Autumn produces some of the most vibrant colours of the year in our landscape.
Leaves of deciduous trees, shrubs and even some varieties of coniferous trees showcase some of most fiery colours for our eyes to feast on.
As chlorophyll starts to break down just before the leaves fall, other pigments are revealed: carotenoids (yellow and orange pigments) and anthocyanins (red and purple pigments).
To improve the autumn colour in your garden, you can choose suitable plants for our environment that will put on a beautiful display every year.
Here are some suggestions for adding brilliant, fiery colour to your garden:
Trees for smaller gardens
Paperbark maple (acer griseum) — this beautiful tree is eagerly sought out by knowledgeable gardeners for its unique copper orange to cinnamon reddish/brown peeling bark. The fall colour is a brilliant orange.
Kousa dogwood (cornus kousa) — makes an excellent landscape tree with a long season of interest. The fruit of this tree is edible and sometimes used for making wine. The fall colour is generally a muted orange shade.
Large trees
Katsura tree (cercidiphyllum japonicum) — can reach 148 feet in height so make sure you have the space. The fall colour can be a stunning yellow to muted tones of pink and yellow.
Red maple (acer rubrum) — one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees. The leaves can turn brilliant red in autumn, but can also become yellow or orange.
Shrubs with exciting autumn tints
Japanese barberry (berberis thunbergii) — this spiny, broad-rounded deciduous shrub matures to five feet tall and as wide. Fall colour can range from brilliant orange to a muted purple/orange shade.
Redvein enkianthus (enkianthus campanulatus) - in the spring this medium-sized shrub offers a profusion of creamy white bell shaped flowers with red veins. Fall colours range from coppery to red.
Lynda Pasacreta is the current president of the Richmond Garden Club.
