Love them or hate them fireworks are a controversial subject and perhaps better consigned to public events, rather than back garden displays. This year why not invest your hard-earned money in plants that give weeks of fiery colour year after year. Let’s call them garden fireworks.
The autumnal hues illuminate the garden in ways that are sometimes surprising. The daily changes in individual leaves and foliage can be very variable and very striking, depending on the weather and the progress of the autumn. The way the light shines through the leaves adds even more charm and wonder. Take a wander around your garden and see what is looking fiery and right now. And if you are lacking a bit in the living fireworks department, consider planting something new. Here are five plants with the autumnal wow factor that are easy to grow and will light up your autumn garden.
Leaves on fire
You could be forgiven for thinking that the autumn foliage of the stag’s horn tree (Rhus typhina) are flames licking the air. The colours and shapes of the leaves are so flame-like and in the breeze they move like fire too. This plant was one of the first that captured my attention as a pre-teen walking home from school. There was a large shrub, It’s not really a tree, that overhung the pavement about a mile from my home and it was the fuzzy stems that I noticed first. It’s a plant that conjures controversy as it is sometimes regarded as invasive due to its suckering nature, but it can be controlled by digging up the suckers and when planted with care it has such a fabulous autumn finale that it really earns its place in the garden. Or add it to the hedge.
Vibrant curtains
Walls and fences are sometimes overlooked when it comes to autumn colour but there are a few fabulous climbers with foliage ablaze in red and orange hues as the season progresses. Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is one of these. Sadly, it’s another plant with invasive tendencies, so it needs careful cultivation and even more careful disposal of prunings and clippings. It’s a fabulous plant to trail over a low wall so that it falls rather than climbs creating a living curtain with a colour scheme that changes from greens to reds with extreme drama. Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) is a slightly less invasive form with equally dramatic foliage.
Winter wonder
Many plants have more than one season of interest. Witch hazel (Hamamelis) is one of these. It has incredible winter flowers on bare stems that break the seasons in late winter. But it is the autumn colour and the incredible mosaic effect that develops on the leaves, that sets it apart from some autumn foliage; it’s like watching a snowflake form and spread as the colour changes across the leaves. And when they are lit from behind by the autumn sunshine, they come alive with their vibrancy and wonder. Look out for Hamamelis vernis which has exceptional autumn foliage.
Deadly and dangerous
Some plants earn their garden place despite their bad behaviour. American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)*** is not for the faint hearted. It is toxic if eaten and toxic to pets. So, it needs handling with care and if you choose to grow it, planting and positioning it with great care. You might wonder if it’s worth the risk, which is of course your decision. It’s a plant that has been used in folk medicine, it’s poisonous berries have been used to make ink and it has a wide range of other ancient uses. As a garden plant it is striking, unusual and has spectacular magenta pink colouring as the seasons change and the garden slides into autumn. It’s a herbaceous perennial so it will die back for winter when it needs mulching and root protection to survive a cold one. *** toxic to pets and humans.
Smoke screens
There’s a reason that the Cotinus tree is called a smoke bush, it’s because when it flowers it creates a skeletal effect in the garden that resembles puffs of smoke (see main image). If that’s not a great reason to grow Cotinus, then its summer cloak of fabulous roundish leaves are another. And if you think all smoke bushes are red you would be wrong, there’s a fabulous golden smoke bush called ‘Golden Lady’ and ‘Golden Spirit’ that have striking yellow foliage that turns fiery and funky in autumn. It’s a mosaic effect of green and yellow that changes as the leaves senesce and then fall leaving a golden carpet beneath the tree. The red leaved smoke bush has equally stunning autumn leaves, why not grow both in your garden. You can keep them in check by pruning.
