Late Fall Landscaping: Best Trees, Shrubs, and Perennials

As the temperatures drop and the days grow shorter, many gardeners assume their planting season has come to an end. However, late fall is an excellent time to prepare your landscape for winter and set the stage for a vibrant spring garden.

Cold-hardy trees, shrubs, and even some perennials thrive when planted in the cool soil of autumn, giving them a head start before the ground freezes. In this post, we’ll explore the best trees and shrubs to plant in late fall, ensuring your garden is prepared for winter and set to bloom beautifully in the spring.

Best Trees to Plant for Late Fall Landscaping

Evergreen trees are a popular choice for late fall landscaping, providing year-round color and structure to any landscape. Varieties like blue spruce, white pine, and juniper are well-suited for cold climates and can establish strong root systems before winter arrives.

Planting these evergreens in the fall gives them time to acclimate, and they’ll be ready to offer privacy, windbreaks, and shade come spring. Additionally, once established, evergreens require little maintenance, making them an excellent long-term investment for your garden.

Deciduous Trees: Landscaping for Spring Growth

While many trees shed their leaves in fall, it’s still an ideal time to plant deciduous varieties like oaks, maples, and birches. These trees enter dormancy in the winter, which allows them to focus on developing their root systems.

Come spring, your newly planted trees will be ready to bloom, offering shade and vibrant foliage. Deciduous trees are also crucial for supporting local wildlife by providing food and shelter through their fruits, nuts, and branches.

Best Shrubs for Late Fall Landscaping

Shrubs are a festive way to get in the winter spirit, and as they can be planted later in the fall, now is a good time to consider possible shrub types you want in your landscaping. Winterberry hollies and boxwoods are classic favorites.

Winterberry Holly: Bright Berries for Cold Months

For a pop of color during the bleak winter months, consider planting winterberry holly. This deciduous shrub loses its leaves in late fall but produces vibrant red berries that remain all winter, creating visual interest in your garden and providing food for birds.

Winterberry holly is highly adaptable and thrives in colder climates, making it a perfect choice for late fall planting. Ensure it’s placed in well-draining soil with plenty of sunlight, and it will reward you with year-round beauty and resilience to harsh weather.

Boxwood: Year-Round Greenery

Boxwood shrubs are another excellent choice for late fall landscaping due to their hardy nature and versatility in the landscape. Known for their evergreen foliage, boxwoods can be shaped into hedges, topiaries, or left to grow naturally, offering structure and greenery even in the depths of winter.

Planting boxwoods in the fall allows them to develop strong roots while the temperatures are cool, which reduces transplant shock. Make sure to water them regularly in their first year, and you’ll have a low-maintenance shrub that looks great throughout every season.

Perennials to Consider for Late Fall Landscaping

While trees and shrubs provide structure to your landscape, perennials offer the opportunity to introduce texture, movement, and seasonal color, even in the coldest months. Late fall is the perfect time to plant hardy perennials that will thrive through winter and come back stronger in spring.

Ornamental Grasses: Texture and Movement

Ornamental grasses like feather reed grass and switchgrass add texture and movement to a winter landscape, making them a great addition in late fall. These hardy perennials can handle cold weather and establish quickly before the ground freezes.

With their tall, feathery plumes, ornamental grasses provide visual interest throughout the winter and shelter small wildlife. They are relatively low-maintenance and often require little more than occasional pruning to keep them looking their best.

Hellebores: Early Bloomers for Winter Color

If you’re looking for a perennial that can bloom even in the dead of winter, hellebores are an excellent choice. Sometimes called “Christmas roses,” hellebores produce delicate, cup-shaped flowers that can bloom from late winter into early spring.

They are hardy plants that thrive in shaded areas, making them perfect for adding color to areas of your garden that may seem dull during colder months. Planting hellebores in late fall ensures they’ll settle into the soil before winter hits, giving you a cheerful burst of color just when you need it most.