8 Flowers That Dazzle With Fall Color
From flaming orange to supersaturated purple, these blooming beauties will set your fall garden ablaze with vivid hues
Jenny Peterson
September 11, 2012
Houzz Contributor
Although springtime seems to own bragging rights to the most profusely blooming flowers, autumn is not far behind. Now that we're done with the scorching summer months, it's time to kick our fall gardens in gear by adding some dependable bloomers in autumnal tones, offset by brilliant blues and purples. Most of these flowering plants will work well in many areas of the country, but be sure to check with your local nursery professionals to choose the best varieties for your area.
Las Pilitas Nursery
Purple Sage
(Salvia spp)
The salvia genus offers a wide range of plants that feature those enviable purple fall blooms. This coloration makes it a perfect foil for more fall-hued plants, like rudbeckia and Red Hot Poker. Because there are a wide range of salvias with varying heights and sun requirements, be sure to check with your local nursery to make the best choice for your garden. Great varieties to consider are Salvia leucantha, Salvia farinacea and Salvia guaranitica.
USDA zones: 8 to 10; colder climates can use purple sage as an annual.
Water requirement: Average
Light requirement: Full sun to dappled shade
Mature size: 18 to 48 inches tall
Bloom time: Summer to fall
Planting tips: Plant in spring or fall and prune back after the first killing freeze.
(Salvia spp)
The salvia genus offers a wide range of plants that feature those enviable purple fall blooms. This coloration makes it a perfect foil for more fall-hued plants, like rudbeckia and Red Hot Poker. Because there are a wide range of salvias with varying heights and sun requirements, be sure to check with your local nursery to make the best choice for your garden. Great varieties to consider are Salvia leucantha, Salvia farinacea and Salvia guaranitica.
USDA zones: 8 to 10; colder climates can use purple sage as an annual.
Water requirement: Average
Light requirement: Full sun to dappled shade
Mature size: 18 to 48 inches tall
Bloom time: Summer to fall
Planting tips: Plant in spring or fall and prune back after the first killing freeze.
Black-Eyed Susan
(Rudbeckia hirta)
This staple in the summer-to-fall garden features sunny daisy-like blooms with dark centers on top of tall, coarse stems. Although it's attractive to birds, bees and butterflies, all parts of this plant are poisonous, so be aware of this if you have small children or pets that frequent your garden. Black-eyed Susans pair beautifully with mums, ornamental grasses and Autumn Joy sedum.
USDA zones: 5a to 10a
Water requirement: Average to low
Light requirement: Full to partial sun
Mature size: 3 feet tall
Bloom time: Summer to fall
Planting tips: Plant in spring or fall and remove spent blooms. Prune after the first killing freeze and mulch during the winter.
How to grow Black-eyed Susan (rudbeckia)
(Rudbeckia hirta)
This staple in the summer-to-fall garden features sunny daisy-like blooms with dark centers on top of tall, coarse stems. Although it's attractive to birds, bees and butterflies, all parts of this plant are poisonous, so be aware of this if you have small children or pets that frequent your garden. Black-eyed Susans pair beautifully with mums, ornamental grasses and Autumn Joy sedum.
USDA zones: 5a to 10a
Water requirement: Average to low
Light requirement: Full to partial sun
Mature size: 3 feet tall
Bloom time: Summer to fall
Planting tips: Plant in spring or fall and remove spent blooms. Prune after the first killing freeze and mulch during the winter.
How to grow Black-eyed Susan (rudbeckia)
Fall Aster
(Symphotrichum oblongifolium)
Asters are time-honored plants in the fall garden, and with their profusion of purple daisy-like blooms, it’s easy to see why. They are deer resistant and are attractive to bees, butterflies and birds. They also are a great companion plant for ornamental grasses and other flowering perennials, such as rudbeckia.
USDA zones: 4a to 9b
Water requirement: Average
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 2 to 3 feet tall
Bloom time: Late summer to fall
Planting tips: Plant in spring or fall, and pinch back growth regularly throughout the summer to encourage a tight-growing form.
(Symphotrichum oblongifolium)
Asters are time-honored plants in the fall garden, and with their profusion of purple daisy-like blooms, it’s easy to see why. They are deer resistant and are attractive to bees, butterflies and birds. They also are a great companion plant for ornamental grasses and other flowering perennials, such as rudbeckia.
USDA zones: 4a to 9b
Water requirement: Average
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 2 to 3 feet tall
Bloom time: Late summer to fall
Planting tips: Plant in spring or fall, and pinch back growth regularly throughout the summer to encourage a tight-growing form.
Terra Nova® Nurseries, Inc
Red Hot Poker
(Kniphofia spp)
This unusual plant features stunning red and yellow flower spikes atop slim green stems and leaves, creating a dramatic focal point in the fall perennial bed. Red Hot Poker is also very deer resistant, while at the same time being attractive to bees, butterflies and birds. Pair it with the blue or purple tones of Salvia leucantha or fall asters.
USDA zones: 6a to 10b
Water requirement: Low once established
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 3 feet tall
Bloom time: Late summer to fall
Planting tips: Plant in spring or fall and prune back after the first killing freeze.
More About Growing Red Hot Poker
(Kniphofia spp)
This unusual plant features stunning red and yellow flower spikes atop slim green stems and leaves, creating a dramatic focal point in the fall perennial bed. Red Hot Poker is also very deer resistant, while at the same time being attractive to bees, butterflies and birds. Pair it with the blue or purple tones of Salvia leucantha or fall asters.
USDA zones: 6a to 10b
Water requirement: Low once established
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 3 feet tall
Bloom time: Late summer to fall
Planting tips: Plant in spring or fall and prune back after the first killing freeze.
More About Growing Red Hot Poker
Chrysanthemum
(Chrysanthemum spp)
Nothing quite says “autumn” like mums, with their multipetaled flowers in shades of russet, cream, orange, yellow and pink. These mounding plants are perfect for edges of borders and beds as well as containers, and combine well with Black-eyed Susans, Mexican bush sage and fall asters.
USDA zones: 6 to 10
Water requirement: Average
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 3 feet tall
Bloom time: Fall
Planting tips: Plant in the fall. Mulch lightly over the winter.
(Chrysanthemum spp)
Nothing quite says “autumn” like mums, with their multipetaled flowers in shades of russet, cream, orange, yellow and pink. These mounding plants are perfect for edges of borders and beds as well as containers, and combine well with Black-eyed Susans, Mexican bush sage and fall asters.
USDA zones: 6 to 10
Water requirement: Average
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 3 feet tall
Bloom time: Fall
Planting tips: Plant in the fall. Mulch lightly over the winter.
Autumn Joy Sedum
(Sedum 'Autumn Joy')
Also called stonecrop, sedum comes from the succulent family of plants, so you already know it's low maintenance and drought tolerant. If you've never grown this plant before, you will be delighted with its fleshy leaves and broccoli-like blooms that start out green, changing to pink and finally bronze as they age. They will look spectacular when planted with other drought-tolerant plants, like succulents, ornamental grasses and flowering perennials.
USDA zones: 6 to 11
Water requirement: Low
Sun requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 2 feet tall
Bloom time: Late summer to fall
Planting tips: Plant in spring or fall and remove flower stalks when they are done blooming. New growth resembling tiny cabbages will emerge in the spring.
More about growing sedum
(Sedum 'Autumn Joy')
Also called stonecrop, sedum comes from the succulent family of plants, so you already know it's low maintenance and drought tolerant. If you've never grown this plant before, you will be delighted with its fleshy leaves and broccoli-like blooms that start out green, changing to pink and finally bronze as they age. They will look spectacular when planted with other drought-tolerant plants, like succulents, ornamental grasses and flowering perennials.
USDA zones: 6 to 11
Water requirement: Low
Sun requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 2 feet tall
Bloom time: Late summer to fall
Planting tips: Plant in spring or fall and remove flower stalks when they are done blooming. New growth resembling tiny cabbages will emerge in the spring.
More about growing sedum
Blanket Flower
(Gaillardia pulchella)
Blanket flower is a reseeding annual that features trustworthy blooms in shades of red, yellow and orange, making it a perfect addition to your fall-hued garden. Great for meadows and wildflower gardens as well as for perennial beds and borders, blanket flower pairs beautifully with ornamental grasses as well as rudbeckia and salvia.
USDA zones: As an annual, it will fare well in most all zones.
Water requirement: Average to low once established
Light requirement: Full to partial sun
Mature size: 18 to 36 inches tall
Bloom time: Summer to fall
Planting tips: Plant in spring or fall and let seeds fall to the ground when the plant is done blooming. Remove spent flower stalks after the first frost.
(Gaillardia pulchella)
Blanket flower is a reseeding annual that features trustworthy blooms in shades of red, yellow and orange, making it a perfect addition to your fall-hued garden. Great for meadows and wildflower gardens as well as for perennial beds and borders, blanket flower pairs beautifully with ornamental grasses as well as rudbeckia and salvia.
USDA zones: As an annual, it will fare well in most all zones.
Water requirement: Average to low once established
Light requirement: Full to partial sun
Mature size: 18 to 36 inches tall
Bloom time: Summer to fall
Planting tips: Plant in spring or fall and let seeds fall to the ground when the plant is done blooming. Remove spent flower stalks after the first frost.
Rose
(Rosa spp)
You only thought roses were just a springtime feature in your garden, but if you care for them properly, some of the repeat bloomers will give you a dazzling fall display as well. Pair them with ornamental grasses and other flowering perennials, like Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha).
USDA zones: 2 to 10, depending upon variety
Water requirement: Average, but may need supplemental water during extreme heat
Light requirement: Full to partial sun
Mature size: 2 to 4 feet and taller, depending on variety
Bloom time: Spring, summer and fall intermittently
Planting tips: Plant in late winter or early spring, and prune hard around Valentine's Day. To promote more fall blooms, fertilize with a rose fertilizer in the first part of September and again in October, and give the bushes a light trim in late summer.
(Rosa spp)
You only thought roses were just a springtime feature in your garden, but if you care for them properly, some of the repeat bloomers will give you a dazzling fall display as well. Pair them with ornamental grasses and other flowering perennials, like Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha).
USDA zones: 2 to 10, depending upon variety
Water requirement: Average, but may need supplemental water during extreme heat
Light requirement: Full to partial sun
Mature size: 2 to 4 feet and taller, depending on variety
Bloom time: Spring, summer and fall intermittently
Planting tips: Plant in late winter or early spring, and prune hard around Valentine's Day. To promote more fall blooms, fertilize with a rose fertilizer in the first part of September and again in October, and give the bushes a light trim in late summer.
Related Products
We design, build and renovate in the most exquisite of fashions. Our team of revolutionaries is dedicated to... Read More
Related Stories
Landscape Design
What Will We Want in Our Landscapes in 2024?
Discover seven trends that landscape designers predict homeowners will be bringing into their outdoor spaces this year
Full Story
Spring Gardening
8 Tips to Get Your Early-Spring Garden Ready for the Season
Find out how to salvage plants, when to cut back damaged branches, when to mulch and more
Full Story
Winter Gardening
How to Prune Your Fruit Trees in Winter
Garden chores may slow down this season, but pruning your fruit trees now means healthier plants that will produce more
Full Story
Winter Gardening
Get a Head Start on Planning Your Garden Even if It’s Snowing
Reviewing what you grew last year now will pay off when it’s time to head outside
Full Story
Landscape Design
Pros Share Their Top Plant Picks for a Low-Maintenance Yard
Landscape pros weigh in on the plants they’d use — and ones they’d avoid — to create an easy-care garden
Full Story
Landscape Design
10 Tips for Planting a Beautiful, Low-Maintenance Landscape
Landscape pros share their advice for planning a garden that’s easy to care for
Full Story
Gardening Guides
12 Gardening Ideas You Can Count as Resolutions
See how to set up your outdoor areas for more enjoyment next year and make them a bit more earth-friendly in the process
Full Story
Holidays
Last-Minute Ideas for Attractive Winter Container Designs
Create a welcoming holiday entryway with ideas from these 9 looks
Full Story
Winter Gardening
8 Tips for Keeping Your Houseplants Healthy in Winter
Reduce watering, stop fertilizing, move them into the light and more
Full Story
Fall Gardening
7 Reasons Not to Clean Up Your Fall Garden
Before you pluck and rake, consider wildlife, the health of your plants and your own right to relax
Full Story
Montauk daisies grow as big as shrubs and bloom in September-October here in NY. They survived a sub-zero winter and you just need to spray them with something to repel woodchucks, who like to nibble off all the buds.