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40 Best Fall Flowers to Brighten Up Your Garden With Warm Hues
These colorful perennials and annuals bloom in autumn, and may last until winter.
By Abigail Bailey and Katarina Avendaño Updated: Jul 17, 2023 3:57 PM EST
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While fall isn’t known for its lush, colorful fields of flowers, it absolutely should be! Autumn is a great season for annuals, low-maintenance perennials and evergreen shrubs to shine. In fact, some of the most popular flowers, like colorful mums, roses, dahlias, purple pansies and yes, even bright yellow sunflowers, all bloom around September and October. We’ve rounded up the best fall flowers that bloom in mid-summer and continue into late autumn, with some remaining in bloom until the first hard frost.
If you’re a beginner gardener and aren’t familiar with the terms and timeframes, we’re here to share each flower and how to plant a fall garden. We also recommend reviewing the USDA’s Plant Hardiness Zones, which provide helpful information on what and when to plant based on where you live. Depending on your zone, there might be different planting times and overwintering recommendations. Be sure to check each autumn plant’s sun and water needs, but you likely want to start planning late spring or early summer to ensure your plant has time to establish roots before the first frost. And, don’t forget to consider fall flowers that attract bees and other pollinators.
So, roll up those sleeves, throw on some gardening gloves and gather your pruning shears and watering cans! With a little preparation and guidance, it’s time to plant your outdoor fall flowers — most of which make for beautiful autumn flower bouquets and arrangements.
Marigold
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Brassy and warm marigolds are easy to grow and popular since they’re in bloom for most of the season. They like full sun and can withstand hot summers, so they’re a good option if you live in an area where scorching summers can extend into the fall (looking at you, Texas).
Violas
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These perennials bloom in the summer and return in the fall to add purple pops to your warm-toned garden. They’re fast-growing and the flowers are edible, too. Violas like moist and acidic soil, so a peat-based potting mix or adding peat moss into their soil is best for them.
35 Best Fall Flowers and Plants for Autumn Interest
Enjoy a second wave of beauty with a bevy of fall blossoms and ornamental plants.
By Janece Maze and Arricca Elin SanSone Updated: Sep 11, 2023
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Fall is almost here, but that doesn’t mean consigning yourself to a bare garden. And while, yes, chrysanthemums, those ever-popular fall-blooming flowers, are on our list, there are so many more ways to plan for an autumn show.
To start, many summer bloomers extend their bounty into the early fall season—and even through first frost—such as gomphrena, petunias, dahlias, celosia, and marigolds. Fall-blooming perennials, like goldenrod and autumn joy sedum, add to the mix and will come back year after year to boot (just make sure any perennial you choose can withstand winters in your USDA Hardiness Zone).
Once temperatures begin to cool off, it’s time to plant cool-weather lovers for an annual show: sweet alyssum, snapdragons, and pansies (yes, these early spring flowers also bloom well in the fall). We can look beyond flowers for seasonal interest this time of year too. Ornamental grasses, cabbages, and kale catch the eye, while shrubs like chokeberry, sweetspire, and red twig dogwood provide an understory of colorful foliage to complement beautiful fall trees.
Take note: just because summer has passed doesn’t mean you can skip out on paying close attention to your plant’s watering needs. Fall can still bring some hot, dry days that can be hard on plants if you haven’t had enough rain. If you’ve purchased fall flowers for pots, keep in mind that container plants dry out much faster than those in the ground.
Are you still searching for ways to maximize your garden efforts? Consider investing in some evergreen shrubs to plant this fall (you’ll thank us come wintertime). And, while you’ve got your hands in the dirt, fall is also the ideal time to plant many spring-blooming bulbs, which will give you a jump on the next year’s growing season.
Now, for our favorite fall flowers and plants to add interest to autumn gardens.
Japanese Anemone
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This beautiful perennial blooms for weeks from late summer to fall. It comes in many shades from white to hot pink and slowly spreads via underground rhizomes.
Varieties to try: Fall in Love Sweetly, Curtain Call Deep Rose
Sweet Alyssum
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Sweet Alyssum has dainty pink or white flowers that look beautiful tumbling over the edges of containers or spilling over walls. Despite its delicate appearance, it’s actually quite hardy and will tolerate a few light touches of frost.
Varieties to try: Snow Princess, Dark Knight
Goldenrod
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This clump-forming perennial will add a bit of brightness and sunshine to any yard. They’re easy to grow and are a great source of late-season nectar for bees and butterflies.
Varieties to try: Blue-stemmed, Goldrush
