PLANTS WE LOVE

Fall's gold

- MEGHAN SHINN

PLANTS WITH LEAVES that turn shades of gold in the fall are treasures for the garden. They contrast beautifully with perennials that bloom late in purple, like many asters, and they provide the perfect foliar echo for late summer and autumn's yellow flowers, like goldenrods and black-eyed Susans. The reds, purples and bronzes of ornamental grasses also find a welcome backdrop in golden deciduous leaves.

Here are five outstanding options for adding rich color to the autumn garden.

ARKANSAS BLUESTAR AMSONIA HUBRICHTII

This US-native perennial's alternative common name-threadleaf bluestar-refers to the width of its foliage, which lines the plant's upright stems so densely it resembles a puffy cloud. After its blue spring flowers fade, the fine leaf texture makes it attractive throughout summer, but this plant becomes truly stunning in autumn, when the leaves turn golden yellow. The plant is very effective massed and mixed with coneflowers, black-eyed-Susans and asters.

Habit: Herbaceous perennial growing to three feet tall and two to three feet wide, with an upright, bushy shape.

Origins: Rocky slopes and dry creek banks in eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas.

How to grow it: Arkansas bluestar grows best in full sun and average to dry soil. It will tolerate part shade, but the fall color is best with more sun. It can be slow its first year in the garden, but it will take off in its second year. USDA Zones 5 to 9.

GOLDEN SPIRIT SMOKEBUSH

COTINUS COGGYGRIA 'ANCOT'