The Best Plants to Add to Your Landscape for Fall Color
When summer winds down, a lot of yards lose their color. The blooms that carried your beds through July are gone, and what is left can look dead by September.
Fall is actually one of the best times to add new color. The cooler air and still-warm soil give plants the chance to settle their roots before winter, so you get a pop of color now.
This article covers the trees, shrubs, and perennials that bring the best fall color to Southwest Ohio, and how to combine them for a landscape that keeps its color well past summer.
Why Fall Is One of the Best Times to Plant for Color
You might assume planting season wraps once summer ends, but the opposite is true. Fall gives plants some of the best growing conditions of the whole year.
The air cools off while the soil stays warm, which is exactly what roots need to get established before the ground freezes. That head start means your new plants show color right away and come back even fuller when spring arrives. Our post on the best time to plant trees explains the timing behind it.
Trees That Bring Bold Fall Color
Trees give you the biggest color change in your landscape. The right one becomes a focal point that anchors the whole yard.
Maples for Reliable Red and Orange
Maples are the most dependable choice for fall color in Southwest Ohio. Red maple turns a deep scarlet, while sugar maple shifts through orange and gold before it drops its leaves.
These are large trees, so give them plenty of room to grow. A maple planted with enough space becomes the centerpiece of your front yard for decades.
Lesser-Known Trees Worth Considering
Maples aren’t your only option. A few other trees bring color you may not expect:
- Serviceberry: stays smaller and turns warm shades of orange and red, which makes it a good fit for tighter spaces.
- Sweetgum: brings a blend of red and purple across the same tree, though its spiky seed pods take some cleanup.
- Ginkgo: one of the most striking of all, with leaves that turn bright gold and drop almost all at once for a clean, dramatic finish.
Shrubs That Carry Color into Fall
Shrubs fill the middle layer of your landscape and bring color closer to eye level. They work well around patios and walkways, where you see them up close every day.
Burning Bush and Other Standouts
Burning bush earns its name in fall, when its leaves turn a brilliant red that is hard to miss. Oakleaf hydrangea shifts to a deep burgundy and holds its color for weeks.
Viburnum adds another layer with foliage that ranges from red to purple depending on the variety. These shrubs look especially good planted near evergreens.
Shrubs That Add Berries and Texture
Not all fall colors come from leaves. Some shrubs put on their show through fruit instead. Winterberry produces clusters of bright red berries that hang on long after the leaves drop.
Beautyberry lives up to its name with unusual purple berries that brighten a bed late in the season. As a bonus, these berries draw in birds, which keeps your yard active through the colder months.
Perennials That Bloom When Summer Flowers Fade
Perennials fill the gaps in your beds and keep color at ground level once your summer annuals fade out.
Late-Season Bloomers
A few perennials save their best show for fall:
- Asters: open in shades of purple and pink right as everything else winds down.
- Sedum: Turns from pale green to a rich rose and copper as the weather cools.
- Russian sage: keeps its soft purple blooms going well into the season, with silvery foliage that looks good on its own.
How to Build a Landscape That Stays Colorful Through Every Season
The best landscapes don’t peak all at once. They are built in layers, with trees, shrubs, and perennials timed to take turns through the seasons. When you stagger the color this way, something is always coming into its own.
A tree anchors the view in fall while late-blooming perennials carry the beds, and the structure still holds the eye even after the leaves drop. Planning for that kind of year-round color gives you a yard that looks good in every season instead of just one.
Plant for Fall Color with Degree Lawn & Landscape
Fall planting has a window, and once the ground starts to freeze, the opportunity closes until spring.
At Degree Lawn & Landscape, we help homeowners in West Chester, Mason, and Loveland design and plant landscapes that stay colorful long after summer ends. Our team picks varieties suited to local conditions and handles the installation, so your new plantings settle in well before winter.
Contact us to plan your fall planting project. Ask which trees, shrubs, and perennials work best for your property and schedule before the fall planting window closes.
