7 Plants with Fabulous Fall Foliage to Brighten Your Landscape

Autumn is a great time to plant new landscape plants because the soil is cool and comfortable, so seize the moment and update your landscape today!

 

It’s hard to feel sad about our summer annuals fading when all the trees, shrubs, and landscape plants take on such spectacular fall colors! We have a few particular favorites that always deliver gorgeous fall foliage to brighten the scenery. 

 

Our Favorite Landscape Plants with Vibrant Fall Foliage

Transform your fall landscape with radiant red, fiery orange, sunny gold, and rich plum foliage plants. These seven trees, shrubs, and perennials for Pennsylvania will ensure your fall landscape never lacks color, curb appeal, and fantastic foliage.  

 

Black Gum (Nyssa Sylvatica)

Native to Pennsylvania, the black gum tree thrives in moist, acidic soil and is often found in swampy, coastal areas. They’re much more tolerant of poorly-draining soils and standing water than most other trees. Their glossy green foliage turns a brilliant shade of red in fall. During the transitional phase, as its leaves start turning, you’ll love the multi-tonal prismatic effect it creates, with swirls of green, gold, orange, and red.  

 

Red Maple (Acer Rubrum)

There’s nothing quite like a classic maple tree to bring glorious color and dimension to any landscape! The signature lobed leaves are beautiful year-round, but once that fall weather arrives and its foliage turns candy apple red, it’s truly a magnificent sight. Red maples perform best in moist, acidic soil with excellent drainage. You can expect them to reach a maximum height of 40–70 feet with a spread of 30–50 feet at maturity. 

 

Itea

Also known as Virginia sweetspire, this flowering shrub is prized for its long, white flower panicles that look like fuzzy tails. However, its fall display is arguably just as impressive! Its foliage takes on flushes of red, orange, and plum. When some of the leaves still hold onto their green color, it creates a dazzling rainbow effect! 

 

Hibiscus

Known for their show-stopping tropical blooms as large as dinner plates, the hibiscus is a shrubby perennial with major visual impact. Its flowers usually remain until September in Pennsylvania, but once they fade, you’re still in for a treat! In fall, its foliage turns brilliant yellow before falling to the ground for one last colorful display before the winter frost. 

 

Oakleaf Hydrangea

Hydrangeas are wildly popular for their big, voluminous blooms, but the oakleaf hydrangea is particularly special. Its lobed foliage resembles that of an oak tree, taking on beautiful shades of purple, amber, and burgundy in fall. Oakleaf hydrangeas are incredibly versatile shrubs that look lovely as a singular statement plant, mass planted for borders and foundation lines, or even in containers! 

 

Amsonia

Commonly known as bluestar, the amsonia is a lovely native perennial that produces icy blue clusters of star-shaped blooms through late spring and early summer. It reaches 3 feet tall and wide at maturity, so it has all the volume and impact of a shrub—the difference is that it dies back in winter. Its foliage can get a bit floppy, so after it blooms, you can trim it to create a tidier shape. Once fall arrives, its foliage turns bright yellow! You’ll love how this cheerful perennial invigorates the autumn scenery with its sunny golden hues. 

 

Dogwood

There are so many gorgeous varieties of dogwood that boast colorful autumn foliage. Red osier dogwood is an especially compelling cultivar, with vivid red bark that brightens the landscape through fall and winter! Its dark green leaves change from red to orange, eventually deepening into a rich purple shade.

 

Explore even more fabulous landscape plants with mesmerizing fall foliage in Pennsylvania by visiting Primex Garden Center. Autumn is a great time to plant new landscape plants because the soil is cool and comfortable, so seize the moment and update your landscape today!