Autumn Plants

After the hard work and joys of summer..., comes Autumn. When, after cutting the grass and sweeping up the leaves we can sit back, take a deep breath and relax. Choose a favourite seat and watch nature do its 'All Singing, All Dancing, Autumn Colour Show'.

The range of greens and yellows in the garden are seen to much greater advantage in the clear light of autumn than in the glare of summer sunshine. As well as the leaves that change colour, the blue/greens and golds of some conifers, the bright yellows of trees such as golden Elm, Hop and Robinia, and shrubs such as Choisya 'Sundance', Physocarpus, Spirea 'Gold Flame' and Philadelphus aurea, glow in the softer autumn light.

Fuchsias are often at their best late in the year, preferring the cooler, moister conditions to the heat and dryness of summer. This effect is accentuated if plants are kept pinched back later into spring and summer so that they flower later.

The traditional colours of autumn are provided mainly by Michaelmas Daisies, Chrysanthemums and Dahlias, together with the late Roses, Viticella Clematis and other flowers of late flowering perennials such as Rudbekias, Sunflowers and Penstemons.

Add to this list the Blues of Ceratostigma, Caryopteris and Perovskia; Sedum Spectabile and Valerian and the last Buddleias for the butterflies, many of which fly in September and need to feed themselves up for the winter); and red or orange Zeuchneria, and the season can be a colourful as any.

Delphiums, Oriental Poppies and other early flowering herbaceous perennials, if cut to the ground and fed after their first flowering, will produce a second flush as good as the first, often lasting longer in the cooler air.

Autumn's unique contribution to the year's colour scene is its dazzling display of leaf colour, with a daily changing kaleidoscope of greens, yellows, golds, reds and oranges, lasting from September to the end of October or even early November in a good year.

Maturing and ready to continue the colours into deepest winter are the trees and shrubs which have crops of berries, trees such as Holly, Cotoneaster cornubia, Vibnurnam and Arbutus unedo, and shrubs - Cotoneaster, Berberris, Pyracantha, shrub Roses and Skimmia.

Shrubs and Trees for Autumn Colour:­

Acers - many including Coral Bark, & Palmatum (Shrub/Small Tree) American Blueberry (shrub - 6')*

Berberris e.g. Thunbergia, Darwinii, Wilsonii, & Julianae. Cotinus -'Smoke Bush'

Cotoneasters - many especially deciduous varieties e.g. horizontalis. Euonymus - deciduous varieties e.g. alata & europaeus. Enkianthus*, & Fothergilla*

Gledisia (or Gleditsia) (Tree)

Hamamellis* Japonica & Intermedia

Liquidambar styracifolia* (Tree)

Nandina domestica*

Nyssa (Tupelo) (Tree)

Parthenocissus -'Virginia Creeper' & Boston Ivy'.

Prunus e.g. Subhirtilla'Autumnalis' and flowering cherries. Sumach e.g. Typhina & Laciniata. (Tree)

Sorbus aucuparia (many varieties) & Zelcova serrata (Trees)

 

* These prefer or need an acid soil or grow in pots with ericaceous compost

(Sue Lord 1999)