🍂Falling in Love with Fall Foliage🍂

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The dazzling foliage colors of fall are definitely eye-candy, but what are we truly looking at? Plants are keenly aware of the shortening hours of daylight in Autumn, and respond accordingly.
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There’s 3 main colorful compounds that plants create in their foliage:
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1) Anthocyanins, which produce reds, “blues”, and purples – notably in blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries. They may protect plants from herbivores, cold temperatures, and help them to attract their pollinators.
2) Carotenoids, which produce yellows and oranges, famously in carrots and bananas. They help plants to absorb light, and can also help to protect them from bright light.
3) Chlorophyll, the green pigment we all love and ultimately depend on, which allows plants to absorb energy from sunlight.
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As the nights get longer, the plants stop producing so much Chlorophyll, revealing the underlying pigments. So while we’re adjusting our clocks and pulling out extra blankets for chilly nights, plants are busy cleverly adjusting the complex processes they rely on to survive. Amazing!

It’s hard to pick favorite plants for great fall color, as there’s so many to choose from! However, here’s some excellent trees and shrubs to consider for the Asheville NC and greater Southern Appalachian region:

Native Trees for delicious fall foliage for the Asheville, NC area and the greater Southern Appalachian region:

  1. Acer rubrum / Red Maple – Fabulous, fiery red foliage.
  2. Acer saccharum / Sugar Maple – Beautiful yellow-red foliage.
  3. Oxydendrum arboreum / Sourwood – Famously glowing red to crimson colored foliage.
  4. Nyssa sylvatica / Blackgum, Black Tupelo – Lovely reds and purples in their pretty leaves.
  5. Liquidambar styracifula / Sweetgum – Stunning yellow-orange-red leaves, sometimes with green still visible, sometimes all these colors on the same leaf at once!
  6. Amelanchier / Serviceberries, Juneberries – These small trees (or large shrubs) can shimmer with orange-red fall foliage.
  7. Cornus florida / Eastern Dogwood – Pleasing crimson to purple fall foliage colors, plus red berries to feed the birds.
  8. Liriodendron tulipifera / Tulip Poplar – Yellow foliage on tall, stately trees.

Native Shrubs for beautiful fall color for the Asheville, NC area and the greater Southern Appalachian region:

  1. Itea virginica / Sweetspire – Vibrant red-purple foliage.
  2. Vaccinium / Blueberries – Fall foliage ranges from bright oranges and reds to purples.
  3. Rhus / Sumac – Incredible reds and yellow in these extremely sturdy plants, perfect for steep slopes and other difficult areas.
  4. Hydrangea quercifolia / Oakleaf Hydrangea – Their leaves feature both deep red to purple foliage, and also very interesting leaf shapes.
  5. Aronia / Chokeberry – Low maintenance plants that offer edible dark berries to wildlife, and red to purple foliage colors. Another great option for steep slopes.
  6. Viburnum dentatum and prunifolium / Arrowwood Viburnum and Blackhaw Viburnum – Colorful yellow-red to bright red foliage, and provide wildlife with dark blue berries.
  7. Physocarpus / Ninebark – These come in a range of fantastic autumn foliage colors, wtih the exact color depending on the cultivar.
  8. Fothergilla – Easy to grow shrubs with vibrant yellow-orange-red leaves.
  9. Lindera benzoin / Spicebush – Clear yellow foliage on shrubs wildlife enjoy.
  10. Diervilla – Beautiful colors, a bit more muted, that blend beautifully with other plants. Color depends on cultivar.

If you’re looking for something a little more exotic, these non-WNC-native plants also have incredible fall foliage colors:

  1. Ginkgo biloba – Famously have bright to golden yellow fan-shaped fall foliage.
  2. Acer palmatum / Japanese Maples – Come in a large range of fall foliage colors, exact color depends on the cultivar.
  3. Taxodium distichum / Bald Cypress – These moisture lovers from the eastern part of the state have incredible yellow to orange fall foliage colors.
  4. Aesculus parviflora / Bottlebrush Buckeye – Can have pleasing yellow foliage on these shrubst native to the Deep South.

Looking for something and we don’t have it in stock? Drop us a line at plantpeople@reemscreeknursery.com and we’ll be happy to search for you.

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