Autumn Applause American ash, Fraxinus americana 'Autumn Applause' 

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Colour Your Autumn Garden 

Fall Trees - Fall Shrubs - Fall Vines  
Berries for Fall - Grasses for Fall

Katsura, Cercidiphyllum japonicum.

​​Have you have ever wondered why leaves change colour in the fall? And how do they know when to shed their foliage? This splendid rite of autumn, comes about because of the short warm days and long cool nights. Deciduous trees and shrubs prepare for winter by reducing their intake of nutrients and water. They also store food in their stems and roots. This combination of reduced light and no nutrients kills any green pigment (chlorophyll) whilst preventing more from forming. As the green fades, other hidden colours that existed within the foliage are revealed. These pigments, anthocyanin (red) and carotene (yellow) become visible and colourful leaves are revealed. The sunnier the fall, the more vivid the colours.

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Colourful Fall Trees

Katsura, Cercidiphyllum japonicum

• ash trees (the following are less susceptible to emerald ash borer): European ash - Fraxinus excelsior (to 90’, Zones 5 to 7) blue ash - F. quadrangulata (to 75’, Zones 4 to 7) narrow- leaved ash: - F. angustifolia (to 40’, Zones 5 to 9)
• quaking aspen - Populus tremuloides, to 50’, Zones 1 to 6
• beech trees numerous species – Fagus, large trees, some weeping, Zones 4 to 9
• black tupelo - Nyssa sylvatica, to 50’, Zones 3 to 9
• catalpa numerous species – Catalpa (to 60’, Zones 4 to 8)
• kousa dogwood - Cornus kousa (to 30’, Zones 5 to 8)
• Judas treec - Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’ (to 30’, Zones 5 to 9)
• katsura tree - Cercidiphyllum japonicum (to 60’, Zones 4 to 8)
• American sweetgum - Liquidambar styraciflua (to 80’, Zones 5 to 9)
• maidenhair tree - Ginkgo biloba (to 80’, Zones 3 to 8)
• oaks: red oak -Quercus rubra), Pin oak - Q. palustris, scarlet oak -Q. coccinea, (to 75, Zones 4 to 8)
• tulip tree - Liriodendron tulipera (to 90’, Zones 4 to 9)
• Persian ironwood - Parrotia persica - (to 40’, Zones 4 to 8)
• quaking aspen - Populus tremuloides (to 50’, Zones 1 to 6)
• sassafras  - Sassafras albidum (to 60’, Zones 4 to 9)
• serviceberry - Amelanchier canadensis (to 30’, Zones 4 to 8)
• sourwood - Oxydendrum arboretum (to 50’, Zones 5 to 9)
• Stewartia - Stewartia pseudocamellia (to 40', Zones 5 to 8)
• maples: sugar maple - Acer saccharum), Japanese maple - A. palmatum, red maple - A. rubrum, vine maple - A. circinatum
• zelkova - Zelkova serrata (to 80’, Zones 5 to 8)

Japanese maple, Acer palmatum. Click on the photo for more info.

Catalpa

Kousa dogwood, Cornus kousa

Blackgum or tupelo, Nyssa sylvatica

Maidenhair tree, Ginkgo biloba

Vine maple, Acer circinatum

American beech, Fagus grandiflora

American Sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua

Tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera

Persian ironwood, Parrotia persica

Stewartia, S. psuedocamellia. Click on the photo for more info.

Zelkova, Z. serrata,

Red maple, Acer rubrum

Honey locust, Gleditsia triacanthos

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Colourful Fall Shrubs

Witch hazel, Hamamelis mollis. Click on the photo for more info.

• beautyberry - Callicarpa bodinieri & berries (to 6’, Zones 6 to 8)
• blueberries - Vaccinium corymbosum (to 8’, Zones 5 to 7)
• burning bush - Euonymus alatus‘ Compactus’, (to 10’, Zones 4 to 8)
• buttercup winterhazel - Corylopsis pauciflora (to 6’, Zones 6 to 8)
• doublefile viburnum - Viburnum plicatum (to 15’, Zones 5 to 8)
• royal purple smoke bush - Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple’ (to 15’, Zones 5 to 8)
• heavenly bamboo - Nandina domestica & berries (to 8’, Zones 6 to 9)
• Japanese spirea - Spiraea japonica (to 6’, Zones 3 to 6)
• oakleaf hydrangea - Hydrangea quercifolia & flowers (to 8’, Zones 5 to 9)
• Oregon grape holly - Mahonia aquifolium (to 10’, Zones 5 to 9)
• redbud hazel - Disanthus cercidifolius (to 10’, Zones 5 to 8)
• redvien enkianthus - Enkianthus campanulatus (to 10’, Zones 4 to 7)
• staghorn sumac - Rhus typhina (to 15’, Zones 3 to 8)
• summersweet - Clethra alnifolia (to 8’, Zones 3 to 9)
• Witch alder - Fothergilla major (to 10’, Zones 4 to 8)
• red twigged dogwood, Cornus sericea (to 9’, Zones 3 to 7)
• Virginia sweetspire - Itea virginica (to 5’, Zones 5 to 9)
• flowering currant - Ribes sanguineum (to 10’, Zones 5 to 8)
• witch hazels - Hamamelis mollis (to 15’, Zones 5 to 8) ​

Heavenly bamboo, Nandina domestica

Royal Purple smoke bush, Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple’

Witch alder, Fothergilla major

Sumac, Rhus typhina

Dwarf burning bush, Euonymus alatus 'Compactus'. Click on the photo for more info.

Flowering currant, Ribes sanguineum. Click on the photo for more info.

Doublefile viburnum, Viburnum plicatum

Summersweet, Clethra alnifolia

Japanese spirea, Spiraea japonica

Red twigged dogwood, Cornus sericea

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Colourful Fall Vines

Troki Virginia creeper, Parthenocissus quincefolia 'Troki'. Click on the photo for more info.

Troki Virginia creeper, Parthenocissus quincefolia 'Troki'. Click on the photo for more info.

• Boston ivy - Parthenocissus tricuspidata, foliage, berries (to 30’, Zones 4 to 8)
• ornamental purple grape - Vitis vinifera foliage, berries (to 10’, Zones 6 to 9)
• porcelain vine berries - Ampelopsis brevipedunculata flowers, foliage (to 20’, Zones 4 to 8)
• sweet autumn clematis - Clematis terniflora, fragrant flowers (to 30’, Zones 5 to 9)
• Virginia creeper - Parthenocissus quinquefolia, foliage, berries (to 30’, Zones 3 to 9)

Sweet autumn clematis, Clematis terniflora

Sweet autumn clematis, Clematis terniflora

Boston ivy, Parthenocissus tricuspidata

Boston ivy, Parthenocissus tricuspidata

Colourful Fall Berries

Snowberry, Symphoricarpos albus

Beautyberry, Callicarpa bodinieri. Click on the photo for more info.

• American cranberry bush - Viburnum opulus (to 12’, Zones 3 to 8)
• beautyberries – Callicarpa (to 6’, Zones 6 to 8)
• chokeberry - Aronia melanocarpa (to 6’, Zones 3 to 8)
• coralberry - Symphoricarpos orbiculatus (to 5’, Zones 2 to 7)
• crabapple - Malus transitoria (to 26’, Zones 4 to 9)
• devil’s walking stick - Aralia spinosa (to 20’, Zones 4 to 9)
• firethorn - Pyracantha coccinea (to 18’, Zones 6 to 9)
• hawthorns - Crataegus spp. (to 25’, Zones 4 to 7)
• laurustinus viburnum -Viburnum tinus (to 12’, Zones 7 to 9)
• mountain ash - Sorbus spp. (to 15’, Zones 3 to 9)
• dogwoods: red osier - Cornus sericea & tartarian dogwood - Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’: white berries, red stems, gray dogwood - Cornus racemosa (to 6’, Zones 3 to 8)
• rockspray - Cotoneaster horizontalis (to 3’, Zones 5 to 7)
• rugose roses - Rosa rugosa (to 6’, Zones 2 to 8)
• serviceberry - Amelanchier alnifolia (to 6’, Zones 2 to 7)
• hollies – Ilex (to 10’, Zones 3 to 8)
• snowberry - Symphoricarpos albus (to 6’, Zones 3 to 7)
• strawberry tree - Arbutus unedo (to 15’, Zones 7 to 10)

Chokeberry, Aronia melanocarpa

Chinese hawthorn, Crataegus pinnatifida

Laurustinus viburnum, Viburnum tinus. Click on the photo for more info.

Devil's walking stick, Aralia spinosa. Click on the photo for more info.

Variegated English holly, Ilex aquifolium 'Argenteo Marginata'

Rugose rose, Rosa rugosa. Click on the photo for more info.

Firethorn, Pyracantha coccinea

Rockspray, Cotoneaster horizontalis

gray dogwood, Cornus racemosa

Red twigged dogwood, Cornus sericea,

Compact strawberry tree, Arbutus unedo 'Compacta'. Click on the photo for more info.

Ornamental Grasses For Fall

Japanese forest grass, Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’

Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' feather reed grass,

• Japanese forest grass - Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’, (to 2’, Zones 5 to 9)
• blue grama grass - Bouteloua gracilis (to 2’, Zones 3 to 10)
• switchgrass - Panicum virgatum (to 6’, Zones 5 to 9)
• little bluestem - Schizachyrium scoparium (to 4’, Zones 3 to 9)
• blue oat grass - Helictotrichon sempervirens (to 3’, Zones 4 to 8)
• maiden silver grass  - Miscanthus sinensis (to 7’, Zones 5 to 9)
• fountain grass - Pennisetum alopecuroides (to 5’, Zones 6 to 9)
• pink muhly grass - Muhlenbergia capillaris (to 3’, Zones 5 to 9)
• prairie dropseed - Sporobolus heterolepis (to 3’, Zones 3 to 9)
• big bluestem - Andropogon gerardii (to 6’, Zones 4 to 9)
• feather reed grass - Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ (to 5’, Zones 5 to 9)
• bottlebrush brass – Elymus hystrix syn. Hystrix patula (to 3’, Zones 5 to 9)
• Indian grass - Sorghastrum nutans (to 5’, Zones 4 to 9)

Blue oat grass, Helictotrichon sempervirens.

Maidenhair grass, Miscanthus sinensis

Purple fountain grass, Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum'