November in the Garden 2025

Fuchsia ‘Little Giant’

November is a time when garden plants often descend into subtlety. Without frost and long spells of dry sunny weather, the potential for spectacular foliage displays begin to diminish. There are some exceptions. The sweet gums (Liquidambar species), many deciduous viburnums and a few Chinese maples can continue to increase in intensity even through the foulest weather. Acer oliverianum (Oliver’s maple), with its brilliant pumpkin orange November foliage, comes to mind. These few late-colouring plants aside, we generally think of colourful berries for autumn interest. Still, there are a number of plants that naturally flower in November and these are worth considering a visit to the Botanical Garden.

Gardeners know witch hazels primarily as Asian plants that flower in mid-winter, but Hamamelis virginiana from the eastern U.S. (planted in the Carolinian Forest Garden) produces its spidery yellow flowers in autumn. This species is the witch hazel from which the tincture is extracted. Despite its flowering around Halloween, the name witch hazel has nothing to do with witches or the Occult. In Middle English, wiche means pliable, which is an apt description of the stems. Another Hamamelis relative, one grown primarily for its dazzling fall colour, is the Asian Disanthus cercidifolius (redbud hazel). Its tiny purple star-fish flowers are pretty, especially juxtaposed with the rich reds, oranges and purples of its turning leaves. However, the flowers are myiophilous (visited by flies), thus the fragrance is not to everyone’s taste.

A group of plants not normally associated with late flowering is the rhododendron family. Arbutus unedo (strawberry tree) is a bulky, small tree or large shrub with evergreen leaves and orange-red, strawberry-sized fruits. These take a year to develop fully, so they obligingly accompany this year’s open flowers to increase the appeal of the show. Look for strawberry trees throughout the upper reaches of the Asian section of the Alpine Garden (these are derived from seeds wild collected in Turkey) and outside the entrance to the Roseline Sturdy Amphitheatre. Arbutus unedo is native to the Mediterranean region and Ireland). The name is apparently attributed to Pliny, who said “unedo,” or “I eat one,” as the taste of the fruit was presumably less than inspiring to him.

Oxydendrum arboreum (sourwood) is another rhododendron relative and a proper tree, although notoriously slow to achieve those proportions. Its deciduous leaves tend to turn fire-engine red almost immediately after the long panicles of creamy white, pieris-like flowers have finished. Indeed, the grey-white fruits are persistent and continue to provide a visual contrast as the leaves intensify in colour. Sourwood is native to the eastern U.S. and can be found in quantity throughout the Carolinian Forest Garden. Another relative in that garden is Zenobia pulverulenta. This shrubby evergreen (or semi-evergreen) has neat, blue-bloomed leaves and beautiful, inflated white bells that smell of honey. Though normally a spring bloomer, the species is known to flower at almost any time of the year—including in November—in the Carolinian Forest Garden. Zenobia is named for the Queen of Palmyra, who ruled around AD 266. Pulverulenta means “markedly dusted with powder.”

In the Asian section of the Alpine Garden are numerous visual treats, including the surprisingly bright and cheery Hokkaido chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum yezoense. This ground-covering evergreen daisy is amazingly floriferous, at least until freezing weather settles in. Likewise, long-blooming evergreen shrubs in the African section such as Helichrysum trilineatum with its yellow button-like heads, and Eumorphia sericea subsp. robustior with its tiny white daisies, will continue until light levels and temperatures descend a little further.

Also holding on to the bitter end are our Magellanic fuchsias, including the white- to blush-pink-flowered Fuchsia magellanica Alba Group in the South American section, and in the front entrance plaza, Fuchsia magellanica and Fuchsia ‘Little Giant’. The California fuchsias, selections of Epilobium canum, are related to fuchsias (both are in the evening primrose family) and their showy orange red flowers are also visited by hummingbirds. The California fuchsias are mostly unsung heroes of the late summer and autumn garden, extending their season into November if temperatures play along. Fine examples can be seen in the Pacific Slope Garden, the Alpine Garden and at the southwest corner of the Garden Pavilion. Botanists speculate that in nearly all cases, fall-flowering plants are taking advantage of the lack of competition from other flowers in terms of attracting pollinators. And at this time of year, visitors to the garden can take advantage of reduced competition from other visitors for flower viewing.