Fall Flowering Shrubs

For some reason, most people think that the only time you can have any real color in your garden is during the spring time, or possibly early summer. The truth is that if you use some fall flowering shrubs then you can have some beautiful colors around your home throughout most of the year. While there are literally dozens (if not hundreds) of species that you could use, here are four of the more common and easily cared for. Simply choose a few of these, and plant them around your home for a nice dash of late season color.

• Ceanothus X Autumnal Blue. This is a large evergreen plant that can, with the right care, grow to be at least six feet, five inches tall. When it is in bloom (typically from July to October) it will be adorned with some beautiful blue clustered flowers that have a rounded appearance. Ideally, if you are going to grow this type of plant, you will want to plant it either on a south facing wall, or possibly a west facing wall. While there are several different types of Ceanothus that you can plant, this particular breed is the hardiest, and therefore the easiest to care for.
• Mexican Orange Blossom. Also known as Choisa ternate, this shrub usually grows to a height and width of about five feet (though in certain conditions it can grow up to eight feet). In appearance it is a naturally rounded shrub that has shiny light green leaves that are somewhat aromatic, which typically come in bunches of three. Despite it having a name of orange blossom, this particular plant has white flowers that have orange stamens in early May. One word of warning though, if you live in areas that are prone to severe winters this may not be the shrub for you since severe cold can potentially kill the shrub.
• Hardy Fushia. This particular shrub has beautiful flowers that are usually either a deep purple or a beautiful red. Frankly, with the two colors (which can sometimes happen on a single bush) it is easy to see how the word fushia ended up in the name. Recently there have been a few hybrids created that have other colors, but the traditional ones are purple and red. Typically these bushes will flower between August to October.
• Hibiscus Syriacus. This is a particularly hardy shrub that can quite easily grow up to six feet in size. The leaves (which are a deep rich green) have a toothed appearance and usually form in the late spring. The funnel-shaped flowers (which typically are white, blue, red, pink, or purple) usually start blooming in August and last until October.