Shorter d
ays, cooler nights, bring on the fall colors! Fall foliage is a result of plants no longer producing chlorophyll (the food for plants and what makes leaves green). As the chlorophyll begins to break down we start to see yellows and oranges and some plants have further chemical changes which in turns gives us red and purples. But enough about how it happens, here are some great plants to consider for a brilliant display this fall.
To really impact your fall garden make sure to include plants that will turn those beautiful bright reds, oranges and purples. Red maples and Sugar maples are great shade trees that produce brilliant fall color. The Red maple will give bright red leaves while the Sugar maples give a multicolored show of oranges, yellows and some red. They both are really spectacular! One of the most amazing and unique trees for brilliant yellow fall color are the Gingko biloba trees. Be sure to select a non fruiting variety, the downside of fruiting varieties is the smell of the rotting fruit (eek)!
Don’t forget to layer your landscape with smaller ornamentals and shrubs to spread the fall color throughout! Serviceberry trees give good yellow-orange colors, while Japanese maples can give a bright red from the red leafed varieties and vibrant oranges from the green leafed varieties. Oakleaf hydrangea not only produce showy blossoms but turn beautiful shades of reds and purples in the fall!
Lets not forget flowers! There are number of great annuals and perennials that will flower into fall! Annual mums, coneflowers and pansies will get that pop of color where your summer annuals are starting to fizzle. Perennials such as Asters, Russian Sage, Goldenrod bloom from late September into October! Don’t let your garden fade away, but rather go out with a bang of color!
