Q&A: Shrubs for Fall Color

Q: Which shrubs are good for fall color?

A: There are lots of options for great autumn color among shrubs. Here are a few:

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The flower buds of Pieris japonica persist from fall through winter.
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Oakleaf hydrangea foliage begins coloring in early fall.
  • Japanese pieris (Pieris japonica). The lovely evergreen that produces pendulous clusters of bell-shaped flowers in spring also has a fall and winter interest: The reddish buds of next year's flowers appear late in the growing season and remain through winter. Selected cultivars.

  • Dwarf fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii) and large fothergilla (F. major). Bottlebrush flowers appear in spring on both versions of this deciduous shrub, and in late autumn, its foliage goes out in a blaze of oranges, yellows and reds. More about fothergillas.

  • Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia). Its reddish, plum and burgundy fall foliage helps make this broad-spreading deciduous shrub into a multi-season plant. More about oakleaf hydrangeas.

  • Spicebush (Lindera benzoin). In very early spring, spicebush produces tiny but abundant greenish-yellow flowers. In fall, this deciduous shrub turns a rich yellow. Find out more.
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    Virginia sweetspire

  • Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica). This small deciduous shrub is typically valued for its fragrant bottlebrush blooms, but it also has great rich-red foliage that often can persist into late fall. Its one big drawback, however, is the tendency to sucker. Find out more about sweetspire.

  • Smokebush (Cotinus coggygria). The foliage of this deciduous shrub or small tree turns red, orange or yellowish, depending on type. Get selected cultivars. Find out more about smokebush.

  • Burning bush (Euonymus alatus). Its brilliant red fall color turned this deciduous shrub into a ubiquitous, overplanted landscape item, but the burning bush's invasiveness in some areas should discourage its use.