Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Fall color that lasts — creamy white, reaching 6–10 ft and 6–10 ft wide.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Vermont · Zones 3–5
Native Plants for Fall Color in Vermont
Native trees, shrubs, and grasses that set the autumn garden alight with red, orange, copper, and gold. For Vermont, the right natives are shaped by Green Mountains & Champlain Valley and a cold, humid continental climate. Every species below, from Arrowwood Viburnum and Eastern Redbud to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Vermont and the wider flora of the Northeast and hardy through zones 3–5. 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 Vermont
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–5 · see this collection in other states.
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Fall color that lasts — rose-magenta, for clay, rocky, and loam ground and spreading 15–25 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Lights up in autumn, white bracts, for a long late-season show, 15–25 ft tall and for loam ground.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Fall color that lasts — white spring lace, white spring lace flowers and 10–20 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Fall color that lasts — white to pink, 5–10 ft tall and 5–10 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Fall color that lasts — inconspicuous green, happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil and inconspicuous green flowers.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Fall color that lasts — yellow catkins, 2–6 ft tall and 5–10 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Lights up in autumn, chartreuse-gold, for a long late-season show, reaching 6–12 ft and for clay and loam ground.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Fall color that lasts — airy pink-gold panicles, reaching 3–6 ft and hardy in zones 4–9.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Fall color that lasts — fine emerald to amber, 2–3 ft tall and happy in sand, rocky, and loam soil.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Fall color that lasts — blue-green to copper, spreading 1.5–2 ft and reaching 2–4 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Lights up in autumn, bronze-purple seed heads, for a long late-season show, hardy in zones 3–9 and reaching 4–7 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Turns bronze-gold plumes in fall, long after the flowers are gone; reaching 4–7 ft and happy in sand, clay, and loam soil.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Vermont
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.