Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Turns white spring lace in fall, long after the flowers are gone; 15–25 ft tall and 10–20 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Louisiana · Zones 8–9
Native Plants for Fall Color in Louisiana
Native trees, shrubs, and grasses that set the autumn garden alight with red, orange, copper, and gold. For Louisiana, the right natives are shaped by Mississippi Delta & Gulf Coast Prairie and a hot, humid subtropical climate. Every species below, from Serviceberry and Pink Muhly Grass to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Louisiana and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 8–9. 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
14 native species for Louisiana
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 8–9 · see this collection in other states.
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Fall color that lasts — cotton-candy pink, hardy in zones 6–10 and cotton-candy pink flowers.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Lights up in autumn, creamy white, for a long late-season show, cold-hardy to zone 3 and for clay and loam ground.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Turns white bracts in fall, long after the flowers are gone; cold-hardy to zone 5 and spreading 15–25 ft.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Fall color that lasts — rose-magenta, good through zone 9 and rose-magenta flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
Fall color that lasts — white cones, cold-hardy to zone 5 and reaching 4–8 ft.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Fall color that lasts — inconspicuous green, spreading 10–20 ft and happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Turns chartreuse-gold in fall, long after the flowers are gone; for clay and loam ground and good through zone 9.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Fall color that lasts — yellow catkins, cold-hardy to zone 3 and reaching 2–6 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Fall color that lasts — airy pink-gold panicles, for sand, clay, and loam ground and 3–6 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Lights up in autumn, bronze-gold plumes, for a long late-season show, for sand, clay, and loam ground and good through zone 9.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Lights up in autumn, blue-green to copper, for a long late-season show, happy in sand, clay, rocky, and loam soil and 2–4 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Sets the autumn garden alight — fine emerald to amber — reaching 2–3 ft and spreading 2–3 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Turns bronze-purple seed heads in fall, long after the flowers are gone; 2–3 ft wide and for sand, clay, and loam ground.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Louisiana
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.