Quebec is known for its colourful autumns. Tourists come from all over to explore our forests, which turn golden yellow, orange and red as the days shorten and summer gives way to fall. If you are lucky enough to have beautiful mature trees on your property, you can enjoy the fall colours right in your own home. But when space is at a premium, you can opt for shrubs that offer an equally beautiful display on a smaller scale. Here are some beautiful specimens to grow at home to make the gardening seasons last as long as possible.
Winged spindle
As soon as the nights get colder, the glossy green foliage of this shrub turns bright pink or red as if on fire. Its small pinkish berries attract birds. Hardy in zone 3, it grows naturally in a ball shape and appreciates intense sun.
Forthegilla
Forthegilla produces very fragrant creamy-white flowers in summer. In autumn, its foliage turns orange, a bit like the sugar maple’s foliage. To maximize the colour of the foliage, plant it in a slightly acidic soil, in sun or part shade.
Chokeberry
Chokeberry is a versatile shrub with beautiful pinkish-white blooms in spring, very dark blue – almost black – edible berries in summer, and deep green foliage that turns bright red in fall. It tolerates all types of sunlight and grows well in zone 4.
Trilobed viburnum
Green in the summer, the trilobed viburnum will turn purple in the fall. Its berries are persistent in winter, which makes it a very interesting variety to feed birds when available food is scarce. They are very interesting planted in hedges.
Oakleaf hydrangea
All hydrangeas are interesting in autumn, because they bloom for a long time and their flowers remain interesting even when they are quite dry. In addition to offering multiple white pyramidal inflorescences throughout the season, oakleaf hydrangea turn yellow, red and purple in the fall. This shrub grows well in the shade.
Have fun creating a decor that will change with the seasons. For other suggestions, come and discuss with our garden centre consultants.
Make the fun last longer, enjoy the fall!
