Combining plants in the garden is both art and science, and even long-time gardeners are always tweaking their existing combos and experimenting with new ones. We did the hard work for you here so you just need to plant and enjoy these picture-perfect autumn centered combos for years to come. We’ve created six different themes: texture, shade tolerant, deer resistant, unique color, bird-friendly, and native. Under each plant combination, we’ve listed what you’ll see in the other seasons too to ensure your garden is beautiful year-round. Pick a combination that works for your landscape, or use our ideas as a palette and mix and match your own.
Keep scrolling to find your new view for the fall season.
Texture Celebration
Every plant has a texture.
Fine texture = small leaves or flowers
Medium texture = average sized leaves or flowers
Coarse texture = big leaves or flowers
Intentionally pairing plants with different textures not only helps break up the view, but it also engages your visitors and encourages them to really look at your plants. Imagine; you see a busy bunch of tiny leaves and then shift to the relief of a mass of plain, wide leaves and then you get to delight in a perfectly framed bunch of average-sized flowers and so on.
Symphoricarpos sp.
full to part sun
3-4 ft. tall and wide
USDA zones 3-7
– clusters of light pink berries are so perfect they look fake
– does not need a pollinator to develop berries
Cotinus coggygria
full to part sun
5-8 ft. tall and 6 ft. wide
USDA zones 4-8
– massive pink seed heads are so thick you can hardly see the foliage
Viburnum carlesii
full to part sun
6-7 ft. tall and wide
USDA zones 4-8
– dramatic burgundy fall color
– will develop berries if planted with a pollinator
But what does this trio bring to the garden the rest of the year?
SPRING – masses of highly fragrant white flowers on Spice Girl viburnum
SPRING-FALL – lightly hairy, deeply veined leaves on Spice Girl viburnum
SPRING-FALL – small, dusty blue-green leaves add fine texture and interesting color on Proud Berry
SPRING-FALL – dense habit of The Velvet Fog smokebush makes any space look lush
WINTER – The Velvet Fog’s architectural branching is revealed and highlighted by dried seedheads
Most Shade Tolerant Combo
Now, before you get too excited thinking that these fall beauties will make it look like your shady garden is practically on fire, I need to let you know that their color will be slightly less bright in the shade. However, they are extremely vigorous growers and they’ll bring more color and life into that spot than the ordinary shrub.
Diervilla sp.
full sun to full shade
3-4 ft. tall and wide
USDA zones 4-7
– explodes into bright orange color in fall
– makes great filler for cut flower arrangements
Hydrangea quercifolia
full to part sun
6-8 ft. tall and wide
USDA zones 5-9
– dark pink flowers in early fall
– massive leaves make a big impact with burgundy fall coloring
Itea virginica
full sun to full shade
2-3 ft. tall and wide
USDA zones 5-9
– extraordinary color transitions in fall, blends of moody green, burgundy, and cherry red
– generally unbothered by deer
But what does this trio bring to the garden the rest of the year?
SPRING – brilliantly colored new growth from Kodiak Orange diervilla
SPRING-FALL – massive leaves on Gatsby Pink add coarse texture to the garden
EARLY SUMMER – long white, fragrant flowers from Scentlandia sweetspire
MID-SUMMER – bright white blooms from Gatsby Pink oakleaf hydrangea
ALL SUMMER – waves of tubular yellow flowers from Kodiak Orange diervilla
WINTER – exfoliating bark, whimsical habit, and dried flowers on Gatsby Pink
Deer Resistant
Deer can make gardening feel less like a fun hobby and more like an extreme course in self denial, “I don’t really need flowers anyway…” That’s where these shrubs come in. On a scale from A to D, A being rarely bothered and D being deer food, these plants all get A’s. So you can actually look forward to seeing that fall show. Really, you can.
Viburnum dentatum var. deamii
full to part sun
4-5 ft. tall and wide
USDA zones 4-8
– bunches of dark blue berries grow in clusters in the fall
– glossy foliage is deeply veined and adds medium texture
Caryopteris × clandonensis
full sun
2-2.5 ft. tall and wide
USDA zones 5-9
– blooms at the end of summer and persists into fall
– electric, true blue colored flowers
Sambucus racemosa
full to part sun
4-7 ft. tall and wide
USDA zones 3-7
– foliage keeps its brilliant chartreuse color well into fall
– highly dissected leaves add fine texture
But what does this trio bring to the garden the rest of the year?
SPRING – fluffy white flower clusters on Glitters & Glows *spray these flowers to protect them!
SPRING – astible-like creamy white flowers on Lemony Lace
SPRING-SUMMER – long, small leaves on Beyond Midnight add interesting fine texture
LATE SUMMER – red berries may appear on Lemony Lace
WINTER – whimsical branching of Lemony Lace is exposed all winter
Unique Color Combination
Step just outside of the norm by embracing purples and pinks in your berries, foliage, and flowers. This combination of colors makes it feel like the cheerful spirit of summer has extended into fall.
Callicarpa ×
full sun
4-5 ft. tall and 3-4 ft. wide
USDA zones 5-8
– electric lavender bunches of berries are gathered on the dark purple stems in fall
Spiraea betulifolia
full to part sun
3-4 ft. tall and wide
USDA zones 3-9
– its normally chartreuse foliage transitions to hot pink and yellow
Heptacodium miconioides
full sun
6-10 ft. tall and wide
USDA zones 5-9
– puffy flower-like structures appear in early fall and persist until winter hits
But what does this trio bring to the garden the rest of the year?
SPRING – rounded bunches of bright white flowers on Glow Girl
SPRING-FALL – small foliage on Glow girl is a bright chartreuse color and has fine texture
SPRING-SUMMER – dark purplish green foliage on Pearl Glam
LATE SUMMER – large white flowers on Temple of Bloom
WINTER – exfoliating milky white bark on the trunks on Temple of Bloom is especially handsome and noticeable when trained into a tree form
Bird Buffet
This selection of shrubs produces fruits and seeds in fall, when many birds are bulking up for migration or in preparation for the cold. Beyond their ability to produce food, these shrubs actually attract food, too! To have a true birder’s garden, you’ll need shrubs that draw in a ton of insects. It sounds brutal, but it’s absolutely necessary. These North American natives also happen to have absolutely stunning red and burgundy fall coloring that the birds probably won’t care about, but I trust that the monochromatic-loving gardener will (red foliage in fall, white flowers in spring).
Aronia melanocarpa
full sun to part shade
8-14 in. tall and 3 ft. wide
USDA zones 3-9
– dark blue berries develop in late summer/early fall
– creates a blanket of fall color with its spreading habit
Crataegus crus-galli
full sun
15 ft. tall and 12-15 ft.wide
USDA zones 3-7
– clusters of small red fruits arrive in autumn
– gorgeous burgundy fall color
Cephalanthus occidentalis
full sun
3-4 ft. tall and wide
USDA zones 4-10
– fruit (actually called nutlets) turns a bright showy red by fall
– glossy foliage turns burgundy in autumn
But what does this trio bring to the garden the rest of the year?
SPRING – clusters of small white flowers blanket Ground Hug aronia
SPRING – thornless branches are filled with tiny white flowers on Crusader hawthorn
SUMMER – perfectly ball shaped white flowers on Sugar Shack buttonbush
SPRING-WINTER – silvery tan bark illuminates the landscape on Crusader hawthorn
WINTER – dried fruits attract birds on Sugar Shack buttonbush
Native to North America
If you like to follow nature’s cues when it comes to gardening, you’ll really enjoy this group of shrubs. They’re not just native to North America, they also offer the full array of fall color you normally see out in the untouched landscape. Orange, red, purple, and yellow are fully covered.
Fothergilla × intermedia
full to part sun
2-2.5 ft. tall and 2-3 ft. wide
USDA zones 5-9
– lightly fuzzy blue-green foliage slowly transitions to a blend of purple, red, and orange in fall
Cornus sericea
full to part sun
3 ft. tall and wide
USDA zones 2-7
– foliage matches the stem color with gorgeous, glowing red in fall
Clethra alnifolia
full sun
3-6 ft. tall and 3-5 ft. wide
USDA zones 4-9
– beautiful dried seed heads
– bright yellow fall color
But what does this trio bring to the garden the rest of the year?
SPRING – fluffy bottlebrush-like fragrant white flowers on Legend of the Small
SPRING – if grown in full sun, tiny white flowers on Arctic Fire Red dogwood
SUMMER – long white, fragrant flowers on Vanilla Spice summersweet
SPRING-WINTER – dark red stems on Arctic Fire Red dogwood
Break up your landscape with one of these interesting fall combos and see it come alive! What’s your favorite shrub for fall color? Let me know in the comments below.
5 Responses
Dear Kristina:
This was an excellent newsletter. I did not know that the fruits of Sugar Shack Buttonbush are red instead of green. I think I will have to take out the Buttonbush I have. It is getting too large and I’d rather have the red fruits. Thank you.
Hi,
Thanks so much for the great information! I have a question about the deer resistant plants. It states to spray the flowers to protect them. Is this to protect them from being eaten by deer and do you have any suggestions as to what products would work best? Thanks again!
Yes, this would be to protect the flowers from being eaten by the deer – there are lots of plants that deer won’t really damage except when they are in bud/bloom, and spraying helps to mitigate that. I have used Liquid Fence and Plantskydd before with great results. If you have a severe deer issue, you should opt for repellents made from blood and putrified egg solids over those that are wintergreen/mint-based. Though these repellents smell really terrible when you apply them, they are by far the most effective.
Would you please include the Latin ?(?(proper) name with the picture?i
Yes, we just updated the post. Also, if you click through to each variety’s page here on the site, you’ll get complete details, including botanical names.