Native Fall Beauties for Howard County Gardens
How is your garden looking this time of year? Now that the colder days are here, some of the beautiful flowers that were blooming in the summer and making your garden beautiful are no longer in bloom. Here are some native shrubs, grasses, and perennials that will make your garden beautiful and colorful for fall!
Shrubs
Winterberry, Red Sprite ‘Dwarf’ Variety:
This shrub is great for areas in your yard that gets a lot of water (tolerates swamp-like conditions) and is good for full sun and partial shade conditions. The berries will begin to show in late summer and early fall, and stick around through winter.
Winterberry, ‘Sparkleberry’ Variety:
This variety is very similar to the Red Sprite variety, but it typically grows taller. The leaves turn from green to a yellow-bronze in the fall, creating beautiful foliage. Both varieties provide great food for birds.
Beautyberry:
Beautyberry has beautiful purple berries, and prefers sun but will tolerate light shade. Beautyberry is also easy to maintain. Deer will prune this one for you! They will munch, but typically not enough to harm the plant.
Oakleaf Hydrangea:
These shrubs prefer to be grown in well-drained soil and in full sun to partial shade. The conical, cluster of flowers turn from white to pink as the plant ages. The foliage turns from green to bronze, maroon or purple in the fall.
In bloom:
Fall foliage:
Sweetspire ‘Henry’s Garnet’ Variety:
This variety tolerates a variety of soil types and can be grown in shade. The flowers are white in the spring and summer, with the leaves turning red, yellow, and orange in the fall and persisting through winter. This plant is usually deer resistant.
In bloom:
Fall foliage
Sweetspire ‘Little Henry’ Variety:
This is also similar to the other Sweetspire variety, however, the leaves turn a bright red in the fall and usually smaller in size. This plant is usually deer resistant.
Dwarf Fothergilla, or Fothergilla ‘Mount Airy’:
This is a flowering shrub that requires little maintenance if planted in well drained soils, and in sun or partly shady areas of your landscape. This plant is usually deer resistant.
In bloom:
Fall foliage:
Grasses
Little Bluestem Grass:
The blooms start out as a purple-bronze flower in late summer and then turn white, lasting through winter. It is easy to maintain and tolerates a variety of soil types, including clay. The leaves turn from a blue in the summer to a purple and burgundy over the winter.
Perennials
Goldenrod ‘Fireworks’ Variety:
This variety blooms throughout fall. It prefers full sun and well-drained soil. This plant is usually deer resistant.
Aster ‘New England’ Variety
New England Asters are great for attracting butterflies to your garden. It is easy to grow and maintain, and it prefers full sun. This plant is usually deer resistant.
Asters ‘New York’ Variety:
Similar to the New England variety, but with light purple and blue blossoms. This plant is usually deer resistant.
Amsonia hubrichtii, or Blue Star:
Blue star has great yellow-bronze foliage in fall. It can be grown in full sun to part shade and is easy to maintain. This plant is usually deer resistant.
Autumn Fern ‘Brilliance’ Variety:
This fern is a non-flowering plant that is red in color in the spring with new growth, turning green over the summer, and returning to a red in the fall and through the frost of winter.
Coneflower:
Coneflowers also require little maintenance. It is a cold-hardy plant and drought resistant. The blossoms are a vibrant pinkish-purple in color. This plant is usually deer resistant.
Black-eyed Susan:
Black-eyed Susan’s are Maryland’s state flower, making it a perfect addition to your garden. They bloom through early-mid fall, and should be planted in full sun. I’ve seen them bloom well in shade too! Proper pruning can prolong the blooming of these gorgeous flowers. This plant is usually deer resistant.