Wendy's WanderingsWendy Wilber

October 10, 2018

Flowers, Not Foliage, for Fall Color

If you love all things "pumpkin spice" or have moved to Florida from a state further north you just you might find yourself missing fall color.

I have lived in Florida since before man landed on the moon, so this "fall color" concept is a little foreign to me. Postcards of colorful mountains with oranges, reds, and yellow trees look beautiful but they are not part of my Florida picture. Instead I see the fall colors in Florida native plants in landscapes and natural areas.

Remember a Florida native plant is a species that has been growing in Florida prior to European contact. Some gardeners see a plant that is growing really well or growing in a natural area and assume it is a Florida native. It is always best to do your research before affirming that a plant is native.

One of my favorite native plants for color in October in the yellow category is swamp sunflower Helianthus angustifolius (zones 8a-9b). Also called narrow-leaved sunflower, these start blooming in October when the plant is about 6 feet tall. Their bright yellow 3-inch wide sunflowers can be seen for miles and are a favorite for bees and other insects.

In the purple category the native shrub beautyberry Callicarpa americana (zones 8a-10b) has clusters of magenta berries that will linger until the first freeze or until the birds polish them off.

By the time mid-October is here the native firebushes Hamelia patens (zones 9a- 11) are showing plenty of orange and red flowers. These shrubs are a colorful favorite of ruby throated hummingbirds and our state butterfly zebra longwing.

For pink blooms with gorgeous texture, muhly grass Muhlenbergia capillaris (zones 8a-11) has plumes that sway in the breezes and the seeds are favored by small birds.

My final pick for fall color is bluecurls Trichostema dichotomum (zones 8a-11). This tough annual has small, bright blue, two-lipped flowers that easily reseed themselves.

There are lots of native plants that show fall color. Of course our maples, sweet gums, hickories, bald cypress, and deciduous oaks leaves will show color later in the year, but by then I’ve switched from PSL to Gingerbread Latte.

-- Wendy Wilber

Return to the October 2018 Neighborhood Gardener