When the crisp, cool days of autumn transform the garden into a fiesta of color, no shrub parties harder than fothergilla. In response to October’s increasingly frosty nights and shorter days, its matte blue-green foliage breaks out in jubilant tones of purple, gold, orange, and crimson, eventually culminating in an orange-red glow.

Fothergilla is no slouch in the flower department, either, although it blooms with big hitters like lilacs, flowering dogwoods, crabapples, azaleas, and wisterias and tends to get lost amidst the frenzy of high spring. The clover-like blossoms, perched atop slightly zigzagged stems, emerge greenish yellow, becoming white as they expand.

The nontraditional flowers feature male stamens and anthers instead of petals as the main attraction, though they’re certainly not lacking in charm. When backlit by the sun, the translucent blossoms capture the sunlight and channel it out through each threadlike stamen. On warm days the blooms give off the faint, sweet, sharp scent of honey.