As winter comes around it is the autumn leaves that add colour to the garden. The autumn foliage of deciduous tree provide us with a riot of colour. From tall trees to small shrubs, you can find a plant that adds a highlight to the garden at this time of the year.
Autumn Leaves – Trees and Shrubs that will add colour.
Plants with colorful autumn foliage can be a feature in the Australian garden. As the cooler weather settles in all of sudden green turns to gold and red in the garden.
Our 10 best plants for autumn foliage :
- Cercis canadensis or ‘Forest Pansy’ – This is a small tree with brilliant autumn tones.
- Acer palmatum ‘Seiryu’ – Along with many other Japanese Maples, brilliant red foliage.
- Acer palmatum dissectum Viridis – A rainbow of colours red to yellow and orange.
- Ginkgo biloba – The Ginkgo tree with its soft buttery yellow foliage in autumn is also a great foliage tree from spring through summer. Dwarf varieties are also available.
- Hydrangea quercifolia – This is the Oak Leaf Hydrangea, a small shrub with large textured foliage that turns a deep red in autumn. Look for ‘Snow Queen’
- Euonymus alatus – Great autumn tones in sun as well as shade.
- Fothergilla gardenii – Low growing to 2m and will provide good colour in a woodland, or shaded setting.
- Symphoricarpus – Also known as the ‘Snowberry’ good red to yellow foliage with attractive white berries on bare branches as well.
- Pistachia chinensis – A small to medium tree to around 4 metres with good red foliage, drought tolerant as well.
- Amelanchier canadenis – Very tough plant with attractive spring flowers and scarlet red flowers in autumn
Although in Australia autumn officially begins at the beginning of March it is not until the end of the month and into April that the foliage begins to turn in a spectacular manner.
It is the deciduous trees that put on the real show and from the Highlands in the Blue Mountains through to Melbourne and Tasmania many areas are spectacular in autumn.
Best Places to see Autumn Foliage in Australia
Some of the best places to see the changing foliage are the hills around Melbourne, Mt Macedon and the Dandenong Ranges, parts of Canberra are spectacular as is Tasmania. And of course the Souther Highlands near Sydney.In and around Melbourne try the Tindal Gardens, Pirianda Gardens, The Hamer Arboretum at Olinda or the Nicholas Gardens in Ferny Creek. And of course the Melbourne Botanical Gardens is always worth a visit in autumn. In the country, try Harrietville, spectacular in Autumn.
If you are in Sydney try the Southern Highlands, Bowral, Mittagong and of course the Botanical Gardens at Mt Tomah are not to be missed. Mt Wilson is also on the list. Everglades Gardens at Leura is also worth a visit.
In Tasmania it is worth a visit to Hobart and Launceston, as well as the drive in between the two, simply spectacular.
And you could detour to Cradle Mountain or Mount Field National Park to see the deciduous beech, Nothofahus gunnii, it is small growing but does put on a good autumn display. It also happens to be Tasmania’s only deciduous native plant.
So forget the notion that Australia does not have great autumn colour, you just need to look in the right places.
What to do with autumn leaves once they have fallen
Never burn autumn leaves, they are to valuable and should be used to make compost, or to make leaf mould.