When choosing plants for a spectacular display of autumn colour the obvious choices are the Virginia Creeper , the Smokebush and the many varieties of Japanese Maple.
One plant that often get overlooked is the deciduous shrub Rhus typhina . It produces velvety fruit clusters and in autumn the leaves put on a brilliant show of red orange and yellow. In winter the bare branches take on the form of scimitar shaped deer antlers, hence its common name the ‘ Stag’s Horn Sumach’ . Its only drawback is that it does produce invasive suckers which can spread rapidly if they are not cut back when they first appear.
This photo shows the Rhus typhina latifolia which has particularly delicate foliage.