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Gardening
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8 Plants Bursting With Beautiful Fall Foliage
Luscious berries, rich crimson leaves and stellar stalks show that nary a flower is needed for enthralling autumn gardens
Houzz Contributor. I'm a landscape designer and freelance garden writer living in hot and humid Austin, Texas. I co-authored "Indoor Plant Decor: The Design Stylebook for Houseplants" (St. Lynn's Press) with Kylee Baumle. Follow me on Twitter @MulchMaven or on my Facebook page, J. Peterson Garden Design.
Houzz Contributor. I'm a landscape designer and freelance garden writer... More »
Now that cooler months are on the horizon, it's time to amp up your fall garden. Start by clearing out the last of summer's faded blooms and then add plants that provide instant drama to your outside space. The beauty of these plants is that, by and large, they don't rely on flowers to wow you — their foliage, berries and even stems are what hold your attention throughout the cooler season.
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| Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) Japanese maple offers the most stunning array of fall foliage to be found, in tones of bright red, russet and even yellow. These trees are a perfect focal point in any garden, but are particularly attractive in contemporary and Asian landscapes. There is a wide range of cultivars available, with varying heights and leaf colors. Two reliable cultivars are 'Bloodgood' and 'Burgundy Lace'. USDA zones: 5 to 8 (find your zone) Water requirement: Average, but may need supplemental water when temperatures soar Light requirement: Full to partial sun Mature size: Up to 25 feet tall, depending upon variety Planting tips: Plant in spring or fall, and lightly prune in winter to maintain shape. Feed with a general balanced fertilizer in early spring before new growth comes out. |
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Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris)
Swiss chard brings color, flavor and nutrition to your garden with an exuberant sense of style that few other plants have. The leafy greens sit atop upright brightly colored stems in hues of red, orange, yellow and white, bravely staring down both heat and cold. A close relative to the beet, swiss chard serves as both garden decoration as well as a healthy addition to any meal.
USDA zones: You can grow swiss chard in almost any zone.
Water requirement: Average
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 1 to 3 feet tall
Seasonal interest: Nearly year-round color, depending upon your climate
Planting tips: Sow seeds in late summer or plant new chard transplants from the nursery.
Swiss chard brings color, flavor and nutrition to your garden with an exuberant sense of style that few other plants have. The leafy greens sit atop upright brightly colored stems in hues of red, orange, yellow and white, bravely staring down both heat and cold. A close relative to the beet, swiss chard serves as both garden decoration as well as a healthy addition to any meal.
USDA zones: You can grow swiss chard in almost any zone.
Water requirement: Average
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 1 to 3 feet tall
Seasonal interest: Nearly year-round color, depending upon your climate
Planting tips: Sow seeds in late summer or plant new chard transplants from the nursery.
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| Beautyberry (Callicarpa bodinieri) Here is an excellent shrub choice for fall, with long-lasting violet berries along green stems. The large green leaves are abundant from spring until they fall later in the autumn. Small purplish-pink flowers appear in summer before the berries show up. This shrub is a wise choice for Asian gardens, mass plantings, borders or as a specimen planting. USDA zones: 5 to 8 Water requirement: Regular water; more during extreme heat Light requirement: Full to partial sun Mature size: 6 feet tall Seasonal interest: Flowers appear in summer, followed by purple berries in fall. Planting tips: Plant in spring or fall and prune annually in early spring before new growth appears. An application of balanced fertilizer in spring will also ensure healthy new growth. |
by Debra Prinzing
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Katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum)
An amazing specimen tree for multiseason interest, Katsura provides both color and shade in the home landscape. The new spring growth is bronze, followed by bluish-green in the summer and finally turning orange to golden yellow in the fall. Plant Katsura in the front yard or back, along the street or lining your driveway for an eye-catching accent.
USDA zones: 4 to 8
Water requirement: Regular water; more during extreme heat
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: Up to 50 feet tall
Seasonal interest: Foliage accents spring through fall
Planting tips: Plant in fall or spring and feed with a general-purpose fertilizer in the spring before new growth emerges. Lightly prune in winter for shape and health.
An amazing specimen tree for multiseason interest, Katsura provides both color and shade in the home landscape. The new spring growth is bronze, followed by bluish-green in the summer and finally turning orange to golden yellow in the fall. Plant Katsura in the front yard or back, along the street or lining your driveway for an eye-catching accent.
USDA zones: 4 to 8
Water requirement: Regular water; more during extreme heat
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: Up to 50 feet tall
Seasonal interest: Foliage accents spring through fall
Planting tips: Plant in fall or spring and feed with a general-purpose fertilizer in the spring before new growth emerges. Lightly prune in winter for shape and health.
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| Ornamental Cabbage and Kale These cabbages and kales are members of the Brassica spp family, the same group that produces broccoli, cauliflower, turnips and Brussels sprouts — the only difference is that these are ornamental and not normally eaten. They certainly can be ingested, but they do not have the same good taste as their culinary counterparts — and besides, with foliage this beautiful, why would you want to harvest it? Tuck them into container plantings or mass them in borders. USDA zones: As an annual, can be grown in most zones Water requirement: Average Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 12 inches tall Seasonal interest: Fall and winter Planting tips: Plant in fall once the days have cooled or in spring if you live in a colder climate. |
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| Blueberry (Vaccinium spp) This may be a surprising plant suggestion, but it really shouldn't be. Depending upon where you live, blueberries can offer year-round foliage interest and scrumptious fruit during the summer months. These plants are perfect for container plantings as well as in orchards and tucked into perennial gardens. Their fall foliage often turns a brilliant red and remains evergreen in milder climates. USDA zones: 4 to 8 Water requirement: Regular watering; more during extreme heat Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 3 to 7 feet tall, depending upon variety Seasonal interest: Spring flowers, red fall foliage Planting tips: Plant in spring or fall and prune off twiggy growth in spring before new growth emerges. |
by Proven Winners
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Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides)
It's a long botanical name to describe one of the most easygoing and colorful foliage plants around. Although you can benefit from the dazzling array of coleus colors nearly year-round, there is something about the harvest colors that seem to really pop in the fall. If you live in a colder climate, be prepared to bring your coleus inside for the winter, or take clippings and root them in water to plant next spring. Use coleus in container plantings or in your perennial beds and borders.
USDA zones: 10a to 11
Water requirement: Average
Light requirement: Sun to shade
Mature size: 12 to 18 inches tall
Seasonal interest: Blooms are typically white and fairly insignificant. You can either pinch them off or let them do their thing, but the foliage will shine from spring till fall.
Planting tips: Plant in spring or tuck into container plants in the late summer or fall. Take cuttings to root in water at any time of the year, and then plant in the spring after the danger of frost has passed.
It's a long botanical name to describe one of the most easygoing and colorful foliage plants around. Although you can benefit from the dazzling array of coleus colors nearly year-round, there is something about the harvest colors that seem to really pop in the fall. If you live in a colder climate, be prepared to bring your coleus inside for the winter, or take clippings and root them in water to plant next spring. Use coleus in container plantings or in your perennial beds and borders.
USDA zones: 10a to 11
Water requirement: Average
Light requirement: Sun to shade
Mature size: 12 to 18 inches tall
Seasonal interest: Blooms are typically white and fairly insignificant. You can either pinch them off or let them do their thing, but the foliage will shine from spring till fall.
Planting tips: Plant in spring or tuck into container plants in the late summer or fall. Take cuttings to root in water at any time of the year, and then plant in the spring after the danger of frost has passed.
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| Croton (Codiaeum variegatum) A tender subtropical shrub with otherworldly foliage colors, croton instantly wakes up the fall garden. Long, colorful leaves in shades of green, yellow, orange and red are the perfect foil for container plantings with ornamental grasses and fall annuals. For those living in colder climates, treat this one as an annual or bring it inside for the cold months. USDA zones: 9 to 11 Water requirement: Average Light requirement: Sun to partial shade Mature size: 4 to 6 feet tall Seasonal interest: Spring through fall Planting tips: Plant in spring to fall in mild climates; in colder climates, use croton as a container plant accent or as an annual in a perennial border or bed. |
Comments
olldbobbi Blueberries! If it were up to me, my yard would be filled with blueberry plants. Fresh blueberry muffins, blueberry pancakes.....love blueberries!
9 months ago · Like
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waterbabies I got a bit excited over the blueberries too!!!
9 months ago · Like
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J. Peterson Garden Design I went to P. Allen Smith's farm last year, and that's when I got turned on to blueberries! He was trialling a number of different varieties, and there seems to be a blueberry for nearly any zone.
9 months ago · Like
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mcd53 My yard is full of blueberry bushes. One tree has eight bushes ringing it and they are delicious...for us and the birds. I was told earlier that some places you can't have food plants in the front. To late, they've been here forever. We are fifteen minutes out of town and back off the road, just in case. I do say grow them though if you want. They have never been anything but lovely bushes with a gift. Watching my kids and their friends picking, eating and talking of who knows what has always been a joy for me.
9 months ago · Like
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lazaruslong Beauty Berry bushes, it should be mentioned, can be very invasive in the south
8 months ago · Like
Pendleton Design Management This is not fall foliage this is the color it has through summer.
3 months ago · Like
Ideabook published on Sept. 4, 2012.
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