Plants with leaves that turn shades of gold in the fall are treasures for the garden. They contrast beautifully with perennials that bloom late in purple, like many asters, and they provide the perfect foliar echo for late summer and autumn’s yellow flowers, like goldenrods and black-eyed Susans. The reds, purples and bronzes of ornamental grasses also find a welcome backdrop in golden deciduous leaves.
Related: Find great fall-blooming perennials.
Here are five outstanding options for adding rich color to the autumn garden.
1. Arkansas bluestar
(Amsonia hubrichtii)
This US-native perennial’s alternative common name—threadleaf bluestar—refers to the width of its foliage, which lines the plant’s upright stems so densely it resembles a puffy cloud. The fine texture makes it attractive throughout summer, after its blue spring flowers fade, but this plant becomes truly stunning in autumn, when the leaves turn golden yellow. This plant is very effective massed and mixed with coneflowers, black-eyed-Susans and asters.
Origins: Rocky slopes and dry creek banks in eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas.
Habit: Herbaceous perennial growing to three feet tall and two to three feet wide, with an upright, bushy shape.
Growing notes: Arkansas bluestar grows best in full sun and average to dry soil. It will tolerate part shade, but the fall color is best with more sun. It can be slow its first year in the garden, but it will take off in its second year. USDA Zones 5 to 9.
Image: public domain
2. Golden Spirit smokebush
(Cotinus coggygria ‘Ancot’)
This smokebush cultivar boasts lovely lemon-lime foliage throughout the growing season, but its color intensifies in autumn, with some leaves darkening to a golden amber and others, deep red to purple. Smokebush gets its common name for the way its spent flowers resemble puffs of smoke, but the foliage is the main draw on Golden Spirit, as its flowering tends to minimal or absent.
Origins: The species is native to southern Europe east to central China. The cultivar Golden Spirit, or ‘Ancot’, was discovered in a Dutch garden in 1989.
Habit: Deciduous shrub or multistemmed small tree growing 8 to 15 feet tall with a similar spread.
Growing notes: Site in full sun to part shade, in soil that remains moist but drains well. Because foliage is this plant’s best attribute, it can be cut back hard in early spring. This will remove any flower buds, but it will spur the growth of leaves that are larger than normal. Zones 5 to 8.
Image: F.D.Richards/CC BY-SA 2.0
3. Hybrid witch hazels (Hamamelis x intermedia)
Witch hazels are treasured for their small but frilly flowers, which line the shrubs’ bare stems at times in the year when bloom can be scarce—late fall, late winter or early spring, depending on the species. However, these plants also offer colorful autumn foliage, especially among cultivars of H. xintermedia, which also offer larger late-winter flowers and more compact growth.
Origins: Hamamelis xintermedia is a cross between the Japanese H. japonica and Chinese H. mollis. Two witch hazel species are native to the US: H. virginiana and H. vernalis.
Habit: Deciduous shrubs with an upright to spreading shape. Cultivars of hybrid witch hazels typically grow between 8 and 12 feet tall and 10 and 15 feet wide.
Growing notes: Witch hazels prefer full sun to part shade and even soil moisture. The best growth and flowering occurs in full sun and rich, acidic soil with good drainage. Provide these shrubs with ample room or, if necessary, prune them in spring. Zones 5 to 8.
Image: public domain
4. Arctic Sun redtwig dogwood
(Cornus sanguinea ‘Cato’)
Arctic Sun redtwig dogwood can be relied upon for fall and winter interest thanks to its yellow-orange autumn leaves that drop to reveal colorful stems, which darken from yellow at the base to coral red at the tip. Small white flowers attract bees in the spring; dark berries follow to feed songbirds. Arctic Sun was bred using an older cultivar, Winter Flame, but it has more compact growth and better fall foliage than this parent.
Origins: The species C. sanguinea is native from northern Europe to northwest Asia. This cultivar was developed by breeder Andre van Nijnatten in the Netherlands.
Habit: Deciduous shrub with upright growth reaching 3 to 4 feet tall and wide.
Growing notes: This is an adaptable shrub, but it grows best in moist soil and full sun. Remove up to one third of the stems each year in early spring, selecting the oldest growth and cutting it off at the base of the plant. This will prompt fresh stems, which tend to have the brightest color. Zones 4 to 7.
Image: Leonore Enking/CC BY-SA 2.0
5. Bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora)
Bottlebrush buckeye is a large native shrub produces large panicles of white flowers in midsummer. This and its preference for shade make it a unique option for the garden. Its clear yellow fall foliage extends its season of interest. Its large size and coarse texture recommend placement at the back of a shrub border, within a mixed hedgerow or against the backdrop of a woods.
Origins: Woodlands of the southeastern United States.
Habit: Mounded, multistemmed deciduous shrub reaching 8 to 12 feet tall and 8 to 15 feet wide. It can spread by suckers.
Growing notes: Plant bottlebrush buckeye in part sun or shade. This shrub requires moist soil and it will not tolerate drought, especially when it is newly planted. Zones 4 to 8.
Image: F.D. Richards/CC BY-SA 2.0
