Fall is prime planting time for many shrubs. With cooler temperatures and increased rainfall roots can establish before winter dormancy sets in. Choosing the right shrubs for autumn planting can provide structure privacy, color, and interest throughout year. Consider these top picks for fall-planted shrubs destined to thrive.
Eye-Catching Shrubs with Ornamental Features
These shrubs dazzle with colorful flowers, vibrant foliage, or structural beauty:
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Abelia ‘Kaleidoscope’ – Evergreen shrub with bright yellow variegated green leaves on brilliant red stems Pink-white blooms, Grows 2-4 feet tall,
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Fringe Flower ‘Cerise Charm’ – Mounding shrub with vibrant pink blooms spring through fall Dark green foliage backdrop Grows 2-3 feet tall,
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Rose of Sharon ‘Aphrodite’ – Upright, vase-shaped shrub with large, pink-purple hibiscus-like flowers summer to fall. 8-10 feet tall.
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Burning Bush ‘Compacta’ – Compact winged euonymus cultivar with intense red fall foliage. Grows 3-5 feet tall.
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Beautyberry ‘Pink Popcorn’ – Arching stems loaded with bright pink early fall berries. Grows 5-7 feet tall.
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Hydrangea ‘Little Lime’ – Dwarf, compact panicle hydrangea with lime-green blooms. Grows 3-5 feet tall.
Evergreen Shrubs for Year-Round Structure
These evergreen varieties provide permanent backbone and structure:
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Boxwood ‘Green Velvet’ – Glossy dark green foliage on dense mounded form. Grows 3-4 feet tall and wide. Deer resistant.
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Yaupon Holly ‘Schillings’ – Upright, tight columns of deep emerald foliage. Grows 10-15 feet tall. Red winter berries.
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Indian Hawthorn ‘Snow’ – Dense evergreen with white spring flowers and silver-green foliage. Grows 4-6 feet tall. Salt tolerant.
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Dwarf Burford Holly – Compact rounded shrub with glossy, spiny dark leaves. Grows 4-6 feet tall. Prolific with red winter berries.
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Juniper ‘Blue Point’ – Silvery blue needled juniper. Mounding form spreads 4-6 feet wide by 1-2 feet tall. Drought tolerant.
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Euonymus ‘Green Spire’ – Narrow, upright evergreen shrub. Reaches 10-15 feet tall by 2-3 feet wide. Yellow fall color.
Flowering Shrubs for Multi-Season Interest
These varieties produce waves of showy blooms from spring through fall:
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Azalea ‘Girard Crimson’ – Compact evergreen azalea smothered in vibrant red spring flowers. Grows up to 3 feet tall.
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Hydrangea macrophylla – Bigleaf hydrangea with large, colorful mophead blooms. Pink or blue depending on soil pH. Grows 3-5 feet.
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Spirea ‘Double Play Doozie’ – Reblooming spirea with magenta-pink flowers spring through fall. Copper-orange fall foliage. 2-3 feet tall.
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Rose ‘Knock Out’ – Disease resistant landscape rose blooms prolifically in summer with some repeats in fall. 3-4 feet tall.
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Abelia ‘Edward Goucher’ – Fragrant pink bell-shaped flowers spring to fall on arching glossy shrub. Grows 4-6 feet tall and wide.
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Camellia – Flowers late fall through spring on glossy evergreen shrub. Many varieties from smallsas to large tree forms.
Best Practices for Planting Shrubs in Fall
Follow these tips for success with autumn-planted shrubs:
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Select a site with the right sun exposure and soil drainage needs for your chosen shrubs.
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Amend native soil with compost or high-quality planting mix to improve fertility and drainage.
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Dig a hole as deep as the root ball and 2-3 times as wide. Set the top of the root ball level with the ground.
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Carefully remove any containers, burlap, or bindings before placing the shrub in the hole.
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Backfill the hole with amended soil, firming the soil around the base to anchor.
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Water thoroughly after planting and as needed until winter rains begin.
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Apply 2-4 inches of mulch around plants to conserve moisture and suppress weeds.
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Prune out any dead or damaged branches. Remove spent flowers to encourage reblooming.
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Wrap or protect tender, thin-barked shrubs prone to winter dieback if planting late in fall.
Top Shrub Species for Fall Planting
Many deciduous and evergreen shrubs thrive when planted in autumn. Consider these top options:
Deciduous Flowering Shrubs
- Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)
- Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)
- Spirea (Spiraea spp.)
- Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia)
- Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii)
Evergreen Flowering Shrubs
- Camellia (Camellia spp.)
- Azalea (Rhododendron spp.)
- Holly (Ilex spp.)
- Boxwood (Buxus spp.)
Ornamental Foliage Shrubs
- Euonymus (Euonymus fortunei)
- Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)
- Smokebush (Cotinus coggygria)
- Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus)
Native & Wildlife Shrubs
- Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.)
- American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)
- Inkberry Holly (Ilex glabra)
- Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)
By selecting plants suited for your growing zone and site conditions, fall-planted shrubs will establish quickly and flourish for years of beauty to come.
My five favourites for sensational autumn colour
The varieties of Acer palmatum are some of the finest shrubs or small trees for autumn colour. I would always choose a purple-leaved variety like ‘Bloodgood’ or ‘Fireglow’. These give you colourful foliage through spring and summer and a splendid show in autumn. They are tougher than people think. They don’t need acid soil and they do need full sun. They don’t like to be too dry at the roots. They are a great choice for pots, so ideal for small gardens.
Lovely arching stems of wine red leaves suffused with salmon pink at the tips of the shoots. In the summer, it looks great with other shrubs and perennials, and when the leaves turn red in the fall, it really lights up the garden. Grows on any soil in an open sunny position.
7 Best Low Maintenance Shrubs To Plant In The Fall Season // Garden Answer
FAQ
What shrubs are best to plant in autumn?
What shrubs are best to plant in the fall?
Is it okay to plant shrubs in the fall?
Is October too late to plant shrubs?
What shrubs are best for autumn?
Here are a few shrubs recommended not only for their autumn appeal but other seasons of interest as well: Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is the perfect autumn shrub, turning golden-yellow in autumn and even bearing yellow spider-y flowers as the leaves start to fall off.
Should you plant shrubs in the fall?
Water well, add more soil if necessary, and then add a thick layer of mulch. Fall shrub planting all but ensures no trips to the ER for heatstroke, and it all but ensures strong, healthy plants come springtime. Plant in autumn and you’ll have well-established plants in spring that will be ready to put on plenty of new growth.
Which shrubs are best for fall berry color?
Another group of shrubs worth considering for fall berry color is the chokeberry group. The most well-known of the bunch, red chokeberry blooms white flowers in early spring that become glossy red berries in the summer. Come autumn, the berry color can turn deeper—almost purple—providing interesting fall color.
Are shrubs a good source of fall color?
Now we are going to concentrate on shrubs. Shrubs are a natural source for adding late summer and fall colors, after all fall is known for the colorful foliage of deciduous trees and shrubs. However, fall color in shrubs certainly isn’t limited to foliage. Flowers, seed pods and berries are additional sources of interest.