A copper beech tree in fall colors as seen at Longwood Gardens. Photo by Diane Zarfoss
We are fortunate to live in an area with spectacular spring displays of yellow daffodils, red tulips, white dogwoods, and mounds and mounds of pink and purple azaleas. Tourists flock to our Nation’s capital to see breathtaking displays of pastel colors en masse. But having visited once in the spring, visitors tend to stay home and miss our equally beautiful but less publized autumn show.
When our children go back to school, the dogwoods bring summer to a close with branches of purple, bronze, and red leaves. From September through November, a succession of trees, shrubs, and various other plants transform the landscape. Large deciduous hardwoods color the vistas, while smaller trees, shrubs, and vines affect our immediate gardens. Gardeners may not have the space to plant these hardwoods, but they can certainly incorporate a view of the surrounding canopies within their autumn vignettes.
Our tallest hardwood, the tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), becomes an outstanding 90-foot specimen of rich canary yellow in the fall. Yellowwood (Cladrastis lutea) creates a golden yellow sheen, while hickories (Carya) produce a rich yellow and golden brown color. White ash (Fraxinus americana) transforms into clear yellows or rich reds and purples, and sweet gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) is known for its spectacular fall show of purple, red, and yellow leaves that persist for weeks. Our native black gum tree (Nyssa sylvatica) is well known for brilliant red fall color, and although we have a preponderance of oaks, the scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea) is the most reliable source for outstanding reds. Gingkos are a knockout, especially ‘Autumn Gold.’ These 40-foot trees will change into a shimmering gold dress and keep it on for several days before dropping its sheath upon the ground below.
Hardwoods are not the only source of color; a few conifers contribute to the colorful display. “The dawn redwood turns amber, and the bald cypress turns rust to orange,” says Phil Normandy, Plant Collections Manager at Brookside Gardens in Maryland. A third conifer, the golden larch, transforms to its namesake before releasing its needles to the ground.
Brookside Gardens Anderson Pavillion. Photo by Bill Kulp
The trees mentioned above are not normally planted in suburban lots, but gardeners can enhance their vistas to maximize the view of color in the distance. A good hardwood for private gardens is the maple, a popular tree for shape as well as form. “For fall color, the sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is hard to beat. The colors are stunning with reds and yellows and oranges on the same tree,” said John Ritterson, Senior Gardener at Pennsylvania’s Longwood Gardens. Because of its name, you would think a red maple (Acer rubrum) would produce great red foliage, but the species is not reliable enough. It is best to choose named cultivars such as ‘Autumn Blaze’ and ‘Autumn Flame.’ Smaller gardens can employ the more diminutive Japanese maples for dramatic fall foliage—try ‘Bloodgood’ and ‘Red Dragon.’
All of the Cornus plants such as flowering and Korean dogwoods provide excellent fall color. There are many new cultivars of dogwoods that have been bred for disease resistance, spring flower color, and stunning fall foliage. Other popular spring flowering trees such as crabapples, cherries, and pears provide wonderful fall color. “Callery pear (Pyrus Calleryana) has great fall color up until Thanksgiving,” says Normandy.
Although planted for their summer flowers, crape myrtles offer an end of the year bonus—leaf colors ranging from copper to yellow, red, and orange. “All of the crape myrtles I have seen have been pretty good for fall color,” says Ritterson. “White flowered cultivars tend to produce yellow fall color, and red/pink flowered cultivars show reddish coloration.”
Other small trees include serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis), whose white spring flowers turn to purple berries in the fall while the leaves transform from green to flaming orange/red, and sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum), which also has small white spring flowers that turn to pendulous brown capsules, while the leaves fire up into a rich red/burgundy wine color early in the season. Several cultivars of the smoke tree (Cotinus Coggygria) produce stunning fall color—‘Flame’ has brilliant orange/red autumn leaves, and ‘Velvet Cloak’ and ‘Royal Purple’ have purple/red colors.
Cylburn Arboretum Association
Most fall color in private gardens is obtained from shrubs, which gardeners can easily fit into typical suburban lots. “Shrubs open another dimension,” says Ritterson. “There are just too many to list. A few favorites are Fothergilla Gardenii, Viburnum ‘Winterthur,’ and Enkianthus campanulatus. Each has brilliant colors in reds, yellows, or a combination.” Normandy agrees, “The Winterthur viburnum changes its glossy green leaves to scarlet, and if grown in full sun, the fothergilla can change from yellow to orange.” Viburnums are excellent sources of fall foliage color—the American cranberry bush ‘Red Wing’ has burgundy/red leaves, the sergeant viburnum ‘Onondaga’ has purple/red leaves, the maple leaf has a more pastel-like copper sheen, doublefile has red/purple leaves, and arrowwood has been bred extensively for showy fall color. Try some reliable fire-red arrowwood cultivars such as ‘Cardinal,’ ‘Autumn Jazz,’ and ‘Northern Burgundy.’
“The oak leaf hydrangea also is an excellent plant,” adds Normandy. “The foliage is a red wine color to scarlet.” This particular type of hydrangea is so named for its large, oak-shaped leaves but is also planted for its upright panicles of white flowers in the spring. After the leaves change to a brilliant burgundy/russet fall color, they tend to stay on the large, 6-foot frame for a long time, creating an entirely different looking shrub in the fall.
Similarly, the burning bush (Euonymus alata) retains all of its brilliant red leaves, cloaking the bush in color as if it were on fire. Another shrub cultivated for excellent garnet/burgundy fall color is Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet.’ In mild areas, its red leaves can stay on as late as December. Red Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) produces red leaves; ‘Brilliantissima’ is bred for more intense, flaming red leaves and berries.
Usually perennials are not planted for spectacular fall foliage. Once in a while a gardening book may say “leaves turn red in the fall,” but this appears as an afterthought. However, one in particular deserves a reward for its autumn color—Narrowleaf bluestar. “As far as perennials are concerned,” says Normandy, “Amsonia hubrechtii provides absolutely spectacular golden color.” This native grows to 2 feet with green, thread-like leaves and small, star-like blue flowers in the late spring/summer. Planting several creates a billowy cloud, creating a nice field of autumn gold in more naturalized settings.
Several perennial vines are also well known for fall foliage color. Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) and Boston ivy (P. tricuspidata) produce brilliant scarlet leaves. In addition to being cultivated for fruit, grape vines are sold for their deep purple leaves (‘Purpurea’) and burgundy reds (‘Brant’).
Japanese Maples along with Big Beech and Slippery Elm trees as seen at Cylburn Arboretum. Cylburn Arboretum Association
There is a caveat to all of these recommendations for creating fiery colors in the garden—fall leaf color is controlled by both plant genetics and the environment. So despite one’s best intentions, the environment may make or break a stunning display. Each year, the shorter days and decreased sunlight slow down chlorophyll production while the green that is present breaks down and disappears. What are left are carotenoids that are responsible for orange and yellow pigments; anthocyanins, which are red and purple pigments; and tannins, which are tan and brown colors. The carotenoids are always present and do not vary but anthocyanin production begins during, and is most affected by, autumn weather conditions. When there are a number of warm, sunny, autumn days, the leaves produce sugar. If there are cool nights, the sugar is prevented from leaving the leaf to the branches and trunk, so the anthocyanin production increases with the increase in sugars thus intensifying the red colors. Therefore, a warm, wet spring coupled with a summer that is not too hot or dry and an autumn with plenty of sunny days and cool nights creates the best autumn display. In addition, plants must be thriving in the proper soil pH with the correct amounts of nutrients and situated in full sun.
Our area usually has good climatic conditions and an abundance of genetically inclined flora. As our leaves begin to change in September, a subtler show of warm colors—gold, yellow, orange, red, purple, and burgundy—leads us from the active green summer to the hushed white winter. Lasting for months, the fall foliage colors meld and shift like a mesmerizing, smoldering fire until the last leaf drops and winter takes over.
Peggy Riccio is a regular contributor to ChesapeakeHome.
Contacts and Sources:
Behnke Nurseries Co.: behnkes.com, 301-983-9200, or 301-937-1100
Brookside Gardens: brooksidegardens.org or 301-962-1400
Cylburn Arboretum Association: cylburnassociation.org or 410-367-2217
Garland’s Garden Center: GarlandsGardenCenter.com or 410-747-5151
Homestead Gardens: homesteadgardens.com or 410-798-5000
Longwood Gardens: longwoodgardens.org or 610-388-1000
Monrovia: monrovia.com or 888-PLANT-IT
Neu-Valley Nurseries, Inc.: neuvalleynursery.com or 410-796-4195
Pinehurst Nursery: pinehurstnursery.com or 410-592-5030
Valley View Farms: valleyviewfarms.com or 410-527-0700
