Top ten fall favorites - Part two

Monkshood (Aconitum nepellus) is a dark purple beauty with a deadly secret. It contains several poisonous compounds, including enough cardiac poison that it was used on spears and arrows for hunting and battle in ancient times. The flowers are helmet-shaped on three-foot tall plants. It’s also known as Wolf’s Bane.

Ornamental grass is one group of plants I still don’t have enough of. They bring spectacular grace, movement and beauty to the autumn garden. The rustling sound they make in the breeze is as soothing as wind chimes, they’re low maintenance, hardy, and provide four seasons of interest with their decorative seed heads, which are also great for dried flower arrangements. See why I want more?

One of the most recent acquisitions for my garden is Miscanthus sinensis 'Strictus' with an upright growth habit and bright green leaves that have very showy horizontal gold bands.

Rudbeckia, also known as brown-eyed susan, can be found naturalized along roadsides. There are many different cultivars including ‘Goldsturm’, perennial plant of the year in 1999. Recognized as one of the best border perennials available, the plants make bushy, upright clumps with a profuse display of brown-eyed, golden-orange daisies from midsummer through the fall. They’re great for cutting, attract butterflies, and are a terrific choice for mass planting, combining especially well with the ornamental grasses. The seedheads also have good winter interest.

I fell in love with Sweet Autumn Clematis many years ago during a trip to Georgia when I was able to drink in the potent perfume of this vine in full bloom. A very late blooming clematis, this rambunctious vine will drape a wall or fence for a good 20-feet from its base. Tiny, white, star-shaped flowers blanket the foliage from late summer into October.

A colony of Staghorn sumac is a striking addition to the autumn landscape. The shrubs have a spreading, open form with compound, alternate leaves that turn a beautiful scarlet red in the fall. The flower cones are interesting too and although I’ve never tried to do it - these can be collected, soaked and washed in cold water, strained, sweetened and made into a pink lemonade.

Last year I added a cutleaf Staghorn sumac to my property and am hoping it will form a colony. Another attribute of this plant is its ability to grow in dry, poor soil.