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A Few Fall Favorites...
ITEA VIRGINICA |
Also known by it's common name, "Sweetspire", the Iteas provide a
splash of bright red fall color to the landscape. It's also a
great native alternative to the commonly used, but sometimes invasive,
Burning Bush (Eunoymus alatus). In addition to a striking fall
color, it also boasts a nice early summer display of
fragrant white
flowers, making it a good attractant for butterflies. Finally,
bright red stems in the winter make this plant an eye-catcher almost
year round. We stock two different cultivars of Sweetspire, 'Henry's
Garnet' and 'Little Henry'. Henry's Garnet is the larger of the
two, reaching a height of 4-6' and filling in quickly at about 6-10'.
'Little Henry' is a nice, compact version of this plant, only reaching a
height of 30", and a 36" width. Both plants can
withstand a wet or dry environment, and grow well in sun - part shade.
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HYDRANGEA QUERCIFOLIA
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The Oakleaf Hydrangea is a great choice for fall color in a shady
location of your garden. Large creamy white blooms in June
will fade to a light pink, and autumn will bring an array of color to
the leaves of this plant - anywhere from an intense red to deep
burgundy. Oakleaf hydrangeas come in
a variety of sizes, but most will grow 6-8 feet tall and fill in about
the same width. Sike's Dwarf is a tinier, 3-4' cultivar with
smaller and more compact leaves, that is much appreciated by shade
gardeners with limited space. Oakleaf hydrangeas are not the
easiest plant to prune, so make sure you have the space for whichever
cultivar you select. If you have room, however, my personal
recommendation is 'Snow Queen'. Enjoy big, upright summer blooms
with equally impressive burgundy fall leaf color - just be prepared to
accommodate it's 7-10' size! |
VIBURNUM DENTATUM |
Yet another native shrub with fantastic fall color. The
Viburnum dentatum, also known as the Arrowwood Viburnum, provides not
only something appealing to the eye, but to the feathered folk as well. The
dark blue berries that this plant bears in the fall are a food source
for many types of birds. With a bright, orangey-red color, this
densely branched shrub also provides an attractive screen for large
areas, reaching 6-12 feet in height depending on the variety.
'Blue Muffin' makes a nice, smaller sized barrier or screen, and has a
neat, upright shape at about 5' wide by 6' tall. |
SHASTA VIBURNUM |
This viburnum has a horizontal branching habit that makes it another
good candidate for screening large areas.
Beautiful white flowers
line the deep green branches of this shrub during the summer, and a
burgundy wine color gives it a fresh fall look. A few of these
would make a nice border along a wood's edge on your property, and you
don't need many to get started - they can grow 7 -12 feet tall and
spread 10 - 15 feet. Another bonus for the birds, the Shastas
produce red berries that eventually turn almost black with age. |
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FOTHERGILLA
GARDENII |
Here is another shrub to add some fall spark to your
shade or part-sun garden. The fothergilla is a small to medium
sized shrub, growing anywhere from 3 feet to 6 feet depending on the
cultivar. This plant blooms in early
to mid Spring before it even begins to leaf out. The foliage is a dark green, sometimes with a
bluish tint to it. It doesn't strike you as a flashy fall
performer, but as the weather turns colder you can expect a fiery sunset
orange to light up any shady area of your landscape. This is a
slower growing shrub with an irregular yet dainty look in the winter
landscape, great for low borders or by even itself as an accent plant. |
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Photos by Ben Hoover |
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