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Homes & Gardens published a guide to nine plants that can offer more visual interest in fall than in summer, including Arkansas bluestar, ornamental grasses and red chokeberry. The report draws on recommendations from landscape designers and gardeners; plant performance depends on growing conditions and local climate.
Homes & Gardens has published a guide to nine plants that can bring stronger visual interest to gardens in fall than in summer, highlighting autumn foliage, ornamental grass plumes, late blooms and berries. The recommendations, including Arkansas bluestar and red chokeberry, are based on advice from landscape designers and professional gardeners, and offer readers ideas for extending a garden’s seasonal display.
The guide focuses on plants whose appearance changes as the growing season advances. New York-based landscape designer Kat Aul Cervoni, founder of Staghorn Living, recommends Arkansas bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii) for its fine foliage, which turns golden yellow with orange and red tones in fall. The perennial also produces small pale-blue flowers in spring and summer, according to the report.
Cervoni also recommends Korean feather reed grass (Calamagrostis brachytricha), whose fluffy plumes mature into silvery-tan shades, and red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia), a shrub with fall foliage and glossy red berries. The report says chokeberry fruit can remain on branches into winter and can provide food for songbirds.
Other plants named in the article include pink muhly grass, whose plumes appear in late summer and continue through fall, as well as six additional selections. The supplied source excerpt ends partway through its section on muhly grass, so it does not include the full descriptions or expert comments for all nine plants. The article frames the list as gardening advice, not as a comparative trial measuring which plants perform best.
Extending Color Into Autumn
The recommendations address a common planning challenge: many summer flowers fade as temperatures cool, but gardens can retain interest through foliage, seedheads, berries and ornamental grasses. Choosing plants with different seasonal strengths can help gardeners avoid relying only on summer blooms and give borders texture and color later in the year.
The selections also show that fall interest can serve more than an ornamental purpose. The report describes red chokeberry as a source of berries for songbirds, while grasses can add movement and structure. Those benefits are conditional: results depend on suitable light, soil, moisture and climate, and the guide does not establish that every plant will thrive in every region.
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How the Plant List Was Compiled
The source is a Homes & Gardens gardening article that presents plants recommended by landscape designers and professional gardeners for fall seasonal interest. It describes several kinds of appeal rather than using a single measure: Arkansas bluestar is valued for changing foliage, Korean feather reed grass for mature plumes, red chokeberry for foliage and fruit, and muhly grass for pink plumes.
The excerpt gives some practical growing details. It says Arkansas bluestar grows in full sun or partial shade and identifies zones 5–8 for one named cultivar. Korean feather reed grass is listed for zones 4–9. Red chokeberry is described as preferring wet soil and requiring space for its mature size. Pink muhly grass is described as suited to full sun and well-drained soil. These details come from the source and should be checked against local growing conditions before planting.
“The fall foliage will knock your socks off.”
— Kat Aul Cervoni, founder of Staghorn Living
Local Growing Conditions Matter
The source excerpt does not show the full list of nine plants or all of the growing guidance and expert remarks, because it cuts off during the muhly grass section. The complete selection and descriptions cannot be verified from the supplied material alone. The report also does not provide a publication date, trial data or a direct comparison establishing that these plants universally look better in fall than in summer.
Plant hardiness, mature size and seasonal color can vary with climate, cultivar and care. The supplied guidance includes hardiness zones for some selections but not all, and it does not set out region-by-region advice. Readers should check local extension services or other reliable regional gardening sources before choosing plants.
Check Plants Before Planting
The article offers a starting point for fall garden planning, rather than announcing a new horticultural finding or product. Gardeners can compare the listed plants with their site’s sunlight, soil moisture, available space and local hardiness zone, then confirm the complete nine-plant list and any region-specific guidance in the original Homes & Gardens report or with local gardening experts.
For the plants described in the excerpt, the expected seasonal features arrive at different times: Arkansas bluestar develops fall color, Korean feather reed grass matures its plumes, red chokeberry carries foliage and berries, and pink muhly grass produces plumes from late summer into fall. The source does not give a timetable for the other selections or identify any later update.
Key Questions
What is the news in this report?
Homes & Gardens published a gardening guide recommending nine plants for fall interest, including species valued for foliage, grass plumes, flowers and berries.
Which plants are identified in the supplied excerpt?
The excerpt names Arkansas bluestar, Korean feather reed grass, red chokeberry and pink muhly grass. It says the guide covers nine plants, but the supplied text cuts off before the remaining descriptions.
Why does red chokeberry stand out in fall?
Landscape designer Kat Aul Cervoni says its foliage turns red and its branches carry glossy red berries. The report says the berries can persist into winter and provide food for songbirds.
Will these plants work in every garden?
No. Suitability depends on local climate, sunlight, soil and moisture. The source provides hardiness-zone details for some plants, but not a complete region-by-region assessment, so gardeners should verify local requirements before planting.
Source: homesandgardens.com
