Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Lights up in autumn, white bracts, for a long late-season show, 15–25 ft tall and cold-hardy to zone 5.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
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- Massachusetts
- Fall color
Massachusetts · Zones 5–7
Native Plants for Fall Color in Massachusetts
Native trees, shrubs, and grasses that set the autumn garden alight with red, orange, copper, and gold. For Massachusetts, the right natives are shaped by Northeastern Coastal Forest & Cape and a cool, humid continental climate. Every species below, from Flowering Dogwood and Arrowwood Viburnum to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Massachusetts and the wider flora of the Northeast and hardy through zones 5–7. 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
13 native species for Massachusetts
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Sets the autumn garden alight — creamy white — 6–10 ft tall and happy in clay and loam soil.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Sets the autumn garden alight — rose-magenta — 20–30 ft tall and rose-magenta flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Turns white spring lace in fall, long after the flowers are gone; 10–20 ft wide and reaching 15–25 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Lights up in autumn, white to pink, for a long late-season show, 5–10 ft wide and white to pink flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Lights up in autumn, inconspicuous green, for a long late-season show, happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil and inconspicuous green flowers.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Sets the autumn garden alight — chartreuse-gold — 6–12 ft wide and cold-hardy to zone 4.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Sets the autumn garden alight — yellow catkins — yellow catkins flowers and good through zone 9.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Fall color that lasts — blue-green to copper, hardy in zones 3–9 and spreading 1.5–2 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Fall color that lasts — bronze-purple seed heads, 4–7 ft tall and good through zone 9.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Lights up in autumn, airy pink-gold panicles, for a long late-season show, for sand, clay, and loam ground and good through zone 9.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Turns bronze-gold plumes in fall, long after the flowers are gone; spreading 2–3 ft and hardy in zones 4–9.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Fall color that lasts — fine emerald to amber, 2–3 ft tall and 2–3 ft wide.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Massachusetts
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.