Uncommon Autumn Colour

Autumn is the favourite season of many gardeners. Some appreciate the gradual sense of decline as we get nearer to winter but others fear this descent into the months of frosty mornings and shorter days. I relish it. Autumn reminds me of some lines written by American poet Naomi Shihab-Nye: “Walk around feeling like a leaf. Know you could tumble any second. Then decide what to do with your time.” Though it is often associated with death, this season above all others reminds me to live. One of the best ways to celebrate the season is with deciduous colour.

Ornamental Grape

For one of the best displays of autumn colour you’re likely to experience, take a walk past the Metro Café in Railway Street, Toowoomba. Here, growing on a pergola above the café’s entrance is an ornamental grape vine that will have you making a bee line for the “climbers” section of the nearest nursery.

For all intents and purposes, the ornamental grape is the same as the fruiting grape, just a bit more vigorous and lot prettier in autumn. In April the leaves become the colour of a fine cab sav before falling to reveal a tracery of naked vines. The effect is stunning. Ornamental grapes will grow well on all parts of the Downs, but a strong structure is needed for support.

Chinese Tallow

One of the more spectacular plants in my garden is the Chinese tallow tree, Sapium sebiferum. It’s a really good doer, handling the boom and bust stresses of our climate with aplomb, while retaining an air of class thanks to a fairly upright branch structure and heart shaped leaves that flutter like those of an aspen.

In May, those leaves change from apple green to a thrilling shade of blood red. Chinese tallows are adaptable trees, performing well across all parts of the Downs and in a wide range of soil types. Backlit by low autumn sun, a Chinese tallow will make a breathtaking sight.

Smoke Bush

There must be a reason why garden centres choose to ignore choice gardenworthy plants in favour of stock standards like photinia and cordylines, but it’s beyond me.  The smoke bush, Cotinus coggygria, is a classic case in point. It’s tough, tolerant of frost and drought, and superbly coloured, yet absent from the all but specialist nurseries.

What a shame. The cultivar Cotinus ‘Grace’ has been described by renowned plantsman Dan Hinkley as “a triumphant pageant of colour throughout the seasons”. It’s a description I’m loathe to try and improve upon. ‘Grace’ and its sibling cultivars are very frost hardy, performing best on the southern Downs and similar districts. For maximum impact, grow in fairly lean soil, don’t over water, and coppice every couple of years to produce lots of colourful new foliage.

Hydrangea quercifolia

The oak leaf hydrangea, so named because its leaves resemble those of an oak (Quercus), is very much overshadowed by its blue/pink flowering relative Hydrangea macrophylla. To me though, Hydrangea quercifolia is a superior plant. The reason is one of year-round interest. Unlike H. macrophylla, the oak leaf hydrangea not only remains neat, but gets better and better as winter looms.

Following a refined display of creamy white flowers in summer, the oak leaf hydrangea retains its leaves until very late in autumn, and colours up in opulent hues of scarlet and purple. Exfoliating tan coloured bark keeps the interest going right through winter. Other advantages include greater drought tolerance than the mop head hydrangea, and the ability to thrive in part sun to full shade. Well drained soil is a must, but apart from that, the oak leaf hydrangea is a glorious plant.

Persimmon

The persimmon (Diospyros kaki) is far more than a one hit wonder. Call me old fashioned, but I love the fruit, which when fully ripe becomes soft and sweet and as delectable as apricot jam. Yet the persimmon’s autumn spectacle rivals that of the best “ornamental” trees, and in many cases is even better.

Persimmons have a lovely gnarled appearance, with spreading, sometimes weeping branches.  The sunset coloured fruit hangs on the tree through autumn like Christmas baubles, and to top off the display, persimmon foliage gradually takes on tones of scarlet, copper and rust. Persimmons will colour up beautifully even in the warmest parts of Toowoomba and the Downs, and they’re suited to a smallish garden. If I was living in town and needed to choose a versatile little shade tree, I’d go for a persimmon.

First published in the Toowoomba Chronicle 11th April 2009

Tagged as: autumn, deciduous, persimmon