When fall approaches, I often lament the loss of floral displays that have faithfully graced my garden for months. But Mother Nature never disappoints because just as summer flowers fade away, autumn colors emerge. By adding colorful shrubs to your landscape, you can enjoy striking colors long after tree leaves have fallen.
When planting shrubs and trees, you want to maximize root growth before the most stressful season for plant growth. Shrubs planted in the fall will benefit from the combination of warm soil and cool air, which will stimulate root growth. This helps shrubs get established before the ground freezes. In Colorado’s higher elevations where cold winters can be more stressful, it would be better to plant shrubs in spring after there is no danger of frost.
One of my favorite fall colors is the bright red-orange of Autumn Brilliance serviceberry. In spring, its flowers and delicious berries attract pollinators and birds. Beautyberry is another colorful fruit-bearing shrub with stunning magenta berries that sparkle in the sunlight. They cling to bare branches, only disappearing after birds discover the tasty treat.
Deciduous viburnums offer fiery fall foliage and require little care. As temperatures drop, they change to deeper reds and purples. In spring, bright berries emerge from blooming flowers to adorn the branches.
Little Henry Sweetspire is a compact version of the Appalachian Mountain native plant that grows well in Colorado. In early summer, it features long narrow panicles of white flowers, then consistently boasts reddish-purple fall colors, which may carry through to spring.
Blue mist shrub, a member of the mint family, is covered with blue-purple flowers from late summer through fall. Their cool tones contrast beautifully with typically warm colors of fall foliage. As an additional benefit, they provide late-season nectar for pollinators.
Smoke bush is a large shrub offering year-round interest. In spring, airy panicles of flowers shoot up, creating a smoky, cloud-like appearance. Many cultivars offer burgundy foliage that turns brilliant shades of orange and red in the fall.
Weigela shrubs can be planted to form a perfect flowering hedge. Sonic Bloom provides a colorful display of bright, pinkish-red flowers from May until the first frost.
These are a few of the many flowering shrubs available. Even if your garden space is limited, adding just one will brighten what may be a drab area in the fall.
Vicki Spencer writes on a variety of topics including gardening, electrical safety, and more.
