Dayton "Dirt" - October 7, 2011

In my last blog I touched on the beauty of nature with the changing of the leaves of the trees with their different hues of red, yellow, orange and gold..

In the landscape, vibrant colors of Autumn are easy to create by the addition of native plants. The maples seem to be the favorite for brilliant reds such as the Autumn Blaze hybrid maple and red maples or the multicolored Sugar Maple that displays colors of red, orange and yellow frequently mixed on the same tree.

Red oaks have a more subdued red hue in fall than the maples although the Ohio and Pennsylvania forests come alive with the massive fall displays of so many oaks.

One of my favorite native trees for fall color is the Oxydendron arboreum or Sourwood tree in that its Lily of the Valley-like-flowers hanging on the tree in clusters in August through early October while the rhododendron-like leaves begin to change to shades of mahogany and finishing up in a brilliant red display.

The Aronia brilliantissima or Chokeberry shrub is noted for it’s white bloom in late April and early May and the rich dark green leaves of summer giving way to a brilliant red and yellow glow in October.

As I have stated many times, though the various blueberry varieties are brightly colored in red, orange or yellow leaves in fall depending on the variety. The clear yellow is well known from the compact variety called Bluegold which will attain a height of about 4-5 ft. I’m sure the advantages to using blueberries are evident as they bloom with clean white flowers in spring, have handsome foliage in summer, brilliant fall colors, winter-colored wood and lastly if not most important, delicious and nutritious berries to eat!

The non-native Euonymous alatus Compactus or Burning Bush seems to be on the wane as a favorite of fall color in the landscape. How many times have I heard the complaints of homeowners fighting to keep the size of this plant in check or fighting spider mites that defoliate this euonymus.

With a little research and planning, you can create another season of interest in your landscape using all native plants which for years have been undervalued and neglected in the landscape.

Tom