Fall is on the Way ~ Get Ready to Dig

By Lyn Hayes, Forsyth Co. Master Gardener

TownLoafer Magazine, September 2007 

Give your landscape a fall makeover with colorful shrubs.

With the record breaking heat this summer, cooler temperatures leading to fall can't get here quick enough for most. In addition to the high temperatures, the lack of rain and restricted watering has left many summer time flowerbeds brown and dried up.

Don't feel slighted if you were unable to enjoy flower beds that flourished during previous summers, however. Fall is on its way, which brings a whole new season of brightly colored leaves, berries, and the start of winter of blooms. If your landscape is in need of a fall makeover, pull out your shovel and get ready to dig!

Purple Beautyberry
Callicarpa dichotoma

Little pink flowers grow on this shrub during the summer, but are mostly hidden by the leaves. The magic is when fall comes around. The Purple Beautyberry loses its leaves in September revealing 1" clusters of purple berries up and down its stems. Birds love the berries on this shrub and will eat most of them by late fall. The berry filled stems also make for colorful accents in flower arrangements.

Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
Height: 4 to 5 feet
Spread: 4 to 5 feet
Bloom Time: Summer
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Uses: Hedge
Other: Attracts wildlife, has showy fruit

Prague Viburnum
Viburnum x pragense

An extremely hardy plant, the Prague Viburnum bears attractive red berries at the beginning of fall which gradually turn black by late October. Birds love these berries so you better look quick! Flower buds first appear pink in April, but quickly turn white after opening. This evergreen shrub provides wonderful green color all year long.

Plant Type: Evergreen shrub
Height: 8 to 12 feet
Spread: 8 to 10 feet
Bloom Time: Spring
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Other: Attracts wildlife, has showy flowers & fruit

Dwarf-Winged Burning Bush
Euonymus alatus 'Compactus'

It's hard to beat the deep red color of a Dwarf-Winged Burning Bush in the fall which is best planted in sun for maximum fall color and density. Producing yellow and green blooms in the summer, this shrub also bears orange and red ornamental fruit. Berry production varies between plants. Hardy, this shrub is also semi-drought tolerant.

Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
Height: 9 to 11 feet
Spread: 9 to 11 feet
Bloom Time: Summer
Bloom Color: Yellow and green
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Other: Fall color

Nandina
Nandina domestica

Also referred to as Heavenly Bamboo, Nandina can offer a wonderful texture within a group of other shrubs all year long. It will produce an abundant amount of attractive berries in December. Extremely shade tolerant, blasts of magenta leaves in autumn make this shrub an excellent choice for adding fall color to any garden.

Plant Type: Evergreen shrub
Height: 6 to 8 feet
Spread: 2 to 4 feet
Bloom Time: Late spring
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Other: Attracts wildlife, has showy fruit, fall color

Dwarf Fothergilla
Fothergilla gardenii

An attractive and fragrant spring-bloomer, this deciduous shrub deserves greater popularity. The bottlebrush-like, white flowers are abundant and appear before the leaves unfold. In autumn, the leaves offer a brilliant kaleidoscope display of shades of yellow, crimson, and orange. Fothergilla Major, which grows up to 10 feet tall, may also be found in local nurseries.

Height: 2 to 3 feet
Spread: 2 to 3 feet
Bloom Time: Spring
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Other: Has fragrant, showy flowers, fall color

Planting these shrubs in fall will allow their roots to grow before their blooming season; however, most can be planted in spring as well. Because local nursery inventory is seasonal, you may not always find what you're looking for when you want it. Consider placing your order on line. There are numerous nurseries available that also provide one year warranties.

Resources: Georgia Gardener's Guide and Encyclopedia of Flower