4 Fall Shrubs

Enduring Seasonal Beauty and Brilliant Fall Colour

By Ava Green

Did you know that you can plant shrubs (and trees) in Autumn? Fall is an excellent time of year to plant for so many reasons:

• Cooler air and soil temperatures mean less heat stress for your plant
• Autumn rains provide much-needed moisture
• Planting in the fall gives you a head start in the spring!

Here are four shrubs showing great colour in the garden centre this fall, and they will provide lots of interest all season.

1. Chokeberry ‘Low Scape Mound’ (Aronia melanocarpa)

It’s difficult to choose which season this compact deciduous shrub looks its best in, as it looks good from spring to frost!

Hundreds of dainty white flowers cover this shrub in spring, and deadheading isn't necessary.

In autumn, its glossy green foliage turns a brilliant red, and it bears a dark purplish-black fruit. A stunning combination.

This tidy, tolerant, and tough shrub also thrives in many growing conditions. As a result, it spreads easily and can naturalize in tough areas.

Best for: The front of a border or bed; can be used as edging or groundcover | Light: Sun to part shade | Mature size: 1-2 ft. tall × 1-2 ft. wide

2. Purple Ninebark ‘Diabolo’ (Physocarpus opulifolius 'Monlo')

Deep purple foliage and profuse creamy white flower clusters in summer make this deciduous shrub a garden standout. Plus, it’s vigorous, easy to care for, disease-resistant, drought-tolerant, and its red autumn berries benefit the birds! Foliage can also turn green in high heat or partial shade.

Best for: A dense hedge or screen, or as a specimen | Light: Full sun | Mature size: 6-8 ft. tall × 6-8 ft. wide

3. Box Honeysuckle ‘Thunderbolt’ (Lonicera nitida ‘Golden Glow’)

Often used as a boxwood alternative because it can be pruned to shape, this compact evergreen shrub has flashy variegated foliage in vibrant chartreuse green to golden yellow. It makes a great dense hedge plant, or its graceful arching branches look lovely cascading over a wall.

White flowers adorn this compact, dense, mounding shrub in spring and will attract butterflies and hummingbirds to the yard. 

Best for: Hedges, as a specimen, a mass planting, or  groundcover | Light: Full to Part sun | Mature size: 3-4 ft. tall × 3-4 ft. wide

4. Spirea ‘Goldflame’ (Spiraea japonica ‘Goldflame’)

This dense, upright, mounded deciduous shrub brightens any border and adds real value. As an added bonus, it has dramatic fall colour!

In the spring, leaves emerge with an attractive bronze tinge and mature to a soft yellow-green. In summer, panicles of rose-coloured flowers rise above the foliage, adding gorgeous contrast and attracting butterflies. For its final show, the foliage turns a brilliant coppery orange.  

Best for: Hedges, mass planting,  or as a specimen | Light: Full sun | Mature size: 2-3 ft. tall × 3-4 ft. wide

We have lots more shrubs to choose from at the greenhouse. Come by Eising Garden Centre and talk to Zach, Donna or Mary to find the right shrubs to add to your property. Then try fall planting and get a head start on your spring gardening!