Perennial foliage flair
Trees aren’t the only source of fall foliage interest in the landscape. On a smaller scale, many garden perennials also sport colorful leaves. Balloonflowers and bluestars (Amsonia) have attractive yellow leaves in autumn; cranesbill geraniums, peonies and some epimediums cover the red end of the spectrum. The native vine/groundcover Virginia creeper has lovely red autumn leaves. In the mid-size range, native shrubs with outstanding fall color include oakleaf hydrangea and Virginia sweetspire, which greet the season in a cloak of burgundy-purple leaves; bottlebrush buckeye, which has lemony yellow to yellow-green autumn leaves; and viburnums, which have leaves in red or gold hues, depending on species.