A Greene County Garden in November: Leaf Color Harmonies

By Margaret Donsbach Tomlinson

The changing colors of autumn leaves can look magnificent in and around the garden, whether brightening a shady area or harmonizing with a brick wall. Yellow ginkgo leaves are show-stopping in front of a purple house. Red winterberries delight the eye against the rough texture of a gray stone wall.

Gardeners often gravitate to flowering plants that look dramatic in spring or summer but fade to insignificance in autumn. Especially in a small garden, the drab greens and earthy browns that remain can feel dreary. Could a splash of fall color add cheer to your now-flowerless garden? Would a shrub add height and an interesting texture? Could your bare stone wall or wooden fence be enhanced by a colorful fall partner?

Red makes a strong statement and works well where contrast is wanted. The brilliantly red but invasive Asian shrub Euonymus alatus, commonly called burning bush, can still be seen in many local gardens, but has a nasty habit of displacing the native shrubs in our forests as birds eat the berries and scatter the seeds. Instead, try planting a native that offers both red fall color and year-round interest. Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) is native in the southeastern U.S. and grows vigorously here, just a tad north of its home range. It sports clusters of white flowers that turn pink in late summer, while the large, lobed leaves that give it its common name turn a deep bronze-red in autumn. Aronia melanocarpa turns a lovely red-orange, and its clusters of edible black berries will persist decoratively until the birds (or you) gobble them up.

Yellow makes a gentler impression, especially in areas where red might be too dominating. It can also look beautiful as a companion with red and orange. Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) is a New York native with sweet-scented flowers in summer and golden leaves in fall. The pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is a small tree that bears the largest fruit native to North America, unavailable in markets because of its fragility but prized by connoisseurs. Its shiny leaves grow up to 12 inches long, making an impressive show when they turn gold.

Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius), a graceful shrub with arching branches, is native across the eastern U.S. Plant breeders have developed varieties with leaf colors that range from bronze to purple to golden green during the growing season. Their fall colors may be yellow-orange, flame-orange or scarlet, but are always glorious.

Many local nurseries stay open year-round, and this is a great time of year to explore them, when you can see with your own eyes the dazzling leaf colors available to perk up your fall garden.