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