An autumn garden that stops visitors in their tracks needs structure, texture, and multi-season interest. If you want to achieve this, you might want to take a quick look at these four plants before planting this fall.
Fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii)
If you want the bright colors of a burning bush without the problematic spreading, Fothergilla is a great alternative. It produces many spring flowers that have a sweet, honey-like smell.
In fall, Fothergilla puts on a yellow, orange, and red color show. It stays small, usually 3-5 feet tall, which is adaptable to many sites. Part shade or full sun with slightly acidic soil is the most preferred environment. Fothergilla is a deer-resistant plant and attracts pollinators, which makes it great for butterfly gardens.
Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica)
Virginia Sweetspire has an interesting, arching growth habit. In early summer, long white tassels drape over the glossy green foliage.
When cool nights arrive, those leaves turn a dark burgundy like red wine. Even better, Sweetspire holds onto its foliage long after other deciduous shrubs have gone bare, keeping your borders colorful well into December. It handles soggy clay soil and can thrive in blazing afternoon sun or dappled shade.
Clethra (Clethra alnifolia)
Also known as Summersweet, Clethra is famous for filling July and August air with an intoxicating sweet perfume from its spike blooms. But its late-season color performance is just as rewarding.
As fall weather sets in, Clethra’s leaves turn a clean yellow that brightens shady corners of the yard. After the leaves drop, dark seed capsules remain clustered along the upright stems throughout winter. They provide an essential late-season snack for visiting songbirds.
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
If your yard has a low spot where water tends to sit after a heavy rain, Buttonbush is a great candidate to fill the area. While its fall foliage is a warm, modest yellow, the real spectacle lies in its fruit.
The summer blooms, which look remarkably like miniature white satellites, mature into dense, copper-brown spherical seed heads by autumn. These globes dangle from the branches like rustic ornaments, adding bold architectural texture against the soft grasses of a late-fall garden while feeding migrating waterfowl and native birds.
The Fall Planting Advantage
Autumn is the best-kept secret of experienced gardeners. The soil is still warm from summer, but the cool air relieves stress, allowing root systems to establish deep and strong before winter dormancy.
Before you grab more plastic from the department store, consider investing in living shrubs that reward you year after year. Pick a spot with good sunlight, give the roots a thorough soaking every week, and let your garden become a show that changes with every season.