October arrives at the Garden with gorgeous fall foliage in tow. Alongside the foliage that showcase beautiful color, many plants can be found in bloom throughout early fall. As you explore, keep a look out for some of these autumn stunners. 

New England aster (Symphotrictum nova-angliae)
Popular for good reason, New England aster is an important food source for the migrating monarch butterfly and a highly sought-after plant for bees and other pollinators. Asters can be found in fields, dry meadows, and grasslands across most of the United States. The flowers often range from deep purple to pink and occasionally can be found white.
Location(s): Garden of Inspiration, meadows and naturalistic spaces 

Bugbane (Actaea matsumurae cultivars)
A beautiful choice for any cottage garden, bugbane can grow up to four feet tall. Its flowers and deep green foliage act well as background, filler, or as a specimen plant. The many love-lived stalks of tiny white flowers are charming well into the fall and make an excellent last stand before the winter season arrives. Bugbane also makes beautiful cut flowers.
Location(s): Cottage and Lawn Gardens, Garden of Inspiration 

Toad lily (Tricyrtis hirta)
A fall blooming perennial for gardens with shade, toad lily are tough plants that have interesting, orchid-like flowers. Known for their unique flowers, toad lily is frequently found with spots and other interesting markings. The small flowers are lily-like, an inch in size, with six showy tepals and cluster in groups of two to three. 
Location(s): Lawn, Cottage, and Shade Gardens 

Doll’s eyes (Actaea pachypoda)
Found in woodlands and woodland edges, doll’s eyes are appropriately named after their eerie appearance. In the spring, the shaggy white flowers of the plant blossom but fade quickly. In autumn, the plant’s pea-sized berries appear, clustered on hot pink stems, and turn white once fruits mature. Each fruit has a dark spot, resembling the eye of a child’s doll.
Location(s): The Inner Park 

Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica)
Virginia sweetspire is a spreading shrub with a native range that extends across eastern North America. In the early summer, tiny white flowers cluster cylindrically on drooping stems. By fall, the flowers of sweetspire are gone and the dark green leaves turn brilliant shades of emerald, ruby red, and purple. The plant can be found near the Garden of Inspiration on either side of the entry to Pliny’s Allée, as well as other locations scattered about the Garden.
Location(s): The Ramble, and Lawn and Entry Gardens 

Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
American witch hazel is a deciduous, multi-stemmed woody shrub that grows prolifically in forests across eastern North America, as far west as Texas and Minnesota. In the fall, look for bright, wispy yellow flowers along this plant’s branches. You can see Hamamelis virginiana along Pliny’s Allee, throughout the Inner Park, and in The Ramble. Ozark witch hazel (H. vernalis), Chinese witch hazel (H. mollis), and several hybrid varieties are also present in The Ramble, all offering blooms or vibrant foliage.
Location(s): The Ramble and throughout the naturalistic areas 

Smoke bush (Cotinus coggygria)
Native to temperate regions of Asia and Europe, smoke bush, or smoke tree is a unique ornamental favorite for many gardeners. The shrub produces large, feathery flowers like puffs of smoke, and its leaves are also a great source of fall color. There are a number of smoke bush cultivars in the Garden including ‘Grace,’ ‘Young Lady,’ and ‘Purple Smoke.’ Come fall, the shrubs showcase fiery fall foliage, their leaves anywhere from red to a dark purple color. 
Location(s): The Ramble, Secret and Lawn Gardens, and Garden of Inspiration 

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)
An emblem of the Northeast, sugar maples grow commonly along roadsides. The trees feature deeply fissured, flaky bark, and extraordinary color in the fall. The maple’s leaves produce fiery reds, oranges, and yellows that herald the coming winter. Other than their benefits to humans, maple syrup being one, sugar maples provide food and shelter for a number of wildlife. 
Location(s): Throughout the Garden