Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Sets the autumn garden alight — white bracts — white bracts flowers and cold-hardy to zone 5.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
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Washington, D.C. · Zone 7
Native Plants for Fall Color in Washington, D.C.
Native trees, shrubs, and grasses that set the autumn garden alight with red, orange, copper, and gold. Every species here is genuinely native to Washington, D.C. and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zone 7 — proven performers for Washington, D.C.'s humid, four-season climate across Northern Piedmont & Potomac fall line, not a generic list. Local standouts include Flowering Dogwood and Eastern Redbud. The natives behind New England's famous foliage will do the same work in your yard, and the show lasts far longer than the flowers did. Sugars trapped in the leaves on cool, sunny fall days drive the brightest color, so plant these in full sun for the most intense display. Pair fiery shrubs with the copper and amber of warm-season grasses for a season finale that rivals any flower bed.
The plants
15 native species for Washington, D.C.
Each one native to your region and hardy in zone 7 · see this collection in other states.
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Turns rose-magenta in fall, long after the flowers are gone; for clay, rocky, and loam ground and 15–25 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Sets the autumn garden alight — creamy white — good through zone 8 and reaching 6–10 ft.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
Lights up in autumn, white cones, for a long late-season show, happy in loam soil and white cones flowers.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Fall color that lasts — white spring lace, for clay and loam ground and 15–25 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Lights up in autumn, cotton-candy pink, for a long late-season show, spreading 2–3 ft and cotton-candy pink flowers.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Lights up in autumn, chartreuse-gold, for a long late-season show, reaching 6–12 ft and cold-hardy to zone 4.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Fall color that lasts — white to pink, 5–10 ft wide and good through zone 7.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Turns inconspicuous green in fall, long after the flowers are gone; good through zone 9 and spreading 10–20 ft.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Fall color that lasts — yellow catkins, good through zone 9 and happy in sand, clay, rocky, and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Lights up in autumn, blue-green to copper, for a long late-season show, spreading 1.5–2 ft and for sand, clay, rocky, and loam ground.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Sets the autumn garden alight — bronze-purple seed heads — 2–3 ft wide and hardy in zones 3–9.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Turns airy pink-gold panicles in fall, long after the flowers are gone; for sand, clay, and loam ground and hardy in zones 4–9.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Sets the autumn garden alight — fine emerald to amber — 2–3 ft tall and 2–3 ft wide.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Fall color that lasts — bronze-gold plumes, happy in sand, clay, and loam soil and hardy in zones 4–9.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Washington, D.C.
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.