Garden into fall with tips, plants built for seasonal design

By Andrew Holsinger

Fall can be a surprise when it arrives, but planning for the seasonal transition can keep the garden looking great until frost.

Most gardeners can show their success by battling the summer temperatures, sometimes watering twice daily to keep the plants alive. As summer blooms fade, cooler temperatures allow for a new palette of plants to be added to give one last show of vibrant color for the fall. 

Other plants have waited through the seasons to show their best quality of fall color and prove why they were selected as cultivars or plants bred for specific characteristics.

With all the choices of plants, focus on the desired effect. Fall foliage is always a focus from the ground covers to the trees. Fall-blooming shrubs keep pollinators productive late in the season.

Finally, research the requirements and culture of all the plants chosen to grow for the provided location. 

Consider these plant cultivars to transition into fall:

• Autumn gold ginko (Ginko biloba ‘Autumn Gold’) is a cultivar with a broad, symmetrical form.

• Gro-Low sumac (Rhus aromatica ‘Gro-Low’) has a low wide-spreading habit that can quickly reach higher than a ground cover.

• Golden weeping willow (Salix alba ‘Tristis’) is outstanding for its yellow color and drooping form.

• Quick Fire hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Quick Fire’) has excellent fall color with blooms turning red and leaves turning gold and burgundy.

• Pee Wee oak leaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Pee Wee’) is pleasing throughout the seasons, especially with nice foliage in the fall.

• Wildfire tupelo or blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica ‘Wildfire’) has a yellow-orange to purple-red fall color.

• Moraine sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Moriane’) is cold hardy and has excellent red fall color.

• Scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea) is native to a few counties in Illinois with scarlet leaves in the fall.

• Black-haw viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium ‘Summer Magic’) is adaptable to most sites, and its leathery leaves turn yellow to red in fall.

• Ornamental kale (Brassica oleracea cvs.) ‘Black Tuscan’, ‘Meadowlark’, and ‘Prizm’ are a few decorative cultivars to choose from.

• Purple beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma ‘Issai’) is rounded with abundant, violet-blue berries.

For more information on plants for fall, connect with your local University of Illinois Extension county office at go.illinois.edu/ExtensionOffice.