Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Turns white bracts in fall, long after the flowers are gone; happy in loam soil and white bracts flowers.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
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- Mississippi
- Fall color
Mississippi · Zones 7–9
Native Plants for Fall Color in Mississippi
Native trees, shrubs, and grasses that set the autumn garden alight with red, orange, copper, and gold. Every species here is genuinely native to Mississippi and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 7–9 — proven performers for Mississippi's hot, humid subtropical climate across Gulf Coastal Plain & Black Belt prairie, not a generic list. Local standouts include Flowering Dogwood and Arrowwood Viburnum. 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 Mississippi
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 7–9 · see this collection in other states.
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Sets the autumn garden alight — creamy white — spreading 6–10 ft and for clay and loam ground.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Fall color that lasts — white spring lace, cold-hardy to zone 3 and 10–20 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Lights up in autumn, rose-magenta, for a long late-season show, for clay, rocky, and loam ground and spreading 15–25 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
Lights up in autumn, white cones, for a long late-season show, hardy in zones 5–9 and 4–8 ft wide.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Lights up in autumn, cotton-candy pink, for a long late-season show, happy in sand, rocky, and loam soil and cotton-candy pink flowers.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Fall color that lasts — white to pink, reaching 5–10 ft and 5–10 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Sets the autumn garden alight — yellow catkins — 2–6 ft tall and 5–10 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Fall color that lasts — chartreuse-gold, 6–12 ft tall and chartreuse-gold flowers.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Fall color that lasts — inconspicuous green, 10–20 ft wide and inconspicuous green flowers.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Lights up in autumn, bronze-purple seed heads, for a long late-season show, for sand, clay, and loam ground and 2–3 ft wide.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Sets the autumn garden alight — blue-green to copper — spreading 1.5–2 ft and happy in sand, clay, rocky, and loam soil.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Fall color that lasts — bronze-gold plumes, good through zone 9 and spreading 2–3 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Fall color that lasts — airy pink-gold panicles, happy in sand, clay, and loam soil and spreading 2–3 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Mississippi
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.