GARDENER'S READING ROOM
The Art of Gardening
Trees and Shrubs

Change Can Be... Good?

I love change, the changing of the seasons that is - don't you dare change the layout of my kitchen! But the changing of the seasons is the kind of change I can look forward to. I could go on and on about the many plants available for fall color, but I'm only going to focus on a selection of my favorite trees and shrubs for fall interest. Some plants are old standards, but hopefully there are some new ideas for you to liven up your garden.

Cotinus 'Grace'

For shrubbery, you can't miss on fall color with a plant like Euonymus alatus 'Fireball' or Burning Bush, but I love the color that Cotinus 'Grace' takes on in the fall even better. Instead of that deep saturated red of Burning Bush, Grace's leaves radiate with multiple jewel tones of red; with the size of its foliage, it really stands out. If you are looking for more range of color in foliage consider something like Fothergilla gardenii 'Blue Mist' or 'Mt. Airy'. Plant this handsome shrub someplace you can either see from a favorite chair or near an entry that you pass by daily. You'll love the transformation and multi-tonal yellows, oranges and reds on this slow growing well-behaved shrub.

Hamamelis 'Jelena'

A standout favorite that I have to save for last would have to be the Hamamelis or Witch Hazel. This is a must have shrub for fall color no matter the variety. However, in my opinion, 'Jelena' is where it's at for show stopping colors of reds, golds and oranges where each leaf is outlined in a ring or fringe of yellow.

Most people see fall color as fleeting and short lived, given that the foliage always takes the next step of dropping to the ground for the annual cleanup. What a lot of people don't realize is that there are a few evergreen shrubs that hold onto their foliage and still give a great color show through the fall and even winter. An example would be Leucothoe, a sun/part shade loving plant, which is green by summer but bronze and purple by fall and winter. Leucothoe 'Rainbow', a variegated form, takes on the deepest purple of them all.

Hebe 'Red Edge'

Hebes are a large family of evergreen flowering shrubs that are very popular for the summer bloom and interesting foliages, but did you know that some have even more color in the fall? Hebe 'Silver Dollar' is variegated by summer with grey-green and cream colored margins, but in the fall after the first touch of frost, the tips of the leaves start turning a vibrant magenta pink. Hebe 'Red Edge' is a handsome grey-green foliaged plant by summer, but again after frost, a red line around the edges of the leaves appears suddenly and strikingly, highlighting the entire shrub. A small departure here, while evergreen, but not a shrub, Pheasant Grass is a great billowing mound of rusty oranges and browns in fall and winter as well.

A. japonicum aconitifolium

That about sums it up for me with shrubs, although I'm sure I forgot someone somewhere. In the tree department, you can never go wrong with a Japanese maple to get good fall color. They provide you with a range of color from rich golden yellows to crimson reds, not to mention the range of sizes and leaf forms to boot. But if I had to choose one for here, I think it would have to be the Fern Leaf Maple or Acer japonicum aconitifolium. This small tree has larger leaves that are slightly dissected (fern leaf) which turn a gorgeous crimson color in the fall. I have this one as a centerpiece in my front yard.

Aside from maples, I do have a group of notable specimens that are definite standouts for fall interest. Stewartia pseudocamellia may be slow to grow into a large full sized tree, but you can enjoy its fall show from year to year with crimson to even purplish tones in its foliage. On my next choice, I have to acknowledge that it is a bit of a mainstay for usage and fall color, not unlike Japanese maples, but I single out Liquidambar or Sweet Gum because it is one of the longest fall shows available. Too quickly do some of the trees peak and then shed, especially in our rainy climate, but Sweet Gum holds onto its foliage and its color (yellows, golds, oranges and crimson to purple) well past most others.

When thinking of trees to discuss, I couldn't pass up on an evergreen that I have only recently acquired for my garden: Cryptomeria japonica 'Elegans'. This conical or columnar growing evergreen has blue-green summer foliage that turns to deep bronze in the winter, making it a stand out in our mostly evergreen winter landscape. My final choice for this list of favorites, is a new introduction that I have only recently begun to notice, Lagerstroemia or Crape Myrtle 'Natchez'. This particular crape myrtle is not only more disease resistant, namely to our favorite (not really) powdery mildew, but it's a late summer bloomer with large clusters of white flowers. The real reason for this selection is its crimson red fall color and peeling cinnamon colored bark. Natchez likes full sun with moist well-drained soil. Grow it as a single trunk tree or multi-stemmed specimen. Either way, I think this will make for an exciting focal point in the landscape; now I just need to figure out where to put one in mine.

I hope you find this list of favorites helpful; maybe we share a few in common. There are many more standards for fall, but I could only choose a few. If you are looking for more choices, just stop by and speak with one of our knowledgeable nursery staff and we'll find that just right addition for your garden.
All photos except Hebe 'Red Edge' by Jo Abken.

By Joe Abken
Skylights Autumn 2006 Vol. 21, No. 3

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