Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Fall color that lasts — white bracts, reaching 15–25 ft and white bracts flowers.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Florida · Zones 8–11
Native Plants for Fall Color in Florida
Native trees, shrubs, and grasses that set the autumn garden alight with red, orange, copper, and gold. For Florida, the right natives are shaped by Florida flatwoods, scrub & subtropical south and a subtropical to tropical, wet summers climate. Every species below, from Flowering Dogwood and Arrowwood Viburnum to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Florida and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 8–11. 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
13 native species for Florida
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 8–11 · see this collection in other states.
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Fall color that lasts — creamy white, good through zone 8 and for clay and loam ground.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
Sets the autumn garden alight — white cones — 4–8 ft wide and cold-hardy to zone 5.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Lights up in autumn, rose-magenta, for a long late-season show, 20–30 ft tall and for clay, rocky, and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Lights up in autumn, cotton-candy pink, for a long late-season show, 2–3 ft tall and spreading 2–3 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Lights up in autumn, white spring lace, for a long late-season show, cold-hardy to zone 3 and 15–25 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Sets the autumn garden alight — yellow catkins — for sand, clay, rocky, and loam ground and 5–10 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Sets the autumn garden alight — chartreuse-gold — cold-hardy to zone 4 and chartreuse-gold flowers.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Fall color that lasts — inconspicuous green, hardy in zones 3–9 and for clay, rocky, and loam ground.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Fall color that lasts — blue-green to copper, for sand, clay, rocky, and loam ground and reaching 2–4 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Sets the autumn garden alight — bronze-gold plumes — reaching 4–7 ft and good through zone 9.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Turns bronze-purple seed heads in fall, long after the flowers are gone; spreading 2–3 ft and for sand, clay, and loam ground.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Lights up in autumn, airy pink-gold panicles, for a long late-season show, 3–6 ft tall and cold-hardy to zone 4.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Florida
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.