Shrubs with Fall Foliage

This cutleaf staghorn sumac can sucker though not as much as other sumacs. But it doesn’t need a lot of maintenance — just prune any dead wood.

Blooms Yellow flowers in early summer Foliage Yellow-orange and red foliage in early fall Light Full sun to part shade Soil Well-drained Size 3 to 6 ft. tall and wide Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8

Clusters of small white flowers appear in mid- to late spring, but its crowning glory is in mid- to late fall when the leaves become marvelous shades of purple, red and orange! Prune in late winter to early spring.

Blooms White clusters in midspring Foliage Purple, red and orange in mid- to late fall Light Full sun Soil Average well-drained Size 2 to 3 ft. tall and wide Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8

Versatile cranberrybush viburnum (also known as “highbush cranberry”) makes a good focal point, screen, hedge or foundation plant. Its late summer sweet and tart berries make good preserves, too!

Blooms White in late spring to early summer Foliage Yellow, red and crimson leaves in mid- to late fall Light Full sun to part shade Soil Average, well-drained Size 8 to 12 ft. tall and wide Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 2 to 8

Bottlebrush buckeyes are known for their showy flowers, but come fall, the leaves take center stage as they turn yellow. Low-maintenance is this shrub’s middle name. Once established, bottlebrush buckeye’s not fussy about moisture. It’s both rabbit- and deer-resistant!

Type Shrub Blooms White spikes from late spring to early summer; yellow leaves in early fall Size 8 to 12 ft. tall, 8 to 15 ft. wide Light Part to full shade Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8

Fragrant, creamy white bottlebrush blooms of fothergilla are charming in early spring. Then summer brings leathery blue-green foliage that turns red, yellow and orange, often all on the same leaf, in fall.

Type Shrub Blooms Native with bottlebrushlike white aromatic flowers in spring before leaves appear Light Full sun to part shade Size 3 to 4 ft. tall and wide Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8

In zones 4 to 6, shelter common witchhazel from winter winds. Otherwise, it’s low-maintenance and only needs pruning for removing deadwood or shaping.

Blooms Cream to yellow flowers from mid- to late fall Foliage Golden leaves from early to midfall Light Full sun to part shade Soil Slightly acid, moist, well-drained Size 10 to 20 ft. tall, 15 to 25 ft. wide Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8

Oakleaf hydrangea loves heat and humidity! Plus it has plenty of winter interest — older bark peels away to expose shiny dark brown stems.

Blooms Upright pyramidal clusters of white flowers from late spring through summer Foliage Purple, bronze and crimson fall foliage Light Full sun to part shade Soil Rich, moist, well-drained Size 4 to 8 ft. tall and wide Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9