Woodie's Picks: Deciduous Favorites To Plant Now For A Vibrant Landscape Later
We want to refrain from sounding like a broken record, but we cannot emphasize enough how perfect fall is for getting your landscape plants in the ground! Fall brings the benefits of easier plant acclimation, less resources used, and ideal conditions for establishing healthy root systems!
While deciduous plants may be losing leaves and heading into dormancy, now is actually the best time to plant deciduous trees and shrubs. That is why this week, we've decided to highlight four iconic deciduous trees and shrubs to get in the ground now for a vibrant landscape later!
Cardinal Red Hydrangea
Cardinal Red Hydrangea is an exceptional choice for adding vibrant color and visual interest to any landscape design. This stunning deciduous shrub features large, bold red flower clusters that bloom from summer into fall, providing a captivating focal point in garden beds and borders. Its bright blooms contrast beautifully with the lush green foliage, creating a dynamic visual effect that enhances the garden's seasonal appeal.
Cardinal Red Hydrangea is versatile in its light requirements, thriving in both full sun and partial shade, making it adaptable for a wide range of garden settings. As a landscape designer, I find this hydrangea to be an excellent choice for creating impactful color accents, adding charm, and enhancing the overall texture of the garden throughout the growing season.
Cardinal Red Hydrangea also performs exceptionally well in foundation plantings, adding height, color, and depth around the home. Its size and structure make it ideal for use as a low hedge, offering a floral privacy screen that brings a sense of enclosure and elegance to garden spaces.
A Word From Woodie: The versatile uses of Cardinal Red Hydrangea make it an invaluable addition to many landscape designs. It works beautifully in mixed borders, where its vibrant red blooms provide a stunning pop of color that draws the eye and complements other flowering shrubs and perennials. Planted along walkways or near entranceways, this hydrangea brings an inviting element to the landscape with its bold, cheerful blooms.
Whether used as a striking specimen plant, a mass planting for dramatic effect, or a container accent, Cardinal Red Hydrangea delivers a brilliant burst of color and versatility that is sure to enhance any landscape.
October Glory Maple
The October Glory Maple is a standout choice for any landscape design, offering year-round beauty and practical benefits that enhance both residential and commercial spaces. Known for its breathtaking fall display, October Glory Maple’s vibrant crimson-red foliage creates a striking visual focal point in any garden. Its rounded canopy, lush green leaves in summer, and beautiful red flowers in early spring bring layers of seasonal interest to the landscape.
October Glory Maple’s versatility makes it an excellent candidate for a variety of landscape applications. As a shade tree, it offers welcome relief from the summer sun, creating cool, shaded areas perfect for outdoor seating or play spaces. It also serves beautifully as a specimen tree, where its vivid fall color can be fully appreciated as a focal point in the garden.
Planted in rows along driveways or streets, October Glory Maple creates a striking avenue with its uniform shape and colorful seasonal transformations. Additionally, its tolerance to urban conditions and minimal maintenance requirements make it an excellent selection for public spaces, where its stunning fall display can be enjoyed by all. Whether you want to add dramatic fall color, enhance shade coverage, or establish a landscape feature that draws attention, October Glory Maple delivers unmatched beauty and value.
A Word From Woodie: I appreciate October Glory Maple for its rapid growth, which quickly establishes structure and shade in a garden, while its adaptability to a variety of soil types makes it an ideal choice for many different planting conditions. Whether you're designing for a backyard, park, or streetscape, this maple provides both aesthetic appeal and ecological value, attracting pollinators and providing habitat for birds.
Burning Bush
Next on the list of iconic deciduous shrubs to plant now is a vibrant and long-time landscaping favorite. Enter the Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus). The Burning Bush is loved for many reasons, but its most evident, and where its name is derived, is for its incredible flaming red foliage that can be enjoyed in early to mid fall.
Hardy to USDA zones 4-8, this deciduous shrub thrives in conditions of full sun and well draining soils. The more sun this plant receives, the more brilliant of a red you can expect to enjoy in the autumn season.
The Burning Bush is also praised for its low-maintenance nature. The plant requires little pruning or upkeep to thrive.
A Word From Woodie: Set your landscape and your soul on fire with the electric addition of the Burning Bush to the landscape! Year after year, this plant's incredible color never seizes to amaze me. The neon red leaves are show stopping and make for the perfect statement and pop of color in a garden.
Beauty of Moscow Lilac
Beauty of Moscow Lilac is an exceptional choice for adding a touch of elegance and romance to any garden. This deciduous shrub features striking double blooms that open in soft pink hues and gradually fade to creamy white, creating a stunning, layered visual effect.
Growing to a height of 8 to 12 feet, this lilac serves as an impressive focal point in the landscape while also providing lush green foliage that adds texture throughout the growing season. Its blooms are ideal for cut flower arrangements, making this lilac a versatile choice that brings beauty both outdoors and indoors.
Beauty of Moscow Lilac is incredibly versatile in the landscape, with many potential uses that enhance both form and function. It makes an excellent specimen plant, providing a show-stopping feature in the center of a garden bed or as a focal point in a mixed border. The shrub also works well in groupings to create a flowering hedge, offering privacy while adding vibrant spring color and intoxicating fragrance to the garden.
A Word From Woodie: Planted near patios, pathways, or entranceways, Beauty of Moscow Lilac adds a welcoming presence, inviting visitors to enjoy the beauty and scent of its exquisite blooms. This lilac is a timeless choice that combines fragrance, striking color, and multi-season interest, enhancing the landscape with elegance and grace. I appreciate the classic charm of the Beauty of Moscow Lilac, not only for its ethereal flowers but also for its alluring fragrance that fills the air each spring.
Conclusion
No matter what you decide to plant this fall, know that you are making a wise decision by choosing to landscape now! Shop our wide range of landscape plants online today and turn your space into one you've always dreamed of!