Gardening in Oregon for Fall color
There’s so much to love about fall in Portland…the cooler weather, pumpkin everything, and changing leaves are just a few of what makes fall magical. It’s that time of year when the leaves transition to golden hues of yellow, orange, and red. How can you get more of that enchanting color in your own yard?
By carefully choosing plants in advance that will either last to fall, bloom in fall, or change color in fall, you’re sure to have a magnificent fall landscape. Let’s take a look at some ideas of plants for fall color:
Flowers For fall color
Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus L.) – Native to the United States, these heartwarming flowers are loved all over the world now. Did you know that sunflowers can also be red and purple? While peak bloom is in August, the yellowy display of happiness will usually last until mid-fall.
Mums (Chrysanthemum) – If there is one flower that screams fall color, it’s mums. When you start seeing the colorful array of yellow, orange, and red mums with pumpkins on porches, there’s no doubt fall is here! Did you know that garden mums are actually perennials that will return back every year under the right conditions.
Coneflower (Echinacea) – Part of the daisy family, these fast growers reach 2-4 feet in height. They have vigorous long-lasting blooms, with many varieties blooming from June to October. Their cone-like centers attract butterflies and bees while in bloom. After bloom, their seed heads are nutritious food for songbirds.
Sedum – With it’s different varieties, sedum can add bright yellow floral ground cover to upright bursts of bright pink to your garden. Blooming from midsummer to fall, you’ll not only enjoy more fall color, but summer color as well.
shrubs for fall color
Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) – The aromatic light green leaves that inspired the name, turn to a deep yellow-gold in autumn. While more commonly found growing in wet woodlands, forests, and valleys, a spicebush would make for some great fall color and be happy to utilize a wet area in your yard.
Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus) – This rounded shrub gets its name from the fiery red color that the leaves turn for fall. What a stark contrast to when their leaves first emerge in spring as a lush blue-green color.
Gold Flame Spirea (Spiraea japonica ‘Goldflame’) – Gold flame spirea offers beautiful changing colors for 3 of the 4 seasons making it a perfect shrub for those of us who love to celebrate the changing seasons. In the spring the leaves first surface as a bronze-red shade. Transitioning to bright yellow-green for summer with pink clusters making an appearance in early summer. Finally, the leaves shift into a perfect copper-orange color for autumn.
Barberry (Berberis) – Did you know that a barberry shrub not only can add some fall color to your landscape, but that the red berries that plant produces are not only edible, but provide health benefits like fighting acne and anticancer effects? You’ll get months of visual interest while the leaves change to a vivid green then to ruby red in fall.
Trees for fall color
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)- I’m not sure there’s anything that invokes thoughts of bringing out the comfy sweaters and pumpkin spice lattes more than maple trees, specifically sugar maple trees. The beautiful show of yellow, burnt orange, and red leaves that happens in the fall is what has always made them a landscape standout. From Hillsboro to Lake Oswego to Gresham, the gorgeous sugar maples
American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) – American beech trees provide great shade during the heat of the summer months. Once autumn comes around the green leaves will transition into beautiful bronze shades, adding to your fall curb appeal. You’ll have to be patient though if you want to enjoy the full beauty of this slow grower.
Autumn Blaze Maple (Acer rebrum) – Autumn Blaze Maples are a much faster growing choice to add some color to your landscape. With their orange to crimson red color, you’ll be thinking of pumpkins, family, and pie every time you look at it. As with most maples, you’ll also get the added benefit of having a wonderful shade tree in the heat of summer.
What do you think? Which would be your choice for adding fall color to your yard? Let us know in the comments below.
