Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) and sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum).
This year is a strange year for fall color for some folks: where the Zeta storm came through, plants were battered or even stripped of their leaves. When it comes to planting, however, we plant for the future so I’d like to give you some ideas for adding more fall color to your landscape in the coming years.
Most of the great color is associated with woody plants so I’m going to focus on trees and shrubs here. Shrubs are good for mass plantings while trees make large statements. Consider mixing in some evergreens (including pines) as green can really make those reds and yellows pop.
White oak (Quercus alba) and dwarf alder (Fothergilla sp.).
Shrubs: sumac (Rhus sp.), blueberry (Vaccinium sp.), dwarf alder (Fothergilla sp.), ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius), St. John’s wort (Hypericum sp.), oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), and native viburnums (Viburnum sp.).
Trees: flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), sassafras (Sassafras albidum), serviceberry (Amelanchier sp.), hickory (Carya sp.), red maple (Acer rubrum) and chalk maple (Acer leucoderme), white oak (Quercus alba) and scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), and my personal favorite in my area: sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum).
Please research which of these plants are native to your part of Georgia and then look for them at reputable nurseries, especially the small native nurseries who work so hard to bring these choices to market. You can find our list of known nurseries on our website here.
Red maple (Acer rubrum) and possumhaw viburnum (Viburnum nudum).