Fall Color In Shrubs

By Bob Henrickson, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum

Most folks think of trees when they dream of fall color, but there are many shrubs that can put on a fantastic fall show here in Nebraska. Fall is also a great time to plant shrubs, so if you're replacing plants in your landscape or adding new ones, look for varieties with great color this time of year.  Garden centers and nurseries usually have a good selection and it’s the perfect opportunity to see a plant’s fall color before you purchase it.
     
I love the way shrubs take on a whole new look as they transition from green to various hues of red, orange, yellow and purple; and often this occurs just as clusters of fall fruit are also ripening. In Nebraska, where leaves can progress from green to brown almost overnight due to fast-moving cold fronts, many shrubs known for fall color elsewhere are unreliable here, but there are still lots of options. Some of these shrubs may not be readily available but they’re worth seeking out. Many of them can grow into very large shrubs—even small trees—so provide plenty of space for them to grow into their natural shape without being pruned into meatballs!
     
Amelanchier, Serviceberry, provides some of the best, most reliable fall color for this region. One of the best is Shadblow serviceberry, Amelanchier canadensis, with pumpkin or red-orange color. Serviceberries typically grow in the shadow of taller trees and can be planted with other shade-loving plants to make an outstanding fall show, but will also grow well in full sun. My favorite companion plants include the butter yellow of eastern redbud and vernal witchhazel, or the brilliant red of burning bush. Downy Serviceberry, A. arborea, also offers several cultivars with excellent fall color.  ‘Autumn Brilliance’ reaches 20-25 feet at maturity, has white flowers in spring, clean green summer foliage, and brilliant red fall color.  ‘Forest Prince’ has a good orange-red fall color and ‘Princess Diana’ has outstanding red fall color.
     
Aronia melanocarpa, Black Chokeberry, is a very reliable landscape plant in Nebraska. They can grow to 6’ high with clusters of small white flowers in early spring, followed by juicy blue-black fruit for wildlife and lustrous dark green leaves. Chokeberries are tough shrubs, forming dense thickets for wildlife cover, and growing in full sun or part shade. ‘Viking’ was selected for its large clusters of fruit and striking red fall color. I like ‘Autumn Magic’ for its red-purple mix of colorful leaves and ‘Iroquois Beauty’ for its compact 2-3’ size.
     
Aronia arbutifolia, Red Chokeberry, is more of an upright shrub. It’s somewhat open and tends to become leggy with age so it’s best to plant 3’ high selections like ‘Brilliantissima’ in a group or mass to create a sea of red fruit and foliage. I’ve seen this plant struggle in hot, dry sites and in compacted construction soils with high pH. It prefers well-drained, compost-enriched soils and afternoon shade.

Corylus americana, American hazelnut, is a large, multi-stemmed, native shrub with handsome dark green leaves that I have seen change into a blend of yellow, orange and red in fall. It produces great-tasting, high calorie nuts.  Most hybrid hazelnuts were selected for nut production rather than fall color and tend to have a dirty yellow fall color, so if you want fall color you may want to avoid the newer hybrids. It can be planted in full sun to light shade.
     
Euonymus alatus, Burning Bush. No discussion of shrubs with fall color is complete without mentioning the brilliant red of burning bush. 'Compactus' grows to about 6’ tall and the cultivar 'Rudy Haag' is a 4’ slow-growing variety with unique, pinkish-rose fall color. Burning bush is a tough plant that can handle a range of growing conditions, including poor soil and mild drought. An even hardier, and very similar, Nebraska native is eastern wahoo, Euonymus atropurpurea. I like it for its lime-colored twigs, fall display of pink to scarlet leaves and pink, popcorn-like fruit that dangles like ornaments after the leaves have fallen. Witchhazel is a great companion plant for either of these.
     
Sumacs are unrivaled for their gold, red and maroon fall colors. They tend to spread and sucker, so they are best planted in a confined space where they can form thickets.  The cutleaf selection ‘Laciniata’ tends to be even more spreading and suckering than other sumacs. Sumac stems can be trained to form rustic small trees. For fall color, ‘Prairie Flame’ sumac is a compact selection with rich maroon fall color; ‘Tiger Eye’ has golden-yellow leaves that turn red and orange in fall; and ‘Gro-low’ sumac is a popular groundcover selection growing up to 5’ high with deep green leaves that turn orange-red in fall.
           
Viburnums.  As my favorite species of shrub, I cannot list just one viburnum for fall color. Blackhaw viburnum has red to purple fall color and bluish-black fruit. American Cranberrybush viburnum, including ‘Wentworth’ and ‘Spring Red,’ has red fall color and bright red fruit. The Arrowwood viburnum selection ‘Autumn Jazz’ is a graceful vase-shape shrub, reaching 8-10 feet.  It has clean, glossy green summer foliage and a kaleidoscope blend of yellow, orange and red fall colors.  Other notable selections are cultivars of Linden viburnum ‘Catskill’ and ‘Iroquois’, featuring yellow-orange-red fall color.  ‘Mohawk’ is a Burkwood viburnum and is definitely a four-season plant, height 7-8 feet.  It has dark red flower buds that open to white flowers, with a strong, spicy clove fragrance.  It has clean, glossy, dark green leaves that are resistant to powdery mildew, and a brilliant orange-red fall color.  Most viburnums are large shrubs but a number of smaller cultivars are available also.