As the growing season ends, gardeners begin pulling frozen annuals from beds and containers and cleaning perennial borders. Some landscapes might look drab, but gardens that contain a selection of deciduous shrubs and trees will continue to produce bold colour in fall.
Shrubs are chosen for tolerance to shade and drought, size, texture and foliage colour, but can also be selected for fall colours. Vibrant autumn landscapes can be stunning.
Most varieties of lilac do not take on much colour, but they are the last shrubs to defoliate in the fall. If seeking fall colour, choose Dwarf Charisma lilac, which turns bright yellow, and Miss Kim and its tints of gold and orange.
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Cotoneaster, which is often used for hedges and mixed shrub borders, is one of the best shrubs for vivid fall foliage, displaying vibrant shades of orange and red.
Some shrubs such as cotoneaster retain colourful autumn leaves longer than others do.
The viburnums, which include high bush cranberry and the wayfaring tree, are noted for their fall foliage.
High bush cranberry as well as the compact varieties all turn red in the fall, while the wayfaring tree, which is actually a bush, turns a subtle red-purple colour.
One of the most brilliant fall shrubs is the sumac. Its finely cut foliage is attractive in summer and brilliant red in autumn.
Sumac works well in a shrub border where its tall arching branches can rise above shorter shrubs. Its good red foliage contrasts well with golden foliage or evergreens. Planting shrubs that have brilliant fall colour in front of evergreens provides a wonderful contrast in the autumn and is a good landscaping practice.
Sumac sends out suckers, which are easily cut or dug up to establish new plantings. Some gardeners prefer stag horn sumac.
Another outstanding shrub is burning bush, a euonymus. The unique orange and pink flowers that are produced in summer are followed by bright red seedpods.
Burning bush is a Zone 3 shrub and should be planted in a sheltered location in Zone 2 gardens. It performs well when used as a foundation plant on the south side of the house, but it will have to be watered regularly there because burning bush likes consistent moisture.
Other shrub choices could include some of the spireas, dogwood, some hardy roses and nannyberry.
When shopping for shrubs, read tags carefully to ensure that they produce good fall colour.
