Anise Hyssop looks spectacular in the perennial fall garden with its tall spikes of appealing lavender flowers and an aromatic anise-like scent. Hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, and pollinating insects all find this native flower irresistible and swarm the plant when it is in bloom. Anise Hyssop plants grow inches tall, and they have toothed muted green leaves.
The flower spikes, covered with hundreds of densely packed little tubular purple blooms, rise up above the foliage, announcing themselves to the world. Anise Hyssop is part of the mint family, but it doesn't have the same invasive tendencies as most mints. The flowers bloom for months, from late summer through fall.
This Hyssop is exceptionally low-maintenance and deer resistant. "Alabaster" has white flowers and light green foliage, "Blue Blazes" is a taller version with purple flowers, and "Black Adder" has reddish-violet blooms. A stunningly tall native flower, Joe Pye Weed is superb in the fall perennial garden.
It blooms from late summer through fall and produces massive, broad, slightly rounded clusters of dark purple or pink flowers . The bees, butterflies, and pollinating insects go crazy for Joe Pye Weed, and it is an important food source for many of them as they prepare to hibernate or migrate. Joe Pye plants grow up to 6-8 feet tall, making them an impressive garden addition that is sure to be appreciated by all who see them.
Joe Pye Weed is excellent as a background plant, centerpiece, or planted along pathways as a dramatic statement. It is rarely bothered by insects, pests, or disease, and deer generally avoid it. As if that isn't enough, this perennial smells like sweet vanilla. Pure white blooms of 'Whirlwind' Japanese anemone blend easily into any full-sun to part-shade spot in the garden. Each bloom measures 2 to 3 inches across and stands atop tall stems that make a great addition to fall bouquets. Anemone leaves appear in late spring, making them a perfect partner for spring bulbs because anemone leaves help hide dying bulb foliage.
Deer- and rabbit-resistant plants grow 36 to 48 inches tall by 24 to 36 inches wide. We usually associate Crocus blooms with spring, but here is a flower that brings some lovely crocus-like spirit to the fall garden! Autumn Crocuses aren't a real Crocus; they belong to the Colchicum/Lily family, while true Crocus flowers belong to the Iris family. However, these not-really-Crocus Autumn Crocus flowers are just as cheerful and wonderful as their spring-blooming look-a-likes. Autumn Crocus plants feature dark-green leaves that resemble tulip foliage. The flowers are wide, goblet-shaped, and light pink or purple, or white.
Autumn Crocus plants grow 8-14 inches tall and burst into bloom in early fall. Each flower bulb produces 1-10 stalks, and each stalk holds a single flower. The clumping growth makes it look like a flower bouquet emerging from the ground. The flower stalks appear after the leaves have died off, which can be confusing since it seems like the whole plant died. Japanese anemone starts blooming in late summer and goes straight through until frost. The paper-like blooms are white or pink with yellow stamens in the center, and they're known to attract butterflies.
This plant requires little maintenance once it's established, though some taller plants might need staking to prevent flopping. Plus, if you live in a cooler part of its growing zone, it can be helpful to add a layer of mulch prior to cold weather to keep the roots warm. Fall sedums bring strong multi-season interest to garden beds. Flowers shift colors as they develop from buds to open blooms.
Faded flower clusters also add color to winter scenery. Easy-growing sedum is rabbit resistant and a terrific pollinator plant, attracting butterflies and all kinds of bees. Drought tolerant plants grow 24 to 30 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide. The color show on Russian sage kicks off in midsummer when lavender-purple flowers open. After blossoms fade, a purple bract that holds each bloom remains well into October, giving this plant an apparent flower season that's months long.
'Rocketman' has strong, silvery stems that don't need staking. Russian sage is a drought-tolerant plant that grows best in full sun. Deer- and rabbit-resistant plants grow 30 to 36 inches tall and wide.
There are thousands of Begonia species, but sadly most are annuals for us in the United States. However, this one small species, the Hardy Begonia, is cold-tolerant, and it's an absolute wonder in the perennial fall garden. The leaves are olive-green and shaped like enormous wings , with red veins on the undersides.
Hardy Begonia flowers are dainty, pink four-petaled gems with bright yellow pom-pom stamens that stick out from the center. When in bloom, the flowers dangle from arching red stems just above the foliage. From the middle of summer well into fall, the flowers bloom continuously, adding a sweet delicacy to the garden. Hardy Begonias prefer partially shaded locations, and even when not in bloom, the large, winged foliage is quite attractive.
Fall is huge for decorating your outdoor space, and that includes plants and flowers. Bring bursts of orange, yellow and red, along with contrasting purple and white, to your flower bed. In spring, summer and fall, stretch creatively and pair hardy perennials with annuals like marigolds, zinnias, impatiens and lantana. These colorful beauties paint the autumn landscape in nearly any shade imaginable, from pastel tints to bold hues. Garden mums grow best in full sun with well-drained soil and work well in containers or beds.
To enjoy the longest show, choose mums with flower buds that are just beginning to crack open. To overwinter plants as perennials in colder zones, get mums into the ground as early as possible in fall. Fall showers are generally plentiful, but it's easy to deeply water plants if it doesn't rain at least an inch per week. Pests and disease problems also fade away in the fall. Plus, the late season is often bargain time at garden centers that are trying to sell the last of their inventory before winter.
Look for deals on spring-blooming bulbs, perennials, trees, and shrubs, which can all be planted in the fall, up until your area gets hit with a hard frost. And don't forget your lawn; cool-season turfgrass can be seeded this time of year, too. Get these plants in the ground in fall, and they'll reward you with gorgeous color in spring. Fall flower gardens can be spectacular with bold combinations of jewel-toned colors, including purple, rust, scarlet, and gold. To have an abundance of flowers in the fall, you need to do some planning early in the gardening season.
For fall flowers to thrive in your garden, plant them in the spring or early summer, so they have time to become established. Besides selecting plants that have a late bloom period, check their growing zones to be certain they will bloom in your area before frost hits. Your local nursery can offer advice if you are unsure.
Trouble-free and beautiful, Japanese toad lily opens exquisite orchid-like blooms in late summer through early fall. Flowers measure 1 inch across and feature a white or lavender background with deep purple dots. On mature plants, stems are literally covered with blossoms. Plants grow 24 to 36 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide. New England aster (Aster novae-angliae) is a beloved native plant that's an all-time fall favorite.
'Purple Dome' unfurls 1.5-inch blooms in shades of deep purple, but you can also find asters in a host of other colors. Look for asters with blossoms in neon or pastel pink, white, lavender and violet. Flowers beckon late-season pollinators, including bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Plants grow 18 to 24 inches tall and 24 to 36 inches wide. The blue mist shrub is often grown in the perennial garden and typically blooms in late summer or fall. It slowly opens its blossoms with dazzling flower clusters that butterflies and bumblebees love.
The blue mist shrub should be cut back in early spring to maintain its size and shape and to remove any dead or diseased portions. The plant blooms on new wood, and the gray-green foliage is attractive all season. Ornamental grasses steal the show in autumn, with eye-catching seedheads and blades that move in the wind. 'Prairie Fire' switchgrass forms sturdy, upright clumps that stand up to winter snows. Blue-green stems and wine-red leaves look great through the growing season.
Rosy-tinted flower heads appear in late summer and linger into winter. Switchgrass is a great plant for wildlife gardens, providing good winter cover for birds and insects. Plants grow 48 to 60 inches tall by 18 to 24 inches wide. For outstanding fall color, include easy-growing 'Fireworks' goldenrod (Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks') in your garden.
Low-maintenance and deer-resistant, goldenrod unfurls tiny, bright-yellow blooms on horizontal branches that add color from late summer well into fall. This is a super pollinator plant, attracting all kinds of bees, butterflies and beneficial insects. If you're an allergy sufferer, please note that goldenrod doesn't cause hayfever. Turn up the fall color with 'Red Jewel' helenium.
This native perennial tosses open blooms in shades of red and orange starting in midsummer and extending well into fall. Tuck helenium into rich soil that drains well, and cut plants back by half in spring to increase branching and bushiness. Flowers make a great addition to garden bouquets. Plants grow 30 to 36 inches tall by 18 to 24 inches wide. If you live where the ground freezes, look for more cold hardy varieties such as Cool Wave. Tall, resilient false indigo flowers in late spring through fall with thick stalks and spires of small, dark blue blooms.
If blue isn't your bag, check out hybrids in other colors, including yellow and pink. False indigo likes full sun but can deal with some shade in hardiness Zones 3 to 9. False indigo is drought tolerant, beckons bees and butterflies, and is unlikely to get nibbled by rabbits and deer. Tall Tickseed (C.tripteris), as the name suggests, is a remarkably large species, growing between 4-8 feet tall.
The flowers look like miniature sunflowers, with vivid yellow petals and a dark brown cone-shaped center. It is native to eastern North America and is hardy to zones 3-8. "Desert Red" produces deep-rose colored flowers in late summer, which contrast stunningly against the small bluish-green leaves.
After blooming, bright cherry-red seed heads form, which are just as attractive, if not more so, than the actual flowers. This variety is a vivid pop of color in an otherwise bland landscape. The foliage changes to a deep purplish-green in the fall, as well. Get some blue tones in your late-season garden with the blooms of azure monkshood .
Flowers appear on spikes, with each blossom resembling a helmet or hood. If the soil is consistently moist, this perennial can also thrive in full sun. Monkshood is an important food source for late season pollinators. Plants grow 18 to 24 inches tall by 12 to 18 inches wide.
We do all we can to extend the seasonal interest in our garden; really, we don't want the flowers ever to stop blooming! Plus, planting fall perennials is crucial to support our local butterfly, bee, and pollinator insect populations. Fall perennials are an essential element of every landscape design, but all too often we get caught up planting the same things years after year.
It's time to increase garden diversity and try some new phenomenal fall perennial plants. Joe Pye weed is a native plant that grows in erect clumps around 5 feet tall. It can make a wonderful backdrop to a garden border. In midsummer to early fall, tiny mauve blooms appear in round clusters or florets. Each plant has around five to seven of these florets, and the flowers give off a light vanilla scent.
To prevent the plants from becoming overgrown and flopping over, cut them back in the late winter. Goldenrod is one of the last flowers to bloom in the fall, with its bloom period generally stretching from August to October. There are more than 100 species in the goldenrod family.
The plants typically reach around 5 feet tall and display clusters of tiny yellow flowers at the tops of their stems when they are in bloom. Goldenrod is fairly low-maintenance and can be an aggressive spreader in the garden. So if you want to control its spread, remove the flower heads before they go to seed. For a flowering perennial that smells as nice as it looks, let Dianthus adorn your landscape. This flower family offers clusters of spunky spring-through-summer blooms in a range of hues, including pink, white, yellow, and red against blue-green leaves. Dianthus, a sun worshipper that thrives in well-draining soil in Zones 4 to 8, and is ideal in rock gardens, containers, and as borders.
