Adding fall color to your garden

Q. What is a plant I can add to get more fall color in my garden?

Jerry from Greenford

A. Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) is a perfect plant for the fall garden. Its leaves turn stunning shades of red, orange and even purple as the nights get chilly in October. Even better, it is a superior plant for all seasons.

Some people would say burning bush is a good option for fall color, but this plant has invasive tendencies. There are some sites in the Mahoning Valley where these plants are growing wild. It doesn’t have noticeable blooms in the spring or summer and is only valued for its quick growth and red fall color.

These shrubs are native to the U.S., and its flowers are hardy to zone 5. The only winter we lost flower buds was when the temperature flirted with minus 30 degrees a few winters back. It blooms on old wood, so it forms flower buds in August that will open in early to mid-June the next season.

Oakleaf hydrangeas have many benefits throughout the year.

During winter months, their cinnamon-colored bark has a peeling effect, adding interest to the winter garden. In spring, new, large leaves emerge that are the shape of oak tree leaves.

Some cultivars have large leaves – up to a foot long. Before you know it in June, these plants bloom with large panicle flowers which get up to a foot long themselves. Most are upright flower heads pointing to the sky. Others have double blooms, making a drooping effect to the elegant flowers.

Learn more about oakleaf hydrangeas and other types of hydrangeas for Ohio gardens at http://go.osu.edu/hydrangeafacts

There are other shrubs that provide fall color. For a partial list of shrubs with fall color and descriptions, go to go.osu.edu/fallshrubs .

Eric Barrett is OSU Extension educator for agriculture and natural resources in Mahoning County. Call the office plant and pest clinic at 330-533-5538 to submit your questions. Regular clinic hours are 9 a.m. to noon Mondays and Thursdays.