Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Turns white bracts in fall, long after the flowers are gone; 15–25 ft tall and good through zone 9.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Maryland · Zones 6–8
Native Plants for Fall Color in Maryland
Native trees, shrubs, and grasses that set the autumn garden alight with red, orange, copper, and gold. Every species here is genuinely native to Maryland and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zones 6–8 — proven performers for Maryland's humid, four-season climate across Piedmont & Chesapeake Coastal Plain, not a generic list. Local standouts include Flowering Dogwood and Oakleaf Hydrangea. 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
15 native species for Maryland
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–8 · see this collection in other states.
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
Fall color that lasts — white cones, hardy in zones 5–9 and 4–8 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Sets the autumn garden alight — white spring lace — 15–25 ft tall and for clay and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Fall color that lasts — creamy white, spreading 6–10 ft and creamy white flowers.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Turns cotton-candy pink in fall, long after the flowers are gone; cotton-candy pink flowers and hardy in zones 6–10.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Turns rose-magenta in fall, long after the flowers are gone; hardy in zones 4–9 and spreading 15–25 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Fall color that lasts — white to pink, spreading 5–10 ft and reaching 5–10 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Turns inconspicuous green in fall, long after the flowers are gone; 30–50 ft tall and inconspicuous green flowers.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Turns yellow catkins in fall, long after the flowers are gone; yellow catkins flowers and happy in sand, clay, rocky, and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Sets the autumn garden alight — chartreuse-gold — spreading 6–12 ft and happy in clay and loam soil.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Sets the autumn garden alight — fine emerald to amber — good through zone 8 and for sand, rocky, and loam ground.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Fall color that lasts — airy pink-gold panicles, for sand, clay, and loam ground and reaching 3–6 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Turns blue-green to copper in fall, long after the flowers are gone; hardy in zones 3–9 and 2–4 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Sets the autumn garden alight — bronze-purple seed heads — happy in sand, clay, and loam soil and 2–3 ft wide.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Fall color that lasts — bronze-gold plumes, happy in sand, clay, and loam soil and 4–7 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Maryland
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.