By Kathi Thistlethwaite, Colorado Master Gardener

As the crisp whites and soft pastels of summer are fading, home gardens start transitioning to the glorious fall shades of red, orange, gold, and purple. Much of this fall beauty comes from our deciduous trees, however shrubs and perennials can also complement the scene.

Listed below are three varieties of shrubs, prized for their stunning fall foliage and muti-seasonal interest, and five perennials with fall blooms for beautiful color. These autumn beauties are easy to find, easy to grow and suitable for the Front Range of Colorado.

Shrubs

Autumn Jazz Arrowwood Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum ‘Autumn Jazz’) is a popular and adaptable deciduous shrub known for its white cluster flowers in spring, berries appearing until late autumn, and stunning fall foliage. It typically grows 8-10’ feet tall with a spread of 10’.

Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra) is the only shrub or tree that is native to all the 48 contiguous states. It grows and spreads 8-10’ and is often used to create a thicket. It suckers vigorously, so prune it if you want to keep it in check. Dark-green leaves turn brilliant scarlet in fall. Yellow-green flowers are followed by bright red berries that birds love. Smooth sumac will grow in a variety of soil conditions where most plants would not survive and is used in many cities where low water requirements exist. This is not the plant known as poison sumac!

Golden Currant (Ribes aureum) is an attractive native shrub that is well suited to Colorado Front Range landscapes. Its mature size is 4-5’ tall and wide with fragrant flowers in spring followed by berries in a wide range of colors. The leaves turn red orange to deep maroon in the fall.

Perennials

Asters (Symphyotrichum) generally bloom in late summer and fall with 1½” violet flowers, although white, blue, lavender and pink flowers are also available. Combine asters with other fall-blooming perennials to create a beautiful autumn display.

Autumn Joy Sedum (Hylotelephium spectabile ‘Autumn Joy’) is one of the tried-and-true upright varieties of sedum and a mainstay in the garden. It grows 18-24” tall. Plump, grey-green leaves add great textural contrast to the perennial garden. In autumn, flowers change from a deep pink to pinkish bronze and then finally to copper red.

Joe Pye Weed is a valuable and beautiful native perennial and not a weed, despite its name. The name refers to a group of closely related North American species of the genus Eupatorium and is considered native to Colorado. Recent reclassification now puts Joe Pye Weed in both Eutrochium and Eupatorium genera, depending on physical traits. No matter. These handsome plants are known for their late-season blooms of lightly fragranced, pinkish-purple flowers that attract butterflies. They require moist soil conditions.

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) is a popular wildflower thriving in various conditions on the Front Range of Colorado. Several species and cultivars are well suited for the region, including the popular Denver Daisy, developed in 2008 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Denver. These plants offer vibrant yellow and brown blooms, attract pollinators, and are relatively low maintenance.

Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum) are available in a wide range of vibrant colors that enhance the fall garden. No garden is complete without them. Chrysanthemums are hardy and are suitable for both containers and transplanting directly into the garden.

Putting them all together creates a colorful tapestry. Voilà!