Shrubs rival trees in fall color in the Indiana garden

Fall color on burkwood viburnum (V. burkwoodii). (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp

Trees get all of the glory when it comes to fall color. We drive miles to immerse ourselves in the eye-popping reds, yellows, purples and bronzes of Indiana forests and state parks.

For spectacular autumn hues in the home landscape, shrubs provide an eye-level view.

At the top of the list are members of the Viburnum family, most of which have glorious red, orange or yellow fall color. Viburnums, many of which are native, are low-maintenance four-season plants. Most bloom in spring or early summer, some with fragrant flowers. And, they produce berries, which persist well into winter.

Native dogwood shrubs, too, are known for their leaf color or for their bright yellow or red stems in fall and winter. Since the best stem color next year will be on new growth, cut the yellow or red-stem varieties (Cornus sericea, C. stolonifera) for nature-inspired holiday arrangements indoors or out.

Witch alder (Fothergilla), another Eastern United States native, turns red in fall. The same with sweetspire (Itea virginica), which holds its leaves well into December. Each of these easy-care shrubs sports fragrant white blooms in spring. The native ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) has slightly fragrant, pinkish white flowers in late spring and deep, deep red foliage in fall.

All hydrangeas are known for their showy dried flower heads in winter, but a couple of species also develop good fall color. The leaves of Hydrangea paniculata, an Asian species sometimes called peegee, turn bronzy red. Its flowers also take on pink hues as they age. The native oakleaf hydrangea (H. quercifolia) is an absolute standout for its fall color with deep wine-colored leaves.