Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) is gorgeous at all seasons, but its fall color is perhaps best of all. A few inner leaves are the first to show color; soon the whole plant will be ablaze.
Most dogwoods and viburnums turn various shades of dark red (this is flowering dogwood, Cornus florida). The colors are somewhat muted this year, but still quite lovely.
Some plants just don’t want to quit. This photo of Rudbeckia triloba, my favorite of the clan, was taken yesterday. It’s been in bloom since July, and its seeds won’t ripen for a while yet. I’ll know because the birds will start eating them.
Fruits of coralberry (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus) ripen late–they’ve just turned color. This is a low-growing, very adaptable shrub that I use to fill in my mixed tree-and-shrub islands. It does very well in shade. Coralberry is one of a number of woody plants that hold their bright-colored fruits all winter. Others include the hollies, such as winterberry (Ilex verticillata, with brilliant red berries) and inkberry (i. glabra, black berries).
naturesurrounds 