Well, as the trees are just passing their full fall splendor here in north east PA it’s easy to forget that fall foliage color is also a feature of some excellent perennials. One of the best for fall color is one of the bluestars, a US native from just two states (Oklahoma and Arkansas), Amsonia hubrichtii.

Its common name comes from its summer starry blue flowers, rather like those of the Vinca (periwinkle) to which it’s related. But its chief glory is about now when the whole mass of slender foliage turns bright and buttery yellow. With Physocarpus ‘Coppertina’, which looks to be the best of many recent new shrub introductions and whose foliage turns bronzy purple in the fall, the amsonia would make a great picture. Add a ruby, rusty or coppery Korean chrysanthemum like ‘Ruby Raynor’ or ‘Lucy Simpson’ or ‘Paul Boissier’ and you’ll have a combination that’s more than a match for the fall lcolor in the trees all around.