Small Trees and Shrubs for Fall Colour
There are many colourful trees and shrubs but this entry will suggest those that grow well in Northumberland County, Ontario. Location sometimes determines the leaf colour and timing of colour; trees in full sun usually colour sooner and are brighter. Fall leaf colours include reds, pinks, burgundy, oranges and yellow. A few trees/shrubs maintain their bright green leaves quite late in season and make a nice contrast to coloured leaves.
The maples (acer rubrum, acer saccharum), oaks (quercus alba, quercus rubra), and ashes (fraxinus americana) trees have been omitted as they are very large trees.
RED /PINK
Amur Maple – acer ginnala – small tree or large shrub – bright red fall foliage
Callery Pear – pyrus calleryana – small upright tree, very common landscape tree – yellow red pink purple fall foliage
Paper back Maple – acer griseum – small understory tree – red fall foliage
American Cranberry – viburnum trilobum – large leggy native shrub – red yellow purple fall foliage with red fruit
Burning Bush – euonymous alatus – large shrub, can be trimmed – red pink fall foliage
Goldflame Spirea – spirea bumalda ‘Goldflame’ – small shrub – orange red fall foliage
Seven Son Flower – heptacodium miconioides – large shrub, flowers in fall – purplish red fruit, rose calyxes
Staghorn Sumac – rhus typhina – large invasive shrub – brilliant orange red fall foliage
BURGUNDY
Dogwood – cornus kousa – small tree – purple red fall foliage
Chokeberry – aronia arbutifolia – medium size shrub – wine red fall foliage
Deutzia Nikko – deutzia gracilis ‘Nikko’ – low growing dwarf shrub – deep burgundy fall foliage
Doublefile Viburnum – viburnum plicatum tomentosum – large shrub – reddish purple fall foliage
Japanese Snowball – viburnum plicatum – large shrub – reddish purple fall foliage
Miss Kim Korean Lilac –syringa pubescens patula ‘Miss Kim‘ – small shrub – red burgundy fall foliage
Oakleaf Hydrangea – hydrangea quercifolia – medium sized shrub – burgundy fall foliage
Virginia Sweetspire – itea virginica – small to medium size shrub, tolerates shade & wet areas – purple red fall foliage
ORANGE
Blue beech – carpinus caroliniana – small understory tree – yellow orange fall foliage
Japanese Stewartia – stewartia pseudocammellia – multi stemmed small tree, needs moist acidic soil – orange yellow red fall foliage
Serviceberry – amelanchier canadensis – small tree or large shrub (native) – orange red fall foliage
Waterfall Japanese Maple – acer palmatum ‘Waterfall’ – small tree with green summer foliage – brilliant orange fall foliage
Arrowwood – viburnum dentatum – large shrub, tolerates shade, wet soils – orange yellow fall foliage, black fruit
Fothergilla – fothergilla major – medium sized shrub, shade tolerant, prefers moist acidic soil – orange apricot fall foliage
Smokebush – cotinus coggygria – large shrub – orange red purple fall foliage
YELLOW
Gingko– gingko biloba – slow growing large tree, commonly used in landscape – golden yellow fall foliage
Katsura – cercidiphyllum japonicium – medium sized tree – golden red & fragrant fall foliage
Larch – larix decidua – medium large tree, needle like leaves – bright yellow fall foliage
Trembling Aspen – populus tremuloides – native medium sized tree – yellow fall foliage
Bottlebrush Buckeye – aescula parviflora – large shrub, good for shade, suckers – yellow gold fall foliage
Devil’s Walking Stick – aralia spinosa – large upright shrub – yellow gold fall foliage with purple black fruit
Witch Hazel – hamamelis virginiana – native large loosely spreading shrub – yellow purple red fall foliage
When choosing trees and shrubs for your garden it is important to consider your garden’s soil, light and moisture conditions and the plants growing requirements.
Right plant, right location!!!