Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Turns rose-magenta in fall, long after the flowers are gone; 20–30 ft tall and spreading 15–25 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Virginia · Zones 6–8
Native Plants for Fall Color in Virginia
Native trees, shrubs, and grasses that set the autumn garden alight with red, orange, copper, and gold. Virginia sits in a landscape of Blue Ridge, Piedmont & Tidewater, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its humid, four-season character. The list below — led by Eastern Redbud and Serviceberry — is filtered to species genuinely native to Virginia and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zones 6–8. 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 Virginia
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–8 · see this collection in other states.
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Turns white spring lace in fall, long after the flowers are gone; white spring lace flowers and good through zone 8.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Lights up in autumn, white bracts, for a long late-season show, 15–25 ft wide and for loam ground.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Turns creamy white in fall, long after the flowers are gone; creamy white flowers and for clay and loam ground.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
Fall color that lasts — white cones, for loam ground and 4–8 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Fall color that lasts — cotton-candy pink, reaching 2–3 ft and 2–3 ft wide.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Lights up in autumn, white to pink, for a long late-season show, 5–10 ft wide and white to pink flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Fall color that lasts — chartreuse-gold, chartreuse-gold flowers and 6–12 ft wide.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Fall color that lasts — yellow catkins, for sand, clay, rocky, and loam ground and 2–6 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Turns inconspicuous green in fall, long after the flowers are gone; inconspicuous green flowers and happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Sets the autumn garden alight — airy pink-gold panicles — for sand, clay, and loam ground and good through zone 9.
- 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; 1.5–2 ft wide and for sand, clay, rocky, and loam ground.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Sets the autumn garden alight — fine emerald to amber — for sand, rocky, and loam ground and 2–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Lights up in autumn, bronze-purple seed heads, for a long late-season show, for sand, clay, and loam ground and 2–3 ft wide.
- 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; spreading 2–3 ft and hardy in zones 4–9.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Virginia
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.