and the ever present chrysanthemums, such as 'Autumn Sunset^™, color is in abundance. We can supplement these fall colors with some smart plant choices for our region. These plants either are flowering now or have colorful fall foliage that will make your garden a portrait of beauty. Here are some of my favorite shrubs and perennials for fall.

There are some shrubs that have colorful foliage all summer and others that put on their show just in fall. 'Winecraft Black^®' smokebush (Cotinus coggygria) grows 5- to 6- feet tall with jet black foliage that turns red and orange in fall. This low maintenance variety stays a rounded shape making it perfect for small space gardens. For a more unusual shrub, try Diervilla 'Kodiak Black^®' (Diervilla rivularis). This is a native, shade tolerant shrub with black foliage that has red highlights in autumn. It only grows 3- to 4- feet tall and wide and is drought tolerant and deer resistant.  'Legends of the Fall^®' fothergilla (Fothergilla intermnedia) has green foliage all summer, but explodes with yellow and orange colors in autumn. This 4-feet tall, shade tolerant native gives you fragrant flowers in spring as well.

Perennial flowers can also put on an autumn show. Our Shasta daisies are still flowering into October. 'Amazing Daisies^® 'Banana Cream' (Leucanthemum superbum) has flowered into fall especially because I kept it deadheaded. I love the cream colored flowers and disease resistant plants that grow best in full sun. 'Rock N' Grow' Midnight Velvet' stone crop (Sedum hybrid) has burgundy colored foliage with contrasting red colored flower clusters in fall. It resists rabbits, heat, drought and salt. What a plant!

Of course, asters are a classic, fall perennial. Instead of the traditional white or blue asters, try some unusually colored ones. 'Believer' Purple aster (Aster nova-belgii) has unusual, purple colored flowers on 1-foot tall plants. 'Pink Crush' New England aster (Aster novae-angliae) grows 2-feet tall with stunning, pink colored blooms. It shines in our garden in fall. Asters are easy to grow, bee and butterfly favorite perennials in the North and reliably come back each year. Divide asters in spring to create more plants for your fall garden. Finally, 'Curtain Call Deep Rose' Japanese anemone (Anemone hybrid) is a reliable perennial for part or full sun. I love the deep rose colored blooms that contrast well with white asters and Montauk daisies. At only 18- inches tall, this Japanese anemone can fit in the front or middle of a flower border and spreads slowly by rhizomes.