Plant Now for Fall Color

Touring plant nurseries in the spring gives a heady dynamic surge of energy to every gardener. New gardeners tend toward the shrubs and flowers that are already beginning to bloom because they can see the color and shape of their purchases. Experienced gardeners however plan for the future.

I am writing this in May and I know from experience that I need to plan my fall color palette now. Every tree and shrub needs to be fully established and healthy to produce the best color when the frost begins to touch its foliage.

Most suburban yards do not have an area large enough to accommodate the beautiful Big leaf Maple (which turns glowingly golden in the fall), or the Red Maple which as its name implies turns a gorgeous red in the fall. In order to get the color without the huge trees think in terms of shrubs, grasses and compact cultivars.

The vine maple (Acer cincinatum) only grows to about 25 feet and produces brilliant orange-scarlet to deep red foliage in the fall. For the golden yellow foliage look for a Japanese maple called Acer shirasawanum which has smooth bark and leaves with 9 to 11 lobes. The foliage turns bright golden yellow in the fall. (Botanica, R.G. Turner, 2001, Barnes and Noble/Random House Australia)

Other trees and shrubs with brilliant fall color are blueberry, burning bush, ginkgos, katsura trees, and sour gum trees. But foliage is not the only place to find fall color. There are many bright fruits and berries that liven up a fall garden as well. Look for crabapples, cotoneasters, mountain ashes and pyracanthas.

Grasses can give a bright shock of color as well and range from subtle tawny colors to blood red colors. Japanese silver grass (Miscanthus sinensis) has a tawny stem with silvery seed plumes and grows as tall as twelve feet which in itself makes quite a statement. (Sunset, 9/2009, Local Color, Jim McCausland)

If you prefer a little less height look for New Zealand hair sedge (Carex tenuiculmis '‹Å"Cappuccino') which grows in cinnamon colored billowy mounds. A focal point of Japanese blood grass (Imperata cylindrica '‹Å"Rubra') gives a bright blood red punch of color. (Sunset, 9/2009, Local Color, Jim McCausland)

When looking for plants that will give you great fall color, do not over look the fall flowers. Chrysanthemums can transform your garden from a drab, over-aged tangle of dying plants to a bright cheery place for fall activities.You can plant your Chrysanthemums now and let them grow into their garden space all summer or you can wait until fall and buy them at the nursery for transplanting in early fall.