Each year, the Perennial Plant Association (PPA) names an outstanding plant its “Perennial of the Year.”  The selection for 2014 is Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’,  an ornamental grass that was a runner-up in 2012.  This is one of the first PPA winners in recent history that I have not personally grown and used in landscapes, so I cannot address it’s attributes first-hand.  I can vouch for other Panicums – for example, I use ‘Shenandoah’ very regularly — and the stated virtues of Northwind are impressive.

A North American native, P. virgatum ‘Northwind’  is hearty in much of the eastern United States.  It is a stately Panicum, reaching 4-5’ tall (6’ in flower) and 2-3’ wide.   A key attribute is that the plant retains its straight upright habit even through winter.  It provides color through the seasons – attractive olive- to blue-green foliage in summer (photo top left: Plant Delights Nursery) that turns golden yellow in fall, and produces the typical Panicum airy flower panicles – these appear yellow in late summer, turning beige into fall and winter.

Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’ in fall (photo: Univ. of Richmond)

Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’ flowers (photo: Horticulture Magazine)

Panicums are lovely in masses and provide both a nice facer for evergreen trees and a backdrop with contrast for perennials and small shrubs. Because of its stature, Northwind also is nicely used as a specimen – vertical accent. Like other Panicums, Northwind thrives in part to full sun, is reliably deer resistant, and rarely is impacted by insects or disease. Plants are cut back to the ground in early spring, and clumps can be divided every few years.

The PPA’s Perennial of the Year program is designed to showcase, each year, a perennial that is a “standout among its competitors.” These chosen plants are “suitable for a wide range of growing climates, require low maintenance, have multiple-season interest, and are relatively pest/disease free.”

Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’ in winter (Photo: http://blog.lib.umn.edu)

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We all appreciate the fall colors of trees and shrubs that are most ubiquitous in landscapes — Dogwood, Sugar Maple, Burning Bush Euonymous. (In fact, the latter shrub is quite invasive and, frankly, does not provide much interest in other seasons).

Here are some of my favorites for excellent fall color, recommended partly because they offer special interest during other seasons as well (e.g.  pretty flowers or ornamental bark that stands out in the winter).

Trees.  Starting at the highest plane, there are many deciduous trees that provide a focal point for an area of the landscape and particularly stand out in autumn by displaying brilliant foliage, in addition to other attributes to grace various seasons, be it colorful flowers or bark.

Kousa Dogwood

Dawn Redwood

Paperbark Maple

Crabapple

The Cornus kousa (Chinese Dogwood) offers lovely white flowers in early summer, and beautiful exfoliating bark in a mixture of cream and gray splotches.  The large berries provide color in September before the fall foliage in red or purple hues.  Resistant to disease that plagues other Dogwoods, the Kousa provides outstanding 4-season interest in a small flowering tree.

The Metasequoia glyptostroboides (Dawn Redwood) is a larger specimen that, while a deciduous conifer, is very ornamental in winter by virtue of its reddish brown exfoliating bark that stands out in the winter landscape.  The orangish- to reddish-brown needles in fall appear to be on fire, and then settle nicely at the base of the tree to provide mulch and colorful interest into the winter.

Acer griseum (Paperbark Maple) is another small tree, ideal as a picturesque specimen close to the front of the house, providing interest in all seasons.  True to its common name, this maple produces striking copper-red bark that exfoliates dramatically (like peeling paper).  The rich bark stands out when the tree produces its outstanding red leaf color and during the summer with the delicate foliage that covers a shapely, graceful tree habit.

There are numerous Malus (Crabapple) species that provide stunning red to orange fall foliage, as well as ornamental fruit, outstanding floral displays in summer, and ornamental peeling bark through the year.  There are many maples that provide year round interest in addition to outstanding fall color.  The Acer japonicum ‘Aconitifolium’ (Fullmoon maple) — just 8-10 feet in stature, can fit easily most anywhere.  This and other maples sport foliage that turns a brilliant array of intense colors in fall — from red-brown, to striking red, to brilliant scarlet to purple.

Shrubs.  Shrubs fill in the important middle layer, and there are outstanding choices to use in groupings or as specimens.  Some of the most colorful for fall foliage are:  (1) Chionanthus virginicus (White Fringetree), a native multi-stemmed small tree or large shrub that glows a vivid yellow in the fall; (2) Hamamelis x intermedia (a hybrid Witchhazel) with varieties producing winter flowers in yellow, copper or red, after an outstanding fall foliage display in orange and red; and (3) Fothergilla gardenii (Dwarf Fothergilla), a nicely compact native shrub with leaves that glow brilliantly for several weeks in the fall, capping off multi-season interest by its rich corrugated summer leaves and prolific ‘bottle-brush’ white flowers in early summer.

Fothergilla gardenii ‘Mt. Airy’

Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Jelena’ (Witchhazel)

Chionanthus virginicus (White Fringetree)

Ajania pacifica

Amsonia hubrichtii

Perennials.  There are many perennials that provide interest into the fall — primarily with late year blossoms.  One of the latest flowering perennials is Ajania pacifica (Gold-and-Silver Chrysanthemum) that flowers through November.  While its foliage does not produce fall color, this perennial provides interest from spring through fall (and often through winter) with attractive variegated foliage (stem and underleaf is bright white/silver), and leaf edge is white/silver).  An outstanding perennial for fall foliage is the Amsonia hubrichtii (Arkansas Bluestar), a large, nearly shrub-sized perennial that glows a brilliant golden yellow well into fall.  This plant is also a star in spring when it displays panicles of tiny sky-blue flowers (‘blue-star’), and through the summer its soft willow-like mid-green leaves, reminiscent of asparagus fern, provide an excellent contrast to surrounding broadleaf plants.

All photos by Connie Bowers taken of plants she installed

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SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES – SOIL TEST AND COMPOST: One important step is to get a soil test, which can in part tell you if you may have over fertilized your property, give you soil pH, and identify the kinds of bacteria and fungi (microorganisms, which are necessary for healthy gardens, lawns, and trees) are present in your soil.  The soil test can tell you if adjustments are necessary to improve your soil.  You can improve your soil by working good compost into your gardens to encourage microbial activity.  It is most satisfying to recycle your own garden debris and make your own compost.  After you’ve reworked your soil, you should retest it periodically to monitor how the soil health has improved and if further adjustments are needed.  In this way, you will naturally improve your gardens, which not only helps you, but benefits the environment.

SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES – NATIVE PLANTS.  Conceptually, people generally like the idea of using plants native to our area.  Native plants that thrive in the region have adapted to the peculiar local growing conditions and do not need the extra water and nutrients required by non-natives.  Their natural resistance to insects and disease makes them a true asset to your garden.  A variety of native species in your garden will attract a diversity of beneficial insects to promote the health of all of your plants.  They also provide food and shelter for birds, butterflies, and other wildlife.  Every plant is ‘native’ to somewhere;  your goal should be to use plants native to the general region, and there are guides available to identify plants native to Maryland that thrive in various soil and light conditions.  While many native plants are naturalistic in form, such as those in woodlands and meadows, there are a variety of types.  Make it a point to strive to incorporate natives into your landscape as you add new plantings.

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