Focus — Fall Projects and Plants
Late Summer Sensations Plant Geeks Share Their Favorite Fall Flora
By Nina A. Koziol
It’s just about time for The Late Show — that
time of year when the annuals are still strutting their stuff but many of the perennials have petered out. It will be weeks before trees and shrubs put on their splendid autumn performance. However, there are many late-season perennials and annuals that can provide texture and pops of color now as we move into autumn. Here are just a few. Ashley Marrin of Bret-Mar Landscape in Homer Glen likes native switchgrass for its flowers and blue-green foliage, but the plants tend to be incredibly tall and can splay open, weighed down by heavy seed heads. Totem Pole switchgrass grows in a very erect column of steel blue foliage with powdery blue stems. In early fall, golden panicles appear just above the foliage. “I love how it is so upright,” Marrin said. The narrow base of the plant makes it an ideal candidate for small spaces that need height and vertical structure.
Totem Pole switchgrass On the opposite end of the spectrum is the petite Japanese forest grass. Aureola (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’) is one of the many clump-forming cultivars that excel in moist, well-drained soil and shade. “So many people are looking for grasses for shade,” says Susy Stone of Hinsdale Nurseries. “I like hakonechloa for its texture and color.” In the cooler days of autumn, the golden foliage becomes infused with shades of pink and red. The plant’s cascading habit in which most of the leaves arch in the same direction looks like a golden waterfall. When grown in part shade, the yellow tones in the foliage will be most pronounced. In deep shade, the variegation will be lime green. Plant this grass where it can cascade down a slope or drape over a low stone wall. (continued on page 12) Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ 10
The Landscape Contractor September 2020
