Plants with Colorful Autumn Foliage

PLANTING SOLUTIONS

Plants with Colourful Autumn Foliage

Many deciduous trees and shrubs have leaves that turn beautiful colours in autumn before they shed for winter. Green leaves turn to shades of yellow and gold, orange, scarlet and red before turning brown and falling to the ground.

 

These plants are revered in colder climates for adding a special dimension to the ornamental garden. Their presence and the impact that they make in the garden is enormous. Use them to add an extra dimension to your garden. Always remember that cold temperatures are usually necessary to help intensify leaf colouration in autumn.

 

Below are just a few of the more common garden plants that can be grown for this purpose in KwaZulu-Natal.  Their botanical name is listed first with common names in (brackets).

Download Plant List

Shrubs & Climbers

(Medium to Tall Growing)

Key:  (B) = bulb (C) = climber (D) = deciduous (E) = evergreen (F) = fruit (H) = herb (I) = indigenous (N) = nectar rich (S) = seed (T) = thorns 

  • Acer palmatum ‘Dissectum’ cultivars
    (cut leaf Japanese maple) (D)
  • Ceratostigma willmottianum 
    (Chinese plumbago) (D)
  • Hydrangea quercifolia 
    (oak-leaf hydrangea) (D)
  • Nandina domestica 
    (sacred bamboo) (ED)
  • Nandina domestica ‘Pygmaea’ 
    (miniature sacred bamboo) (ED)
  • Parthenocissus quinquefolia 
    (Virginia creeper) (C) (D)
  • Parthenocissus tricuspidata 
    (Boston ivy) (C) (D)
  • Spiraea japonica hybrids 
    (may bush) (D)
  • Viburnum opulus ‘Rosea’ 
    (Japanese snowball) (D)
  • Viburnum plicatum ‘Mariesii’ (D)
  • Vitis vinifera 
    (grapevine) (C) (D)
  • Weigela florida hybrids (D)
  • Wisteria sinensis 
    (blue rain) (D) (C)

Trees

(Tall Growing)

Key:  (B) = bulb (C) = climber (D) = deciduous (E) = evergreen (F) = fruit (H) = herb (I) = indigenous (N) = nectar rich (S) = seed (T) = thorns 

  • Acer palmatum 
    (Japanese maple) (D)
  • Acer rubrum 
    (red maple) (D)
  • Betula pendula 
    (silver birch) (D)
  • Bridelia micrantha 
    (mitzeerie) (I) (D)
  • Celtis africana 
    (white stinkwood) (I) (D)
  • Combretum krausii 
    (forest bush willow) (I)
  • Commiphora harveyi 
    (red-stem corkwood) (I) (D)
  • Cornus florida 
    (dogwood) (D)
  • Diospyros kaki 
    (persimmon) (D) (F)
  • Ginkgo biloba 
    (maidenhair tree) (D)
  • Liquidambar styraciflua 
    (sweet gum) (D)
  • Liriodendron tulipifera 
    (tulip tree) (D)
  • Platanus acerifolia 
    (London plane) (D)
  • Prunus serrulata hybrids 
    (Japanese flowering cherry) (D)
  • Quercus palustris 
    (pin oak) (D)
  • Taxodium distichum 
    (swamp cypress) (D)

Disclaimer:

Whilst every care and caution has been taken in compiling these lists in terms of correctness and accuracy, Blackwood’s, nor any of their employees can be held liable or responsible if any of the recommendations are found to be incorrect in any way whatsoever. They are merely a guide to help gardeners and staff in finding solutions to gardening problems. All plants listed may not be available for sale at times. They do however all grow in the greater KwaZulu-Natal area and are to be found growing successfully in local gardens.