Purple passion in the fall garden
Autumn is a season rich in color. Orange-colored pumpkins, scarlet red berries and dark brown twigs provide the background for the impending resplendent autumn leaves.
One color often overlooked in the fall garden palette is purple.
In the garden, purple colors and hues can be paired with red; can complement yellow; and can be used in a triad with orange and green.
Once the purple asters, garden phlox and coneflower cease blooming, other plants with purple colors and hues are available to lead the fall garden into winter.
Beautyberry (Callicarpa spp.) is a deciduous shrub, and although native to the southern states grows well in our climate. Its ovate-shaped, serrated leaves are arranged opposite each other on long stems.
Because the beautyberry can grow 3 to 6 feet in height and 4 to 6 feet in diameter, it is useful as an understory, screening shrub.
Summer blooms of tiny white or pink flowers provide nectar that attracts butterflies. By fall, the shrub sports clusters of small magenta berries, providing a food source for birds. The berry clusters remain after the leaves have dropped from the stems.In early spring, beautyberry can be pruned severely right before new growth emerges to control shrub size or rejuvenate an older plant.For fall color, site with red chrysanthemums, or cotoneaster.Despite its unique name, the Japanese toad lily (Tricyrtis hirta) is a lovely perennial. While native to Japan, the toad lily thrives in our climate.This perennial grows to about 2 feet in height and width. Its dark green leaves are a striking contrast to the gorgeous blooms that appear in late summer and extend into fall.The tiny, lilylike flowers are about an inch. Creamy white blooms are marked with dark-colored purple spots that resemble a toad, giving the plant its common name.Both honey and bumble bees forage on the flowers, and deer like to nibble on the leaves.The toad lily is best sited in shade gardens where they can be appreciated at close range, because of the flowers' small size and exquisite detail. Pair the toad lily with shrubs having red or orange leaves.
The blackberry or leopard lily (Iris domestica) does double-duty for fall color. This lily is native to China, Japan, and eastern Russia.A rhizomatous perennial, the blackberry lily grows about 2 to 3 feet in height.During the summer months, small, lilylike, deep orange flowers spotted with red dots, appear in sprays from swordlike foliage. The flower stems are about 3 feet in height.After blooming, green seed pods appear eventually ripening to a dark cluster resembling a blackberry.Include the blackberry lily with summer flowers that are purple, such as coneflower, and in the fall with orange-hued foliage or berries.Garden perennials in the purple-colored family add interest to the fall garden. These three perennials are easy to grow, look festive as cut flowers, and are a delight to behold.Lisa Marie Bernardo, PhD, RN, has been a Penn State Master Gardener in Butler County since 2003.
