For Bright Fall Foliage Plant Kodiak Orange Diervilla

Virtues: Kodiak Orange diervilla is a selection of a North American native shrub. Its new growth in spring shows tinges of orange, and its fall foliage is a vivid pumpkin color. Its fall foliage rivals that of burning bush (Euonymus alata), which is listed as invasive in much of the Northeast, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, as well as in scattered counties in other regions. It also blooms all summer with clusters of small yellow flowers. An easy-going shrub, this plant tolerates a wide range of conditions and tops out at four feet tall. 

Common name: Kodiak Orange bush honeysuckle, Kodiak Orange diervilla. Note: Although the common name bush honeysuckle is used for Diervilla, the plants do not have the aggressive or invasive spread that some honeysuckles (Lonicera) do.

Botanical name: Diervilla x'G2X88544', or Kodiak Orange

Exposure: Full sun to full shade

Flowers: Tiny yellow flowers occur in rounded clusters at the tips of the stems throughout the summer. These are attractive to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

Foliage: Kodiak Orange bush honeysuckle is deciduous, losing its leaves for winter. In spring, the new growth emerges with an orange cast. The foliage turns green for summer then returns to a bright red-orange in autumn and fall.

Habit: This shrub grows three to four feet tall and wide, with a mounded shape.

Origin: Kodiak Orange is a hybrid selection of Diervilla, a genus composed of three species, all of which are native to eastern North America. 

How to grow it: Site Kodiak Orange diervilla in any light condition, from full sun to full shade. The most vivid foliage color will occur with more sun, however. Once established, it can tolerate some drought. It adapts to most soil types. Although pruning should not be necessary given the shrub's medium size and tidy shape, if you wish to trim it do so in early spring. Flowers buds are formed on the year's new growth. USDA Zones 4–7.

Image courtesy of Proven Winners