Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Lights up in autumn, white spring lace, for a long late-season show, reaching 15–25 ft and hardy in zones 3–8.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
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- Fall color
Rhode Island · Zones 6–7
Native Plants for Fall Color in Rhode Island
Native trees, shrubs, and grasses that set the autumn garden alight with red, orange, copper, and gold. Rhode Island sits in a landscape of Narragansett coastal lowland, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its cool, humid, maritime character. The list below — led by Serviceberry and Arrowwood Viburnum — is filtered to species genuinely native to Rhode Island and the wider flora of the Northeast and hardy through zones 6–7. 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 Rhode Island
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–7 · see this collection in other states.
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Fall color that lasts — creamy white, 6–10 ft tall and 6–10 ft wide.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Turns white bracts in fall, long after the flowers are gone; spreading 15–25 ft and good through zone 9.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Turns rose-magenta in fall, long after the flowers are gone; rose-magenta flowers and 15–25 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Lights up in autumn, chartreuse-gold, for a long late-season show, spreading 6–12 ft and 6–12 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Sets the autumn garden alight — yellow catkins — yellow catkins flowers and good through zone 9.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Lights up in autumn, inconspicuous green, for a long late-season show, happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil and 10–20 ft wide.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Lights up in autumn, white to pink, for a long late-season show, white to pink flowers and 5–10 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Turns bronze-gold plumes in fall, long after the flowers are gone; reaching 4–7 ft and hardy in zones 4–9.
- 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; good through zone 9 and for sand, clay, rocky, and loam ground.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Turns bronze-purple seed heads in fall, long after the flowers are gone; good through zone 9 and 4–7 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Sets the autumn garden alight — fine emerald to amber — 2–3 ft wide and good through zone 8.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Turns airy pink-gold panicles in fall, long after the flowers are gone; good through zone 9 and 2–3 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Rhode Island
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.