Plant shrubs now for vibrant colors this fall

Now that spring is really here, it’s time to start planning for the fall. Right now, is the perfect time to critically review your property for areas that fall flat during the winter. You can still see the empty spots and it’s time to plant! What follows is a list of shrubs that provide a bouquet of fall colors for you to consider.

Itea virginica (Virginia sweetspire)

• Growth: 3 to 5 feet tall.
• Autumn Colors: Red to orange.
• Notable Features: This shrub shines with its small cascading white flowers in summer and vibrant fall foliage, making it an excellent alternative to burning bush, an invasive species, although it doesn’t get as tall as burning bush.

Rhus glabra (smooth sumac)

• Growth: 9 to 15 feet tall.
• Autumn Colors: Orange to red.
• Notable Features: Recognized for its striking color and upright fruit clusters, smooth sumac is drought-resistant and adaptable to various environments.

Viburnum opulus L. var. americanum Aiton (American cranberrybush)

• Growth: 8 to 12 feet tall.
• Autumn Colors: Purplish-red.
• Notable Features: Not only does it display vibrant fall foliage, but it also bears bright red berries that persist in winter, offering food for birds.

Viburnum prunifolium (blackhaw viburnum)

• Growth: Up to 15 feet tall.
• Autumn Colors: Purple-red.
• Notable Features: This large shrub or small tree provides spring flowers, autumn color, and fruit for wildlife. It’s drought tolerant once established.

Physocarpus opulifolius (ninebark)

• Growth: Up to 6 feet tall and wide.
• Autumn Colors: Red, though not as vivid as other shrubs.
• Notable Features: Ninebark stands out for its peeling bark, spring flowers, and a form that provides visual interest throughout the year.

Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry)

• Growth: Up to 12 feet tall.
• Autumn Colors: Fiery reds and oranges.
• Notable Features: Beyond their delicious berries, highbush blueberries offer striking fall foliage. They require acidic soil and adequate moisture to thrive.

Callicarpa americana (American beautyberry)

• Growth: Up to 6 feet tall and wide.
• Autumn Colors: Subtle foliage change; renowned for vibrant purple berries.
• Notable Features: The neon lavender berries of American beautyberry steal the show in fall and winter, creating a spectacular contrast with its foliage and attracting wildlife.

Aronia spp. (chokeberry)

• Growth: Up to 6 feet tall.
• Autumn Colors: Red.
• Notable Features: Chokeberry is notable for its glossy summer foliage, white to pink spring flowers, and dark berries, along with its striking fall color. It’s a hardy, versatile plant suitable for various landscapes.

Corylus americana (American Hazelnut)

• Growth: 10 to 16 feet tall and wide.
• Autumn Colors: Yellow, orange, and red foliage.
• Notable Features: This shrub is celebrated not just for its autumn color but also for its edible nuts that serve as important wildlife nourishment.

Lindera benzoin (spicebush)

• Growth: 6 to 12 feet tall.
• Autumn Colors: Bright yellow leaves in autumn.
• Notable Features: It’s a crucial host plant for the Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly. Fragrant yellow flowers in early spring and red berries in fall make it a year-round interest plant.

 Euonymus americanus (strawberry bush)

• Growth: 4 to 6 feet tall.
• Autumn Colors: Reddish-purple leaves with bright red seed pods that reveal orange seeds.
• Notable Features: Known colloquially as Hearts-a-Bustin’, this shrub offers unique visual interest with its colorful seed pods in addition to its fall foliage​.

Rhus aromatica, fragrant sumac

• Growth: 2 to 6 feet tall, making it an excellent ground cover or low shrub option.
• Autumm Colors: A brilliant display of scarlet, orange, and purple leaves.
• Notable Features: Drought-resistant and aromatic, this shrub is notable for its attractive foliage and berries that support local wildlife​.

Planting these native shrubs in spring ensures they become well-established by fall, ready to showcase their brilliant autumn colors. Each species not only adds visual interest to the landscape during the cooler months but also supports local biodiversity by providing habitat and food for wildlife.

Comments are open, so please feel free to add your own favorites for fall color.