• Shade to Part Sun
• Spring blooming; color is variety specific
• Plant in fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil
• Orange or red fall color
• Red fruit in fall and winter
• Attracts birds

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Burning Bush

We are fortunate to live in one of the few areas of the world that experience brilliant fall foliage color!  Did you know that only a few regions in the Northern Hemisphere and only one region of the Southern Hemisphere enjoy this autumn coloration?  It’s easy to take the years with “good” fall color for granted; and easy to forget that many people have to travel a distance to experience any at all.  Speaking of that, why is it that the vibrancy of fall color can differ so greatly from year to year?

Red Maple

This may be a little technical but it’s just too interesting not to share!  Chlorophyll is the green pigment responsible for the absorption of light, which fuels photosynthesis, the transfer of light to energy for the plant.  During the early Fall, chlorophyll production ceases, and the chlorophyll already present breaks down.  Without chlorophyll masking them, the yellow pigments, carotin and xanthophyll become visible.  As far as Fall color goes, this is the process by which some plants show yellow fall color.  The foliage of many plants is yellow, regardless of environmental conditions.  However, in certain species such as Red Maple, fall color is a highly individual attribute.  In addition, not all plants exhibit yellow leaves; take magnolias as an example.  For some reason, either the breakdown or use of chlorophyll isn’t complete enough to allow the appearance of the yellow color.  This process is also why the leaves of plants stored in cellars and other dark places turn yellow.  Bottom line, we will always get to enjoy yellow fall color, regardless of weather conditions leading up the season.

‘Wildfire’ Blackgum

By contrast, vivid red fall color is variable, dependent on certain weather conditions.  Plants known for their brilliant red fall color are such due to a red pigment called anthocyanin, which is a result of the accumulation of sugars and/ or tannins in leaves.  Two factors play into red fall color; and both involve temperature.  Sunny, warm fall days must occur during this time when plants are naturally producing a high amount of sugar.  For vivid red color, these days need to be followed by cool night, with temperatures under 45 degrees.  This time of high sugar production and the cool nights that impede its translocation, the sugars become trapped and this accumulation results in the production of the red pigment, anthocyanin.  This phenomenon is apparent when looking at a tree that may only be red on one side; this is the side that received more sunlight.  Other leaves may be yellow or green.  Plants known for red color usually won’t exhibit it when planted in shade; they simply don’t get enough sunlight to experience this process.  Another interesting facet to this is the lower growing shrubs being among the first to show fall color; this is a result of the cold air settling low on cool nights.

Warm, cloudy, fall weather, often times without much rainfall, will lessen the brilliance of fall color.  As we discussed above, lack of sunlight reduces sugar production.  And cloudy nights are typically warmer than clear ones, resulting in better translocation of sugars out of the leaves than during cold temperatures.

Sweet Olive

While this post is mainly about deciduous plant material, it’s important to consider evergreens too.  Some leaves (or needles) of many different kinds of evergreens change color in autumn, although the process may not be conspicuous.  Take for example, pine trees, which shed a portion of their needles each fall.  Because many pine trees hold needles for multiple years, most are evergreen as they do not lose all their needles during the same fall season… just the older ones.

Some deciduous trees hold onto leaves until after all fall color has faded and only drop after turning brown, where as some trees lose leaves when fall color is still intense; this is an individual species trait and doesn’t relate to plant health.  However, if tree or shrub leaves turn brown and remain on the tree, regardless of season, there is a serious plant health issue that needs addressing.

Red Maple

Here are some trees (and a few shrubs we just HAD to mention) that typically have showy fall color or some sort of fall interest in the landscape:

‘Wildfire’ Blackgum

This is an outstanding landscape tree with ruby red new leaves in the spring and outstanding red, gold, orange and purple fall color. During the summer months, leaves are a glossy dark green. Blackgums (also called tupelo and sourgum) are also good wildlife trees, supporting local birds and butterflies.  Mature size of ‘Wildfire’ Blackgums is 30-40 ft tall and 15-25 ft tall.

‘Slender Silhouette’ Sweetgum

These columnare shaped trees have multiple desirable features; tall, narrow growth habit, interesting leaf shape and bright orange-red fall foliage color. Slender Silhouettes also produce much less sweetgum balls than native varieties.  This variety grows up to 50 ft tall with a width of only 5 ft!

‘Legacy’ Suger Maple

Sugar maples have been known for their great fall color for a long time and Legacy is no exception.  The Legacy variety is more drought tolerant than other varieties and is This tree grows to 50 ft in height and 35 ft in width.

‘Autumn Blaze’ Red Maple

We have native red maples in our forests and there are many improved varieties that offer specific features. All feature fall color of some shade.  Autumn Blaze (large growing with vibrant orange-red fall color), Redpointe (more narrow that other varieties) and October Glory (large maple that tends to hang onto fall foliage longer) all have wonderful fall color.

Chinese Pistache

Chinese Pistache trees have a unique compound leaf and a roundish growth habit.  Although fall coloration varies, it’s typically an eye-catching bright red. They are also great street trees, tolerant of a variety of soil conditions.  The mature size is 25 ft tall by 25 ft wide.

Dwarf Burning Bush

This is a great large, deciduous shrub with blazing red fall color! Take a look for yourself, it’s the very first picture shown in this post. Despite the name being considered a dwarf plant, the mature size is pretty big; 6-8 ft tall and 8-10 ft wide. Give this little, big plant some room to grow!

Spring Blooming Trees with Fall Color

Ornamental cherry trees (bronze to gold) and dogwood (vibrant red in north Arkansas) trees also offer some bright fall color.  Love it when trees have two seasons of interest in the landscape!

Jade Butterflies Ginkgo

All ginkgos have lovely gold fall foliage but this one is special! It’s a small growing (12-15 ft. tall, 10 ft. wide at maturity), vase-shaped ginkgo with dense branches that give it a cool texture. A fruitless male Ginkgo with inconspicuous yellow-green catkins in mid-spring. If you are looking for small tree with interesting leaves and gorgeous fall color, this one might be for you!

Sweet Olive

This evergreen shrub had small white flowers that pack a fragrant punch. Sweet Olives blooms for a long time, are blooming now in fact, and the fragrance is scentsational!

Has all of this gotten you excited to plant fall foliage materials? Visit the Trees category of our Inventory, then click the Fall Color Trees tab for options.  Fall is both a great time to shop for fall foliage plants AND the ideal time of year to plant trees and shrubs in Arkansas.

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Warm Wet Weather

Warm, wet weather brings on fungus…and we get our share of this kind of weather, which means our landscape plants and lawns often have fungus issues.  Let’s take about landscape plants first!  So what does a fungus look like?  Usually, the symptoms of fungus are easily identifiable…round black spots, irregular brown spots or a downy, white dusting on leaves.  Some of our most beloved landscape plants are susceptible to fungus including Indian Hawthorn, Roses, Lilacs, Hydrangeas, Columbine and Dogwood trees to name a few.  While some plants are more susceptible, keep in mind that pretty much any plant could get a fungus if the conditions are conducive and the fungus spores are present. However, there are some things we can do to help avoid fungus infections.

Good Air Flow

Space plants based on mature size.  Properly spaced plants have more air flow between them, which keeps foliage drier both after a rain and after irrigation applications.  For example, KnockOut Roses can grow to at least four foot tall.  Ideally, they would be spaced about five feet apart, from center to center, at planting.  We understand the temptation to plant closer together when the new, young plants are small, but the extra maintenance involved with pruning and harder control disease outbreaks just aren’t worth it!

Proper Watering Timing

We mentioned irrigation above; the amount of water is less important than when you water, at least when trying to avoid fungus issues.  Watering early in the morning is ideal so that the foliage can dry fast as the sun and wind pick up for the day.  Conversely, watering in the evening provides the perfect circumstance for fungal growth…hours of water sitting on foliage in a dark environment.  Bottom line, water in the early morning and space your plants out properly.

Prevention and Control of Fungus in Landscape Plants

That covers all that we can control; the environment and weather have big roles too.  Obviously, in an area with warm, humid spring and fall seasons, no matter how carefully you have taken care of your plants, fungus is unavoidable. Once a plant is infected, the best solution is to treat it with a systemic fungicide such as Ferti-Lome Liquid Systemic Fungicide.  For roses, there is also a product from Bayer called All in One Rose & Flower Care that includes a fungicide as well as a fertilizer and insect control product; this works well as a preventative treatment.

Apply fungicide sprays when the foliage is completely dry and will remain dry for about 24 hours; this will allow it to be fully absorbed.  Take note of how long the products treats for; additional sprays might be necessary during prolonged wet spells and while conditions are good for fungal growth.  The systemic fungicide will be absorbed and distributed throughout the plant, protecting new leaves from being infected and kill spores present on leaves which will reduce spreading.  Non-systemic fungicides such as Bonide’s Copper Fungicide will kill active fungus spores already on leaves and is good for edibles.

Keep in mind that the treatment process can take several applications and infected leaves will most likely turn yellow and fall off.  Be sure to remove and dispose of infected leaves to help reduce spread of fungus.  Plants that are susceptible to fungus can be sprayed at a preventative rate; read labels carefully, the rate for preventative sprays is different than the curative rate.

Prevention and Control of Fungus in Lawns

Now on to the lawn!  Lawn fungus symptoms include large circular or slightly irregular, thinning, brown spots that grow in size each year.  As with landscape plants, there are some control measures we can put in place before the occurrence of fungus to help reduce the chances of infection and impact the recovery time.  Fertilize with slow release fertilizer instead of a fast release, high Nitrogen fertilizer.  Water lawns deeply, less frequently, as opposed to more frequent, shallow waterings.  This will encourage better root growth.  Provide good drainage, both on the surface and subsurface of the lawn areas.  Good drainage insures that water can quickly move out of lawn areas.  As we talked about above, clearly we aren’t in control of the rain and temperatures.  However, we can control the fertilization and water we apply, as well as address drainage.

Once symptoms of fungus are visible, treat as soon as possible with Bonide Infuse Systemic Disease Control or Ferti-Lome F-Stop granules or Ferti-Lome Liquid Systemic Fungicide, available as a liquid spray.  Treat the entire lawn area to help control spread.  This will need to be done while conditions for fungal growth are present and for the next few years as well.  Preventative applications on lawns before the wet, warm season are helpful.  Apply in March at preventative rates as the warm season grasses start greening up.

For plant materials that are too large to spray, keep in mind that most foliar fungus diseases on trees and shrubs will cease being active when we reach temperatures consistently above 90 degrees.  For large healthy plants, the issue will more of an aesthetic one than one that could cause plant death. The same is true for shrubs like hydrangeas; it’s more unsightly than dangerous but if let go too long for too many years, it could cause a decline of plant health.

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Fall Planting

Yup, it’s finally that magical time of year, when pumpkins reign and jeans are back in circulation! It’s a magical time for plants too; while the soil temps remain warm, roots keep growing.  This means that fall is actually a perfect time to plant trees, shrubs and groundcover.  The extra root development this season means a stronger more, more established plant next spring.  Bottom line, planting in the fall really gives the plants a jump start.  And speaking of a jump start, we have a Good Earth product by that name that gives the plant an even better root boost so be sure to use that at planting.

Cool Season Color

Let’s welcome the season of cool crisp, sunshine-filled days…by planting! Prep your color areas by removing the summer annuals, and breaking up the existing soil. Breaking up the soil adds oxygen to the soil, increases water percolation, and increases nutrient levels, all of which will help the roots of your fall plantings grow and get established quickly. Next, it’s time to do some soil amending. For perennial and annual color areas, we suggest using what we professionals use; Good Earth Brand Professional Growing Mix. Its’ mix of organic matter, perlite, pH adjusters and Actino root protection provides an optimum growing environment.

Fall annual choices include Pansies, Violas, Cabbage, Kale, Ornamental Mustard and much more. Mums are a Fall favorite; choose healthy plants with dark green foliage and plenty of buds. Don’t forget to give your planters a fall make-over too; Cool Wave pansies provide wonderful, trailing color all season! Use Good Earth Brand Jump Start to give the roots a boost and don’t forget to feed with Ferti-Lome Premium Bedding Plant Food throughout the season.

Fall Color

Bright red, yellow and orange leaves brighten any landscape! Is your landscape full of vibrant colors? Well, it can be just by adding some tried and true shrubs that have great fall color such as Burning Bush, Oakleaf Hydrangeas, Virginia Sweetspire, and Blueberries. There are also many trees that provide fall foliage color such as Maples, Zelkovas, Redbuds and Dogwoods.

What’s that purple blooming grass that has Nicole smiling so big?  One of our staff favorites, Purple Muhly Grass! Most ornamental grasses produce plumes in the fall, and give excellent texture contrast.

Ornamental grasses are a great landscaping option for this time of year. They add texture and fullness to any area! Gregg talks in more detail about these plants in the video above. Check it out!

Pumpkins

Nothing says Autumn quite like a pumpkin, so stock up! Pie pumpkins and Fairy Tale pumpkins are some of the best for baking. Pair different kinds of pumpkins and gourds to create stacks for entryways and mantle decor. Clean out a pumpkin, insert a glass vase and make an eye-catching centerpiece, or add a pot and make a little indoor succulent garden! There are so many kinds of pumpkins and gourds and each one adds its own flair to your fall decor.

And if you considering waiting to pick up your carving pumpkins, we encourage you to come by sooner than later.  Our odd weather this spring and late summer has created a bit of a pumpkin shortage, and this weeks’ order will likely be our last…

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