Going Against the Green

There are many plants that add interest to the fall garden by going beyond simply flowering. These grow well in the Orange County area, say Ron Vanderhoff, manager of Flowerdale Nursery in Santa Ana, Laguna Beach landscape architect Ann Christoph and Dana Point landscape designer Jeff Garton.

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Trees, shrubs and vines with fall color

Boston ivy ( Parthenocissus tricuspidata ) ‘Veitchii’

California sycamore (Platanus racemosa)

Chinese flame tree (Koelreuteria bipinnata)

Chinese pistache (Pistacia chinensis)

Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)

Doublefile viburnum (Viburnum plicatum) ‘Mariesii’

European white birch (Betula pendula)

Heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica) ‘Wood’s Dwarf,’ ‘Nana Purpurea,’ ‘Gulf Stream,’ ‘Harbour Dwarf’

Japanese maple (Acer palmatum)

Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki)

Liquidambar (Liquidambar styraciflua) ‘Burgundy,’ ‘Festival,’ ‘Palo Alto,’ ‘Rotundiloba’

Maidenhair tree (Gingko biloba) ‘Autumn Gold’

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Plants with seed heads and pods

Agave species

Blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens)

California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum)

Deodar cedar (Cedrus deodara)

Fountain grass ( Pennisetum rubrum ): red or purple

Giant feather grass (Stipa gigantea)

Maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis) ‘Gracillimus’

Money plant (Lunaria Annua)

Yarrow (Achillea filipendulina; A. millefolium)

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Plants that produce berries or fruit

California pepper tree (Schinus molle)

Chinaberry tree (Melia azedarach)

Christmas berry bush (Heteromeles arbutifolia)

English holly (Iliex aquifolium)

Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki)

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)

Mahonia

Natal plum (Carissa macrocarpa)

Night jessamine (Cestrum nocturnum)

Pomegranate (Punica granatum)

Pyracantha (Pyracantha crenatoserrata ) ‘Cherri Berri’: staked

Rhaphiolepis

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Ornamental bark or stems

African sumac (Rhus lancea)

Cajuput tree (Melaleuca quinquenervia)

California sycamore (Platanus racemosa)

Chilean blueberry (Luma apiculata)

Compact strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo ‘Compacta’)

Corokia (Corokia cotoneaster)

European white birch (Betula pendula)

Evergreen elm (Ulmus sempervirens)

Gum myrtle (Angophora costata)

Ironbark eucalyptus (Eucalyptus sideroxylon) : red or pink

Lemon-scented gum eucalyptus (Eucalyptus citriodora)

Pink crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica ) ‘Rosea’

Pittosporum (Pittosporum tenuifolium)

Strawberry madrone (Arbutus ) ‘Marina’

White Ironbark eucalyptus (Eucalyptus leucoxylon)

Julie Bawden-Davis

Julie Bawden-Davis is a bestselling journalist, blogger, speaker and novelist. Widely published, she has written 25 books and more than 4,000 articles for a wide variety of national and international publications. For many years, Julie was a columnist with the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle and Parade.com. In nonfiction, Julie specializes in home and garden, small business, personal finance, food, health and fitness, inspirational profiles and memoirs. She is founder and publisher of HealthyHouseplants.com and the YouTube channel Healthy Houseplants. Julie is also a prolific novelist who has penned two fiction series.