Last Updated on October 31, 2021 by Phil
One of the things I learned early on in gardening is that flowers in your garden will bloom at different times of the year. If you choose correctly, you’ll always have some color and character in your yard. If not, your garden can look bare during certain months. Here are the best flowers that bloom in fall to keep your garden beautiful after the popular spring and summer flowers have faded.
Flowers That Bloom in Fall
Aster
Asters along with chrysanthemums are the mainstays when it comes to fall flowers. Both wait until the days start becoming shorter than the nights.
As such, they don’t sync up with most flowers that come out during spring and summer. Instead, they wait until August to October to paint your garden with color.
Asters look like colorful daisies. Purple is their most popular color because it stands out. But, you’ll find these tall (1 to 6 feet high) beauties in white, pink and blue hues as well.
Autumn Crocus
The autumn crocus begins to show itself around September and October making it perfect if you want a fall garden.
They feature uniquely stunning blooms that are hard to miss. Although quite short (8 to 14 inches tall) in stature, their colors and form are unmistakable.
You can choose from yellow, white, pink and purple depending on the design of your garden.
They’re hardy to USDA zones 5 to 8 and enjoy slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil.
While they do enjoy full sun, they can likewise tolerate partial shade as well.
Begonia
Begonia come in many varieties. Many of them produce wonderful flowers. But, there are also those that are very unique looking foliage plants.
While the foliage begonias are beautiful to look at, we’ll focus more of those that blossom.
These are known for their stunning colors. While, they only grow to between 6 to 12 inches tall, nobody can miss them thanks to their bright hues.
Since there are begonias that bloom during the spring, summer and fall, do make sure to choose the ones that do in fall for your autumn garden.
They are hardy to USDA zones 7 to 11 and are low maintenance.
Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemums feature one of the most beautiful blooms you’ll find. They are members of the daisy family. And, they are commonly found in autumn gardens.
These perennials are perfect if you want something that’s fast growing and offers fairly good size. They grow to as big as 3 feet high with good sized blossoms.
In addition to their beautiful looks, they’re loved because of the color options available. Mums also start to flower when most of the summer flowers in your garden have faded.
They’ll typically bloom beginning mid to late September all the way to the middle of October. They’ll also do so during their first growing season.
This makes them a good choice if you want your garden to be filled with colors all year round.
Calendula
Calendula is also known as Pot Marigold. Although, they carry a similar common name, it is not related to the common marigold.
Instead, the calendula is a member of the same family the chrysanthemum is.
As such, you’ll notice its resemblance to both the daisy and chrysanthemum.
This lovely perennials is best known for its bright yellow or dark orange colors. Although, you’ll also find pink and cream colored varieties as well.
They bloom a bit earlier than mum. As such, they flowering periods overlap around mid point when the calendula is in its tail end while mums are just beginning to blossom for the season.
Petunia
Petunias are often found in contains and garden borders. They bloom more than the larger flowers above. This give you a different look to your backyard.
Petunias are well known for their trumpet-shaped flowers. But, you’ll need to take a closer look to notice because from afar, what you’ll see are clumps of lovely colorful flowers that cover their leaves.
One of the best things about the petunias you’ll find in stores today is that they’re all beautiful. The reason is that most of them are hybrids which are created specifically for their looks.
Do give them full sun and warm weather. They do best outdoors in USDA zones 10 and 11 as long as you provide them with moist, well draining, acidic soil.
Sedum
Sedum are somewhat different from the ones we’ve discussed in our list of flowers that bloom in fall. That’s because they don’t feature big, distinctive blossoms.
Instead, they feature smaller flowers that grow as a bunch. Thus, they feature a different look.
However, they’re just as beautiful. It all depends on what you’re looking for when designing your garden.
Do note that there many different sedum varieties. Each of them featuring different colors, shapes and sizes.
But, in addition to their beauty, they’re well loved because they’re very easy to care for. In fact, you don’t need to help them along much. They’re likewise drought tolerant and don’t mind rainy conditions. Their stems are also strong enough to withstand a few inches of snow.
Since they wait until fall to bloom, you can use them for your autumn garden or to fill your garden with lovely colors as the spring and summer blooms have faded.
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Japanese Anemone
In case you’re looking for something softer and less showy, consider the Japanese anemone.
These are fall blooming perennials that feature smaller blooms against a backdrop of dark green foliage.
Their flowers are about 2 inches in diameter. And, they enjoy USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 8.
Give them 4 to 6 hours of sunlight daily with moist well-draining soil for best results.
Balloon Flower
Balloon flowers get their names because they puff up when producing their star-shaped flowers.
This not only makes them unique but also their blooms as well.
However, they’re quite easy to care for.
Blue and violet are the most popular colors. But, you’ll see pink and white ones as well.
Sunflower
Everybody knows what sunflowers look like. They have a very bright, distinctive look to them.
And, their large blooms are very hard to miss. These are often between 3 to 6 inches in diameter. But, a lot of their size will depend on the kind of sunflower you get.
The biggest ones are the giants which can get to about 10 feet tall. While amazing, these are best for large plots otherwise they’ll overwhelm your garden.
So, when choosing sunflowers do pick the right one that fits the size of your garden.
Sunflowers are best know for their bright yellow colors. But there are red, mahogany and other dual colored sunflowers as well.
Celosia
Celosia are stunning additions to any garden because most people have never seen anything like them. Plus, their bright colors are instant attractions.
These flowers look like standing feather arrangements.
They bloom for 10 weeks during the fall or summer depending on which varieties you get.
Due to their looks, celosia are popular for cut flower arrangements. They also grow well in containers and require little maintenance.
That said, they do like warm weather and are hardy to zones 10 and 11.
Nasturtium
Nasturtium are worth considering if you find that your garden is lacking in color. Or, if you need something bright and bold.
Orange and yellow are the most noticeable ones. But, you can go with red, pink, purple and a host of other colors if you’re looking for complementary colors.
Nasturtiums need full sun and well-drained soil. They do best in zones 9 to 11.
Goldenrod
Goldenrod are more subtle. Thus, they’re perfect if you’re looking for something that offers goo balance between green foliage and colorful flowers. There are over 100 species available.
As its name suggests, it features golden-yellow color that looks like a rod. Its looks can vary depending on how you let it grow and trim it.
Goldenrod bloom from August to October. As such, they’re late bloomers.
These lovely flowers also attract butterflies and bees.
They are hardy to zones 3 to 9 and are very easy to care for. But, they’re vigorous growers which mean there’s a risk of them spreading.
Turtlehead
Turtlehead are fall bloomers that feature a very different looking bloom. Some say they look like a turtle’s beak which is where they get their name.
Honestly, I don’t see the resemblance.
That said, they’re attractive from afar because they grow in clumps. As such, you have to let them get somewhat dense.
Due to the size of the flowers, people do need to come closer to appreciate them.
