PLANTS FOR FALL COLOR

By Becky Phillips, Loudoun County Master Gardener, September 2010

Check out these beauties for fall color....I’m so excited because I just bought a house with a bigger yard. Which means.....I can have ALL of these.

Ninebark - CoppertinaTM, Physocarpus opufolius 'Minda' PPAF, is a spectacular new addition to the ninebark family of native shrubs. It is a lovely plant with orange-copper foliage in the spring, and as the foliage matures in summer, it turns a rich red. As with other ninebark, it blooms in summer, sporting white button-like blooms which contrast wonderfully with the foliage. This ninebark is also noted for its attractive pealing bark and bright red seed capsules in autumn. Coppertina has superior branching and an attractive, bushy habit. It is a useful landscape plant that grows 7 to 8 feet in height. Fast growing and adaptable, it provides season-long color to either the home garden or commercial landscape. Coppertina needs moderate moisture, but can tolerant dry conditions once established; prefers full sun.

'Zhuzhou' Loropetalum produces an abundance of vibrant pink, witch hazel-like, fringy flowers in Spring, sporadically during Summer, and again in Fall. The flowers contrast wonderfully with the blackish-maroon foliage. An easy to grow, low maintenance shrub, useful as a tall hedge or screen, or as a tree-form specimen, accent or espalier (grown against a wall) in landscape beds and foundation plantings. One of the most cold hardy loropetalums.

Cornus Arctic SunTM, Looking for fall and winter interest? This wonderful shrub has golden yellow and peachy orange foliage in the fall and when the foliage falls off – you get the beautiful display shown in the picture of yellow stems with red tips. It’s a spectacular show in the winter sunlight. Artic Sun is a breakthrough variety as it only reaches 3-4 feet in height versus the standard 8-10 feet of other Cornus. Arctic SunTM can be use as a cut stem for holiday arrangements or for season long color indoors. Prune old stems to the ground in spring. Plant is considered deer resistant.

Heatwave GlimmerTM Sage - Evergreen is zones 6-9, this lovely cream selection has a longer bloom time and quickly reblooms from spring until frost; flowering may be year round in mild climates. Bred for compact, rounded habit and disease resistance, this is a must for drought tolerant gardens, perennial borders and patio containers. Full sun; prefers well-draining soil. Fast growing, rounded, compact plant; 30 inches tally by 36 inches wide.

Viburnum dilatatum- CARDINAL CANDYTM has improved hardiness compared to other dilatatum varieties

with bright red, abundant berries making for a stunning display in the fall. The plant itself has a nice, well-branched

habit, and fits nicely into the landscape. Berries are not edible by humans. Other points listed are: attracts birds, deer resistant, drought tolerant, low maintenance and winter interest.

Size: 5-6 feet tall, 3-4 feet wide Exposure: Full sun to partial shade Soil: Best in moist, slightly acidic soil. Will do well in higher pH soils, but does tolerate a wide range of soil. Pruning: Best if done immediately after flowering. Buds form summer prior to blooms.

To read more: http://www.colorchoiceplants.com/ cardinal_candy.htm#ixzz0yhbmcn65

Symphoricarpos ‘Kordes’ - After a modest show of tiny greenish-white

flowers in summer, in September come the perfectly outrageous clusters of vivid deep purple and pink berries that linger on the long stems into late fall or early winter. The 5'-tall rounded hybrid shrub, with long dark green leaves, is a good choice for the sloping banks of a pond or river, providing erosion control in poor soil conditions. For full sun or part shade in average soil.