Skip to main content

Creek Hill Nursery

17 West Main Street
Leola, PA 17540
888-565-0050
info@creekhillnursery.com

 
 
 
 
 
 

Finishing the Season

Autumn color extends the season visually which, in turn, extends the season financially. As customers ask about their choices, this trend has become more important. Businesses now seek perennials for commercial plantings, fall programs, landscape projects, and garden center sales. Many perennials showcase their best work in flower and foliage at this time.

Autumn bloom used to be considered a limitation—now it’s considered a strength.

Amsonia hubrechti
Foliage

Amsonia

This perennial has two seasons of interest. In the spring, it has a lightly blue star flower, but in the autumn the foliage turns a spectacular shade of gold. An important detail: only the hubrechtii species has this golden trait. Other Amsonia species stay green in the fall.
We sell 3 varieties in 21s and 72s
Anemones
Early Fall

Anemone

Shade is still an issue in autumn, so we recommend Anemones for their abundant blooms and long season of color under trees and alongside homes. Their long stems suit autumn cut flower gardens as well.
We sell 17 varieties in 21s and 50s
Asters
Late Fall

Aster

Garden Asters add color, primarily blues and purples, to the fall garden. 'Bluebird' has the lightest blue we sell, 'Pink Crush' has the most vibrant magenta, and 'Grape Crush' has the darkest purple. We also sell the three Wood varieties, well-known for their low carpet of color.
We sell 6 varieties in 21s and 72s
Ceratostigma
Foliage

Ceratostigma

This well-known groundcover has a less famous trait: bronze foliage in the fall. As the light blue blossoms start to trail off, the foliage turns color in preparation for the colder season. A good all-season underplanting that adds enhanced color around shrubs and trees as well as over bulb gardens.
We sell one variety in 21s and 72s
Chrysanthemums
Late Fall

Chrysanthemum

Among the last to bloom, these perennial Mums end the garden season with bright colors. They bush up better for retail presentation if you give them a pinch midway through their initial growth.
We sell 4 varieties in 21s and 72s
Echinaceas
Early Fall

Echinacea

Echinacea pretty much revitalized the market for autumn perennials at the retail level, especially 'Cheyenne Spirit' and some of the late-blooming Butterfly series. Their bright harvest colors and natural bloom time fit the décor season well.
We sell 46 varieties in 21s and 72s
Heleniums
Early Fall

Helenium

Helenium is one of the unsung heroes making the transition from summer to autumn. Established plants tolerate the heat, humidity, and dry spells found at the end of summer yet keep on blooming through early fall. Flowers stay firmly attached to their stems even if watering cycles are skipped. Very durable.
We sell 3 varieties in 21s and 72s
Heliopsis
Early Fall

Heliopsis

Another choice to move from late summer into early autumn is Heliopsis. It looks like a miniature Sunflower, or perhaps an over-achieving Coreopsis, but is covered heavily in blooms during the color drought of August. Native to the eastern half of North America, it doesn’t mind the conditions—even the clay soils.
We sell 2 varieties in 21s and 72s
Heucheras & Heucherellas
Foliage

Heuchera & Heucherella

A standout performer during the heart of autumn perennial sales, the genera is the staple of many shade programs. Foliage finishes quickly and stays in color for the full season. Some varieties even have maple-like leaves or harvest-style colors to complement harvest themes.
We sell 45 varieties of Heucheas and Heucherellas
Pennisetums
Foliage

Pennisetum

Although not a perennial, we do sell Pennisetum for the vase-like shape that enhances many, many perennial plantings and containers. Plumes are at their finest in autumn. Nothing else complements perennials quite so well.
We sell 4 varieties in 21s and 72s
Rudbeckias
Early Fall

Rudbeckia

Black-Eyed Susan is the backbone of many autumn programs, so we sell a wide variety. We have tall specimens like 'Herbstonne', mounded versions like 'American Gold Rush', and highly colorful selections such as 'Prairie Gold' and 'Cherry Brandy'. For purists there is the traditional 'Goldsturm', too.
We sell 11 varieties of Rudbeckias
Sedums
Early Fall

Sedum

Our collection of Upright Sedum adds variety beyond 'Autumn Joy'. Choices range from the variegated 'Autumn Charm' to the black stems of 'Matrona' to the bright magenta blooms of 'Neon'.
Read Review
Solidagos
Early Fall

Solidago

Practically an icon of autumn is 'Fireworks', the best of the Solidago varieties. Blooms are exactly as the name implies, with horizontal plumes of yellow sprays extending out from central points along the length of an arching stem.
We sell one variety in 21s and 72s
Tricyrtis
Early Fall

Tricyrtis

An exotic choice for autumn, Tricyrtis blooms about the same time as Anemone. It forms tall stands of stems, whorled with leaves and ending with a spray of highly-spotted, orchid-like flowers.
We sell 3 varieties in 21s and 50s
2023 Creek Hill Cover
For our cover, we selected Heucherella 'Pumpkin Spice' to represent Autumn Perennials. One of the innovative cultivars introduced by Walter's Gardens in 2022, this hybrid has the maple leaf shape of a Tiarella with the rich golden tones of Heuchera and an additional overlay of Tiarella veins of mahogany red. The villosa breeding from the Heuchera also means 'Pumpkin Spice' stays golden throughout the entire season with overwintering capabilities in the South. Like other Heucherellas, we find its performance is best in semi-shaded areas.
2023 Creek Hill Back Cover
New to the market and released by Emerald Coast is 'Butterscotch', an Amsonia that turns gold in the fall. That’s putting it mildly, however, as the hubrechtii basics in this cultivar move the quality bar up a notch: the gold is more vibrant, the foliage color lasts longer, the red stems are brighter and more consistent, and the plant is more vigorous. Yes, 'Butterscotch' is the same—it's just better. This significant improvement is the reason why we put it on the back cover of our catalog for 2023.
Shipping NowCART
SED Autumn Joy 50
55 Trays
GO
SED Abbeydore 50
51 Trays
GO
SED Neon 21
50 Trays
GO
ANE Robustissima 50
45 Trays
GO
ECH PowWow Wild Berry 72
45 Trays
GO
SED Vera Jameson 50
40 Trays
GO
HEU Sweet Tea 72
34 Trays
GO
RUD Indian Summer 50
31 Trays
GO
HEU Pumpkin Spice 72
30 Trays
GO
SED Autumn Joy 21
30 Trays
GO
AMS hubrichtii 72
28 Trays
GO
NIP nipponicum 72
27 Trays
GO
HEU Southern Comfort 72
26 Trays
GO
SED Matrona 50
26 Trays
GO
SED Autumn Charm 21
24 Trays
GO
SED Autumn Fire 50
23 Trays
GO
SED Vera Jameson 21
22 Trays
GO
AST Woods Blue 72
19 Trays
GO
SED Abbeydore 21
19 Trays
GO
AST Woods Pink 21
18 Trays
GO
AMS Butterscotch 72
16 Trays
GO
AST Woods Purple 72
15 Trays
GO
PEN Sky Rocket 72
13 Trays
GO
CAR Longwood Blue 72
12 Trays
GO
TRI Seiryu 50
11 Trays
GO
PEN Cherry Sparkler 72
11 Trays
GO
SED Autumn Charm 50
11 Trays
GO
SED Matrona 21
9 Trays
GO
ANE Frilly Knickers 50
8 Trays
GO
SED Neon 50
7 Trays
GO
CHR Brandywine Sunset 72
7 Trays
GO
HEU Carnival Peach Parfait 21
6 Trays
GO
AST Woods Pink 72
6 Trays
GO
ANE Spring Beauty White 50
5 Trays
GO
HEU Carnival Cinnamon Stick 21
5 Trays
GO
AST Woods Purple 21
5 Trays
GO
HEL Autumn Gold 72
5 Trays
GO
CAR Longwood Blue 21
3 Trays
GO
ANE Fantasy Jasmine 21
3 Trays
GO
ANE Elfin Swan 50
3 Trays
GO
HEU Carnival Peach Parfait 72
2 Trays
GO
SED Autumn Fire 21
2 Trays
GO
PEN Rubrum 72
2 Trays
GO
AMS Butterscotch 21
1 Trays
GO
PEN Sky Rocket 21
1 Trays
GO
RUD Little Goldstar 72
1 Trays
GO

More Articles

Four Solid Selections

Natives for Pollinators

As a North American native, Baptisia establishes itself in a variety of climates

The Baptisias

The ones that benefit the most.

Vernalization at Creek Hill