Plants to add to your Charleston Landscape this fall

Do you feel that cool breeze in the air? It finally feels like fall and these sunny afternoons make us want to get planting in the garden! While many people associate spring with a time of new growth and planting, fall is actually the best time to plant trees, shrubs, and hardy perennials here in Charleston! The soil is still nice and warm and your new plants don't have to suffer through immediate summer heat and drought. Plus, plants have plenty of time during our mild fall to become established before a winter frost. Growing roots under ground now will help them thrive above ground next spring! Steal this list of plants to add to your Charleston Landscape for a beautiful fall garden!

First, let's talk about native plant options! Embrace Southern Charleston charm and create a sense of place by adding native plants that better support wildlife, help prevent flooding, and lower your time and costs associated with garden maintenance. If you're looking for fall color, we recommend Muhlenbergia capillaris or Muhly grass! Muhly grass is easy to grow, loves full sun, and is even drought, salt, and humidity tolerant. Use it in mass plantings to create a swath of pink color in your landscape. Add one of our favorite native cultivars is Mrs. Schiller's Viburnum obovatum! This shrub is the dwarf form of native Walter's viburnum, only growing about 3 feet tall. It loves full sun and adds showy flowers and fruit to the garden. Finally, add Juniperus virginiana, commonly known as Eastern red cedar, for an evergreen conifer native to North America. This juniper prefers full sun and well draining soil and is even drought tolerant once established! Many native shrubs and trees act as host plants for native insects and provide essential food through the cold winter days, so consider adding these native options to your garden this fall.

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Need to create a classic hedge in your space this fall? We just restocked three of our favorite options! Utilize Viburnum awabuki 'Chindo' for a dense, glossy evergreen shrub that thrives in full sun with some afternoon shade in warmer climates. Chindo viburnum grows 10-12 feet tall and quickly fills in for a privacy screen. Or, if you prefer a matte gray to green leaf, add Acca sellowiana or pineapple guava to your landscape! Pineapple guava grows 10-15 feet tall and will become more dense with increased pruning. For best fruit and flower production, plant this shrub in full to part sun. Plus, the showy flowers are even edible! Or just rely on a classic Charleston favorite, the Podocarpus macrophyllus or Southern Yew. Podocarpus thrives in full sun and grows about 10-15 feet tall in a landscape, but can reach up to 50 feet tall if left unpruned. It's thin, linear dark green leaves add interesting texture to your space and provide an excellent backdrop for garden beds.

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Don't worry, we have a few more funky favorites! Add Loropetalum chinense for a pop of color and wispy, fringe like flowers. Loropetalum can be found with fun colored leaves and flowers ranging from white to deep pink. We're big fans of the 'cerise charm' with its deep burgundy leaves and hot pink blooms. Or, consider adding one of our favorite camellia hybrids, 'Egao Corkscrew' for a sculptural shape you can't find with any other shrub and medium to light pink blooms!

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Don't forget your Espoma bio tone for planting and Espoma holly tone for fertilizing!