October marks a slowing down of the growing season, but there are still many native plants you might consider adding to your garden to introduce long-lasting blooms and colorful foliage to the fall landscape. Extension Master Gardener Elaine Mills discusses over 40 plants native to the Mid-Atlantic region, including perennials, ground covers, vines, shrubs, and trees that offer important support for local wildlife as well as beauty. She describes characteristics, attributes, and maintenance tips specific to these native plants and offers ideas for landscape uses.
Zoom session, recorded October 8, 2021
Additional Resources
Keystone Species
- Goldenrods (Solidago)
- Asters (Symphyotrichum & Eurybia)
- Sunflowers (Helianthus)
Perennials (in bloom sequence)
- Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) – earlier bloom, seed fall to winter
- Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata) – blooms Jun to Oct
- Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus) – blooms Jul to Sep
- Coastal Plain Joe-pye-weed (Eutrochium dubium) – blooms Jul to Oct
- Orange Coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida) – blooms Jul to Oct
- New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis) – blooms Aug to Oct
- New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) – blooms Aug to Oct
- Rough-stemmed Goldenrod (Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’) – blooms Aug to Nov
- Blue-stemmed Goldenrod (Solidago caesia) – blooms Sep to Nov
- Gray Goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis) – blooms Aug to Sep
- Seaside Goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens) – blooms Aug to Oct
- Ground Covers (in bloom sequence)
- Hairy Alumroot (Heuchera villosa ‘Autumn Bride’) – blooms Jun to Oct
- White Wood Aster (Eurybia divaricata) – blooms Jul to Oct
- Orange or Spotted Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) – blooms Jul to frost
- Blue Wood Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium) – blooms Aug to Oct
- Heath Aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides ‘Snow Flurry’) – blooms Aug to Oct
- Aromatic Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) – blooms Aug to Nov
Fern
Grasses
Vines
- Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)
- American Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens)
- Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
Shrubs
- Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) – blooms Sep to Dec, foliage
- Witch Alder / Dwarf Fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii) – foliage
- Sweet Pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia) – fruit & foliage
- Possum-haw (Viburnum nudum) – fruit & foliage
- Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum) – foliage
- Mapleleaf Viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium) – foliage
- Black Haw (Viburnum prunifolium) – fruit & foliage
- Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) – foliage
- Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica) – foliage
- Fragrant Sumac ‘Gro-Low’ (Rhus aromatica) – foliage
- Red Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) – fruit & foliage
- Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) – fruit
- Inkberry (Ilex glabra) – fruit, evergreen
- Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) – fruit
- American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) – fruit
- Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) – fruit & foliage
Trees (by height)
- Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) – fruit & foliage
- American Holly (Ilex opaca) – fruit, evergreen
- Cockspur Hawthorn (Crataegus crus-galli) – fruit
- Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) – fruit, evergreen
- Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica) – fruit & foliage
- Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) – fruit & foliage
- Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata) – fruit & foliage