Fall Plants for the Garden

There’s a saying that the best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The next best time is today. We are lucky that in the WNC mountains, it’s a great time for fall plants in the garden. This list of everything from perennials to trees, will get you thinking about some selections for your own yard. All of these plants offer something great to enjoy this time of year.

1 –Apple Serviceberry   Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’
A beautiful tree that blooms with delicate, white flowers in spring and has showy, edible fruit in summer. The foliage turns a lovely orange-red in the fall. All around great small tree that shows strong disease resistance as well.

2 – Staghorn Sumac   Rhus typhina
This plant can get a little crazy, but if you have a bank that needs something unusual to cover it, this is a good choice. It suckers and forms colonies and has interesting leaves and berries. The showcase is the brilliant fall color.

3  – Spicebush   Lindera benzoin
Spice bush is a large native shrub that has a lot going for it. It can grow in full sun or part shade, has unusual greenish yellow flowers that attract butterflies, and bright red berries that birds love. An added bonus is the bright yellow leaves when they turn in the fall.

4 – Switch Grass   Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’
An easy to grow grass, Switch grass, offers wonderful texture for the fall garden. It has tall panicles of flowers and seeds that sway in the breeze atop reddish foliage. Though this plant is great for fall, it is probably best planted in the spring when the ground isn’t so soggy.

5 – Lowbush Blueberry   Vaccinium angustifolium
Highbush Blueberry – Vaccinium corymbosum – Both of these types of berry bushes have lots to give all year round. You get pretty white flowers in the spring, followed by delicious blueberries, and the the pinnacle of perfection, brilliant red foliage in the fall. You can incorporate these into your regular landscape because they have nice form in addition to being trouble free.