Shrubs offer fall color
There is no denying it. Kids are back in school, a new football season has begun, and the days are getting shorter. Fall is here. But the changing season doesn't mean that our landscapes can't remain full of color. Set your gardens ablaze with shrubs that glow with the sizzling colors of autumn.
Yellow fall foliage
Vernal witch hazel is one of the first shrubs to bloom in early spring. They grow up to 10 feet tall and, if left unpruned, will spread to form colonies. Vernal witch hazels grow best when planted in rich, well-drained soil in light shade. Their leaves glow golden in fall.
Considerably smaller in stature, Hummingbird summersweet boasts fragrant, white, bottlebrush flowers in summer and in fall, shows off brilliant yellow foliage. It is very adaptable to growing conditions, but prefers a spot with moist soil and light shade. At just 3 to 4 feet tall, it is ideal for foundation plantings or in perennial borders.
Orange fall foliage
We are wowed by the large, rosy red, feathery flowers and purple-red foliage of Nordine smoke bush in summer. It grows up to 10 feet tall and wide, perfect for planting toward the back of the mixed border or to screen an unwanted view. Eye-catching orange-yellow leaves light up the landscape in fall.
From tall to the small, Gro-low sumac grows just 2 to 3 feet tall but 5 to 6 feet wide. Gro-low is tough, growing in all but the worst soils in full sun or partial shade. An ideal choice for erosion control on a steep bank or planted as a ground cover, it presents stunning orange fall foliage.
Red fall foliage
Brilliantissima red chokeberry presents clusters of white flowers in spring, but is celebrated for its large glossy red berries and spectacular red fall foliage. Growing 6 to 8 feet tall and 4 feet wide, it is adaptable to a wide range of growing conditions - in full sun or partial shade and average or even wet soils.
Who could talk of bright red foliage without mentioning burning bushes? Compactus is smaller than its parents but still large - about 10 feet tall and wide. Fall sets fire to its leaves, hence its common name. Burning bushes get their most brilliant fall color in full sun, but still color satisfactorily in part shade. They are not fussy about soil as long as it is well drained. Choose burning bushes for hedges, mixed borders or as focal points in the landscape.
Fiery mix of colors
Showing off a multitude of autumnal shades, dwarf fothergilla presents lovely blue-green foliage all season long before parading a fall show of yellow, orange and scarlet. Best color results from a location in full sun, but dwarf fothergilla will also grow well in partial shade. Soil should be slightly moist and acidic. Another attribute: fragrant, white bottlebrush flowers bloom in spring.
The foliage of Tiger Eyes sumac is a garden chameleon. Its foliage emerges chartreuse in spring before turning golden yellow. In fall, leaves are overlaid with spectacular hues of scarlet and orange. Grow Tiger Eyes sumac in well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade where its layered form can be appreciated. It spreads slowly by suckers but is rarely aggressive.
Embrace the changing of the seasons and delight in the radiant colors that shrubs offer the fall landscape.
• Diana Stoll is a horticulturist and the garden center manager at The Planter's Palette, 28W571 Roosevelt Road, Winfield. Call (630) 293-1040, ext. 2, or visit planterspalette.com.