Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
Turns white cones in fall, long after the flowers are gone; white cones flowers and hardy in zones 5–9.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Arkansas · Zones 6–8
Native Plants for Fall Color in Arkansas
Native trees, shrubs, and grasses that set the autumn garden alight with red, orange, copper, and gold. For Arkansas, the right natives are shaped by Ozark Highlands & Mississippi Alluvial Plain and a humid subtropical climate. Every species below, from Oakleaf Hydrangea and Arrowwood Viburnum to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Arkansas and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 6–8. The natives behind New England's famous foliage will do the same work in your yard, and the show lasts far longer than the flowers did. Sugars trapped in the leaves on cool, sunny fall days drive the brightest color, so plant these in full sun for the most intense display. Pair fiery shrubs with the copper and amber of warm-season grasses for a season finale that rivals any flower bed.
The plants
15 native species for Arkansas
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–8 · see this collection in other states.
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Fall color that lasts — creamy white, 6–10 ft wide and reaching 6–10 ft.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Turns cotton-candy pink in fall, long after the flowers are gone; 2–3 ft tall and for sand, rocky, and loam ground.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Lights up in autumn, white bracts, for a long late-season show, 15–25 ft tall and 15–25 ft wide.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Lights up in autumn, rose-magenta, for a long late-season show, rose-magenta flowers and spreading 15–25 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Lights up in autumn, white spring lace, for a long late-season show, 15–25 ft tall and happy in clay and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Fall color that lasts — white to pink, white to pink flowers and spreading 5–10 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Lights up in autumn, yellow catkins, for a long late-season show, 5–10 ft wide and 2–6 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Turns chartreuse-gold in fall, long after the flowers are gone; good through zone 9 and happy in clay and loam soil.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Turns inconspicuous green in fall, long after the flowers are gone; inconspicuous green flowers and happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Turns bronze-gold plumes in fall, long after the flowers are gone; for sand, clay, and loam ground and 2–3 ft wide.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Turns blue-green to copper in fall, long after the flowers are gone; 1.5–2 ft wide and for sand, clay, rocky, and loam ground.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Fall color that lasts — bronze-purple seed heads, for sand, clay, and loam ground and reaching 4–7 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Lights up in autumn, fine emerald to amber, for a long late-season show, cold-hardy to zone 3 and reaching 2–3 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Lights up in autumn, airy pink-gold panicles, for a long late-season show, 2–3 ft wide and good through zone 9.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Arkansas
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.