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Autumn is the season when nature puts on its most dramatic display. As the air turns crisp and the days grow shorter, gardens across the country begin their transformation. Brilliant colors of red, orange, gold, and bronze take center stage, creating a breathtaking palette of warm colors. If you're already planning your fall garden or want to bring new life to your outdoor living space, browse these selections of perennials, shrubs, and trees can help turn your garden into an autumnal color showcase.
Because Jackson & Perkins offers a carefully curated selection of perennials, shrubs, and trees that truly shine in fall, you can easily transform your garden into a breathtaking display of fall’s finest colors.
Here are some of our expert’s best recommendations to make your fall garden one to remember for years to come! If you have a favorite fall color, we’ve combined these recommendations by their primary fall color display.
If you love the fiery shades of red and deep burgundy, adding these plants to your garden is a must.
Heuchera (Coral Bells) - Zones 4-9: These beauties bring drama to the fall garden with their rich burgundy to crimson foliage. They create striking contrasts when paired with lighter foliage or flowers.
Bergenia - Zones 3-8: Known for its thick, glossy leaves, Bergenia turns a deep red as temperatures cool. This easy-care perennial is perfect for adding bold color to your autumn garden.
Viburnum - Zones 2-9: Many viburnum species boast stunning red and burgundy fall foliage, making them an excellent choice for both their beauty and versatility. Plus, their clusters of berries attract birds, adding a touch of wildlife charm to your garden.
Sweetspire (Itea virginica) - Zones 5-9: Sweetspire offers elongated leaves that turn a brilliant crimson in fall, creating a fiery spectacle in your landscape.
Euonymus Fire Ball Seedless
Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) - Zones 5-8: Known for their delicate, lace-like leaves, Japanese maples are fall showstoppers. Many cultivars turn deep crimson, adding elegance and drawing eyes to your beautiful fall garden.
Dogwood - Zones 5-9: Beyond their spring blooms, dogwood trees are a fall favorite for their stunning red foliage, which adds dimension and vibrancy to the autumn garden.
Yellow hues bring a soft glow to your garden in fall, creating a warm and inviting ambiance.
Sedum - Zones 3-9: The 'Autumn Joy' variety transitions to golden hues in the fall. Its succulent leaves and blooms make it a versatile choice for garden borders or container plantings.
Hypericum 'Brigadoon' – Zones 5-9; This new variety of St. John’s Wort turns from electric yellow-green foliage that takes on an orange-gold hue in the summer sun then turns yellow-to-orange in fall. It’s an easy-growing groundcover.
Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) - Zones 4-9: Known for its distinct fan-shaped leaves, the Ginkgo is a standout tree in the fall. Its bright yellow foliage makes a striking contrast against the deep reds and oranges of other fall plants.
Create a cozy and rustic feel with orange and bronze hues that evoke the spirit of autumn.
Sorbaria (False Spirea) - Zones 2-8: With its fern-like leaves, Sorbaria turns a striking orange-bronze in fall. Its texture and color make it a fantastic option for adding depth to your garden beds.
Vaccinium (Blueberry) - Zones 3-8: While known for their delicious berries, blueberry bushes offer a stunning fall display with their foliage turning fiery orange and red. They’re a beautiful and functional choice for your garden!
Heucherella 'Sweet Tea' - Zones 4-9: 'Sweet Tea' is a superbly colored plant that changes its range of hue depending on the present weather conditions. From golden, orange, and red to brown and bronze, this species is an explosion of color that will complement any landscape.
Bring a touch of elegance to your fall garden with plants that maintain lovely blooms or unique color changes through the season.
Clethra (Summersweet) - Zones 3-9: While loved for its fragrant white blooms in summer, Clethra’s foliage takes on a soft golden-yellow hue in fall, adding gentle color to your landscape.
Gardenia - Zones 7-11: Best known for their fragrant blooms, some varieties of Gardenia also offer muted fall color, giving a subtle seasonal twist to this evergreen shrub.
Hydrangea - Zones 3-9: Certain hydrangea varieties transform in fall, with their large blooms taking on warm, muted tones of pink, red, or bronze.
Rhododendron - Zones 4-8: Rhododendrons, though primarily appreciated for their spring blooms, add a touch of autumn beauty with their leaves transitioning to bronze in fall.
Japanese Snowbell (Styrax japonicus) - Zones 5-8: Known for its fragrant, bell-shaped flowers in spring, this tree offers lovely golden-yellow foliage in fall, creating an elegant autumnal effect.
Add dimension and visual interest to your garden by choosing shrubs and trees that offer unique textures and features.
Lysimachia Creeping Jenny - Zones 3-9: A perennial evergreen ground cover with captivating foliage that forms a dense carpet of small, heart-shaped leaves with a subtle ruffled texture. It's bright yellow-green color persists all season.
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) - Zones 5-10: While its spherical summer blooms are captivating, Buttonbush also offers golden-hued foliage in fall, making it a dual-season performer.
Your garden doesn't have to stop being beautiful when summer ends. With the right selection of perennials, shrubs, and trees, your outdoor space can be a stunning autumn retreat.
Explore our full collection of fall foliage favorites at Jackson & Perkins, and get ready to create a garden that is a seasonal masterpiece. We have everything you need to create an autumn garden that will leave you (and your guests) in awe.
