Many plants put on their best show in the fall. Why not add one to your garden. Below are some of my favorites that are easy to find in garden centers right now. Happy shopping!
Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum). Deciduous small tree to 20 feet. Colorful fall foliage. Many varied cultivars. Use as a specimen or backdrop for garden borders. Hardy to USDA zone 5.
Weeping Spruce (Picea abies). Evergreen weeping tree. Ornamental in all seasons. Use as a specimen or backdrop for garden borders. Hardy to USDA zone 3.
Sweet Autumn Clematis (Clematis paniculata). Deciduous vine to 15 feet. Sweet-smelling flowers attract pollinators. Use for screening and shading on fences, arbors, and pergolas. Hardy to USDA zone 4.
'Himrod' Grapes (Vitis labrusca 'Himrod'). Deciduous vine to 25 feet. Sweet-smelling flowers attract pollinators in June. Delicious, sweet, golden, seedless grapes ripen in late August. Look for 'Himrod' at farmers' markets now. These grapes make one of the best jams known to man. Use for screening and shading on fences, arbors, and pergolas. Hardy to USDA zone 7.
Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium spp.). Perennials growing 3 to 8 feet. Native plants are drought tolerant and attract pollinators. Use in meadows, naturalistic gardens, and borders. Smaller cultivars are suitable for large containers. Hardy to USDA zone 2.
Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus). Large, spreading perennial to 8 feet. Beautiful, butter yellow sunflowers bloom profusely. Attracts pollinators. Drought-tolerant. Use in meadows, large borders, naturalistic gardens, woodland gardens, as screening along fencing. Hardy to USDA zone 2.
Perennial Aster (Aster spp). Grows 12 inches to 6 feet. Attracts pollinators. Drought tolerant. Use in prairies, naturalistic gardens, meadows, borders, beds, and containers. Hardiness varies with variety.
Sedum 'Autumn Joy' (Hylotelphinium spp). Perennials to about 2 feet. Other cultivars available. Attracts pollinators. Drought tolerant. Use in borders, beds, and containers. Hardy to USDA zone 3.
Autumn Crocus (Colchicum 'The Giant'). Bulbous perennial with basal leaves to 12 inches. Plants go dormant in May, flowers bloom in September. Perfect under trees and large shrubs, in front of borders, in short ground covers, and in containers. Hardy to USDA zone 4.
