Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
Fall color that lasts — white cones, 4–8 ft wide and reaching 4–8 ft.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Tennessee · Zones 6–8
Native Plants for Fall Color in Tennessee
Native trees, shrubs, and grasses that set the autumn garden alight with red, orange, copper, and gold. For Tennessee, the right natives are shaped by Cumberland Plateau, Ridge & Valley, cedar glades and a humid, four-season climate. Every species below, from Oakleaf Hydrangea and Eastern Redbud to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Tennessee and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 6–8. 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 Tennessee
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–8 · see this collection in other states.
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Lights up in autumn, rose-magenta, for a long late-season show, happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil and reaching 20–30 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Lights up in autumn, cotton-candy pink, for a long late-season show, reaching 2–3 ft and good through zone 10.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Sets the autumn garden alight — white spring lace — for clay and loam ground and 10–20 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Lights up in autumn, creamy white, for a long late-season show, for clay and loam ground and creamy white flowers.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Lights up in autumn, white bracts, for a long late-season show, hardy in zones 5–9 and reaching 15–25 ft.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Turns chartreuse-gold in fall, long after the flowers are gone; good through zone 9 and reaching 6–12 ft.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Turns inconspicuous green in fall, long after the flowers are gone; 10–20 ft wide and cold-hardy to zone 3.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Fall color that lasts — yellow catkins, cold-hardy to zone 3 and spreading 5–10 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Lights up in autumn, white to pink, for a long late-season show, happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil and 5–10 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Turns bronze-purple seed heads in fall, long after the flowers are gone; spreading 2–3 ft and 4–7 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Fall color that lasts — blue-green to copper, spreading 1.5–2 ft and for sand, clay, rocky, and loam ground.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Lights up in autumn, fine emerald to amber, for a long late-season show, for sand, rocky, and loam ground and 2–3 ft wide.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Fall color that lasts — airy pink-gold panicles, happy in sand, clay, and loam soil and 2–3 ft wide.
- 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, spreading 2–3 ft and 4–7 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Tennessee
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.