34 Favorite Fall Flowers and Plants for Your Garden

Start your fall flower show with mums. These beauties come in a warm palette of colors that range from sunshine yellow all the way to pink, deep red and burgundy.

Mum is short for chrysanthemum, a cultivated plant that needs hot summer days to form foliage and cool fall days to promote flowering. Like asters, mums are popular with pollinators like bees and butterflies, a delightful bonus in the late summer garden.

Hardy chrysanthemums are perennial in zones 5 to 9, handling cold down to -30 degrees Fahrenheit. You can extend the life of the potted mums you buy for fall decorating by planting them in the garden. Depending on the variety and your hardiness zone, the plants may come back next year,

In your garden, both mums and asters are easy to grow once established. When you give them sunny locations, well-draining soils and a little TLC, they’ll bloom year after year.

Here's expert advice for growing mums:

• For maximum bloom, feed regularly with a balanced fertilizer.
• Mums need ventilation to prevent mildew. Give them breathing room by spacing them several inches apart.
• Overhead watering encourages foliar diseases. For best results, water near the roots with a watering wand or drip irrigation.
• Use a layer of mulch to slow evaporation and keep roots cool.
• Keep a consistent watering schedule. Mums can flower prematurely if they undergo drought stress.
• To encourage plants to branch and produce more flowers, pinch and remove the growing tip of every stem beginning in mid-summer.

As temperatures drop in late fall, protect mums with several inches of mulch. Wait until spring to trim back the stems and fertilize to encourage foliage and flower growth. If your mum blooms early, pinch back the flowers to promote fall flowering.

Tip: There are florist mums and garden mums. The former are typically sold indoors, for example, in florist shops, and garden mums are usually sold outdoors. If you have questions about the type of mum you have, read the plant tag for the cultivar name, planting instructions and cold hardiness.

Agapanthus, sometimes called "Lily of the Nile," is an eye-catching flower for blooms in your summer-to-fall garden. The plant has an attractive grass-like foliage mound and either blue or white flowers on stems up to 24 inches tall.

In your garden, enjoy watching bees and butterflies gather on the flower clusters, and cut the long-lasting blooms for bouquets.

Agapanthus performs best is hardiness zones 8 to 10, where they will come back every year. In colder zones, plant them in containers and overwinter in a frost-free location, like a garage.

For the most impact, plant agapanthus in groups for a tropical feel to your late summer garden.

Just when flowers in the garden begin to fade at the tail end of summer, perennial asters perform like a champ into autumn, bringing a grand finale of light purple, white, pink and blue color to your garden. Asters are a pleaser for pollinators. Aster's daisy-like blooms thrive in full sun and most varieties are hardy in zones 4 to 8.

Because asters can be moisture sensitive, try various watering methods to get the most out of your flower garden blooms. Water more in the heat of summer and less when temperatures cool down. If you notice the flowers fading, readjust.

Tip: Some asters are native to North America; there are Asian European varieties as well. Read plant tags and online information to learn more about asters in your garden.

Known also as rudbeckia, this smiling daisy-like flower is popular with bees and other pollinators. Besides the signature sunny yellow, black-eyed Susans come in bronze, mahogany and red with a signature black eye in the center. These native perennials are easy to grow, performing well even in poor soil and dry conditions.

Black-eyed Susans pair well with lavender, coneflower, catmint, sedum and more in containers and in the garden. Grow rudbeckia in full sun in zones 4 to 9.

Blanket flower (gaillardia) is a native perennial member of the sunflower family that blooms in late summer and fall. Gaillardia blooms are often red or orange with yellow edges; you can find solid yellow blooms as well.

Like sunflowers, gaillardia likes well-draining sandy soil and full sun. You can grow blanket flower from seeds beginning in the spring, or depending on your climate, plant seedlings in spring or fall. Blanket flower tolerates hot, dry weather and is hardy in zones 4 to 9.

Give the hummingbirds a little love when you bring calibrachoa into your garden. Calibrachoa is an annual in most of the U.S. and the colors are autumn-appropriate - look for shades of orange, pink and purple.

Calibrachoa's petite, delicate blooms may look fragile, but trust the experts and display this plant in full sun and well-draining soil. Calibrachoa looks great in hanging baskets and planters throughout your garden.

Camellias are the jewels of many Southern winter and spring gardens, adding a tidal wave of color to shady spots. A favorite in Southeastern U.S. gardens, camellias originated in eastern and southern Asia. The long-blooming shrubs and trees are members of the tea family, Theaceae.

Spring-blooming camellias are from the Japonica family; fall-blooming camellias are from the Sasanqua family and most varieties are hardy in zones 7 to 9. If you're in an area that gets frosts and freezes, you'll want early-blooming sasanquas and late-blooming japonicas. In colder zones, plant camellias in containers and move them inside for winter.

Celosia is commonly called cock's comb, for its red-colored plumes. There's a multitude of bright colors, from yellow to orange and purple. Celosia is easily grown from seed or seedling.

Start celoisa seeds in spring and transplant to a sunny area. Keep watered through the summer and the plants will last until first frost in your area. Celosia flowers can be dried and used in floral arrangements.

Gardeners love coleus for its vigorous growth, mounding habit and gorgeous foliage. Plant this annual in spring and summer and enjoy up until first frost. Pollinators like hummingbirds and bees love its flower spikes of blue and white blooms that emerge in summer.

Coleus' saturated burgundies, peaches and limes, fresh from the autumn color palette, make for stunning planters and garden beds.

To get the most out of coleus, break off flower spikes through the season to encourage growth. Keep pinching the flowers up until about a month before frost.

Tip: Take the pruned coleus stems and stick them in a container filled with potting soil. Place planter in part shade and keep watered. You'll have new plants in a few weeks.

Crotons are broadleaf evergreen shrubs in their native tropical habitats. Throughout the rest of the country, they're grown as annuals or as houseplants. The thick, colorful leaves are glossy and come in a myriad of colors perfect for fall flower combinations - red, yellow, orange and green.

Crotons are stunning in mixed flower containers with pansies and mums.

If you live in a zone colder than zone 9, buy crotons in spring and summer and enjoy them outside until temperatures dip below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring them inside, wipe them down to eliminate any hitchhiking pests and set them in a space with bright indirect light. They may drop their leaves but with a little TLC, they should rebound and give you another season indoors.

Cuphea is a heat-loving annual and pollinator favorite that pumps out colorful blooms in late summer. Two kinds you'll likely find in the Garden Center include Cuphea hyssopifolia, commongly known as Mexican heather; and firecracker plant ('Vermillionaire' is a popular cultivar).

Mexican heather is not a true heather. It's a small, rounded shrub with purple, white or pink flowers. This type of cuphea can grow to about 2 feet tall and wide.

Firecracker plants like 'Vermillionaire' thrive in full sun and well-draining soil. Some cultivars are hardy to zone 8; if you live in a cold zone, treat cuphea as an annual.

Dahlias are known for their stunning colors and vibrant blooms. They're beautiful in the garden and even more lovely as cut flowers. Dahlias bloom from midsummer to first frost, ensuring their status as stars in the early fall garden.

Dahlias have a reputation for being finicky to grow, but experts advise that with the proper conditions, dahlias are productive plants that yield multiple blooms all season long.

Another reason to include dahlias in your garden - pollinators like bees and butterflies appreciate their abundant blooms.

In the Garden Center and online, look for dahlia tubers or finished plants for your garden. Plant dahlias in spring when soil temperatures are above 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tip: Dahlias prefer well-drained, slightly acidic soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.0. Before planting dahlias, get a soil test from your local Extension office or from the Garden Center and amend your soil based on the recommendations.

Gazania, commonly called African daisy, features cheerful flowers atop a low-growing carpet of foliage. This daisy loves full sun and can be planted from spring to fall.

Plant gazania in your fall containers. It shines in a mixed container with sweet potato vine, geranium and asparagus fern.

Plant gazania in well-draining soil and deadhead to promote reblooming.

Tip: Although gazania is grown as an annual in most of the country, it's perennial in hardiness zones 8 to 11.

Gomphrena, or globe amaranth, is an annual with round, bright pink blooms atop abundant foliage. This heat-loving annual will flower right up until frost in your garden.

In the Garden Center and online, look for varieties like 'Truffula Pink' and plant in full sun. Gomphrena works well in container plantings and makes a lovely cut flower for bouquets.

Tip: This pollinator favorite attracts bees and butterflies to your garden and does not need deadheading.

Hydrangeas offer a unique combination of beauty and resilience that makes them an essential addition to many gardens. Their colorful blooms come in a variety of hues - ranging from soft pastels to bold blues and purples.

Hydrangeas effortlessly elevate your outdoor space in hardiness zones 3 to 9, but this can vary according to species. For spectacular fall color, look to panicle hydrangeas like 'Limelight' and 'Vanilla Strawberry' for creamy blooms that turn pink in late summer.

Oakleaf hydrangeas are another fall favorite. They're native to the U.S. and in addition to creamy blooms in summer, the foliage turns to deep mahogany in fall.

Hydrangeas' versatility allows them to thrive in a range of garden settings, from elegant borders to charming containers. Make this fall the season your garden truly shines with the timeless beauty of hydrangeas.

Japanese anemone, also known as windflower or thimbleflower, are perennials related to ranunculus. These fall bloomers spread by rhizomes and are often used as groundcovers in the fall garden. They're hardy in zones 4 to 8.

Windflower is slow to establish and finicky about location. In southern areas, plant in part sun and make sure it's in well-draining, but not too dry, soil. In northern areas, protect plants from cold winter weather with a blanket of mulch.

Known for its resilient, richly-colored blooms, lantana brings warmth to your early fall garden. Lantana is hardy in zones 8 to 11.

Lantana plants thrive in full sunlight and require minimal care, making them ideal for seasoned gardeners and beginners alike. If you're growing a pollinator garden, be sure to include lantana for the butterflies.

Tip: Southern gardeners in zone 8 look for the variety called 'Miss Huff' to survive the occasional bitter winter weather in this zone.

Marigolds are a beginning gardener’s dream - these beautiful blooms are easygoing, vibrant, versatile flowers for your garden.

Marigolds' heat-loving blooms come into the Garden Center in late spring and will keep blooming up until frost in your garden. Marigolds are also easy to start from seed indoors in late winter and plant in your garden when the ground warms.

Marigolds are an excellent bedding plant and their yellow and orange blooms are ideal for an autumn garden display.

Vegetable gardeners like to plant marigolds among tomatoes. Marigolds have a distinctive fragrance that is said to repel insects like nematodes.

Marigolds are important to Dia de los Muertos ("Day of the Dead") celebrations in Mexico and the U.S. The fragrant blooms are laid on altars, called "ofrendas," and the scent is said to lead souls from their graves to their families.

Nasturtiums feature jewel-colored flowers and rounded leaves on trailing vines. They're excellent in garden beds, containers, and especially, hanging baskets, where their long stems can spill over the edges and sway in the breeze.

Gardeners grow nasturtiums from seed, and it's best to sow them directly into containers. Once they've started growing, they don't like their roots to be disturbed. Look for seed varieties like 'Jewel Mix' and 'Alaska.' The latter features brilliant blooms and green and white marbled leaves.

Tip: Nasturtium flowers and leaves are edible. Their peppery taste adds a bite to your favorite salads.

Grow ornamental grasses this fall for added texture, depth and motion to your home landscape. These versatile plants can be used anywhere in your landscaping design to add a bold feature or contrast. Once established, ornamental grasses are drought-tolerant and require little maintenance to flourish.

In the Garden Center, read plant tags to help you select the right plant for your site. Depending on your area, you can find ornamental grasses like:

• Blue fescue
• Blue oat grass
• Feather reed grass
• 'Little bunny' grass
• Maiden grass
• Mexican feather grass
• Pampas grass
• Pink 'Muhly' grass
• Purple fountain grass
• Zebra grass

Tip: Divide clumping ornamental grasses every few years. The best way is to tie off the top, trim it back and then split the plant into two or more pieces. Replant the divisions in new places in your garden.

Pansies are a favorite cool season annual for many reasons. These friendly flowers feature small, multi-colored blossoms and dark green foliage. For all the cheer they bring to your garden, it's good to know that they can handle cold temperatures.

Plant pansies in your garden to transition between seasons. They can take temps as low 28 degrees Fahrenheit and bounce back. As much as they love cold, pansies can't take summer heat. In some areas of the country, look for 'Cool Wave' pansies that will survive temperate summers and give you another round of blooms in fall.

Plant pansies in full to part sun in garden beds or containers.

Tip: Deadheading spent blooms promotes new blossoms.

Petunias are an all-time favorite that enliven your garden from spring through fall with blooms that are irresistible to butterflies and hummingbirds. Petunias are an exceptional spreader and make a splendid ground cover.

They're also great for hanging baskets and containers. For your fall garden, combine petunias with verbena, marigolds and zinnias and lean into the purple and pink hues.

Petunias are generally self-cleaning and don't need deadheading. But they can grow leggy through long, hot summers. For a fall container refresh, pinch spring-planted petunias back by up to a third. Give them plenty of water and a half-dose of fertilizer for encouragement.

Pineapple sage ('Salvia elegans') is a fragrant bushy plant that absolutely shines in your fall garden. This member of the mint family grows to shrub size in summer's heat, about 3 to 4 feet tall and wide and then shoots out red flower plumes that bring in the hummingbirds and other pollinators.

Pinapple sage leaves bear a faint sweet smell that's quite like pineapple. You can harvest the leaves and make an herbal tea with them.

Although it's a fall garden favorite, you'll want to plant it in early summer. In the Garden Center, look for seedlings with the herbs and plant in a full sun site in your garden. Pineapple sage is a stealthy plant, slow growing until the end of summer, when it takes off and blooms right up until frost. It's remarkably drought tolerant, but you'll want to keep an eye on it in extreme heat.

Pineapple sage is perennial in hardiness zones 8 to 11.

Like pineapple sage, Russian sage is a woody stemmed plant that can grow to shrub size. It's a member of the mint family, too. Unlike pineapple sage, Russian sage is perennial in hardiness zones 4 to 9, making it a returning champ for your pollinator gardens.

From mid-summer until frost, Russian sage's purple flower panicles bloom and attract all manner of bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

Plant Russian sage in full sun and give it room to grow. Most cultivars reach 2 to 4 feet in height.

With its tall colorful spires, salvia is a main attraction in the garden. Pollinators like hummingbirds love it, but not deer or rabbits.

Salvia is a popular bedding plant, especially in very hot climates. It's a reliable performer in container gardens, as well.

Salvias can be annual or perennial, depending on your climate. Check plant tags for the right plant for your garden.

Either way, you can’t go wrong with salvia. Besides blooming in fire red, annual salvia comes in violet, too. Salvia keeps its good looks from early summer well into fall.

Tip: In hardiness zones 7 to 10, you can grow perennial salvia ('Salvia guaranitica'). Look for cultivars like 'Black and Blue.'

Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum) is a pretty perennial that thrives in gardens from summer to fall. The white blooms on sturdy stems are a classic component in American home gardens.

Shasta daisies are drought tolerant once established, just plant in full sun and water as needed to keep soil evenly moist. Leucanthemum is hardy in zones 4 to 9.

Tip: When Shasta daisy plants get crowded, you can split the plants and move them to new areas in your garden. Best times to divide perennials is in spring and fall.

Colorful snapdragons are a tender perennial often grown as an annual throughout most of the country. This cool season favorite is surprisingly heat tolerant. Snapdragons are hardy in zones 7 to 11, depending on cultivar and climate.

The flower earned its name for its resemblance to a fantastical dragon's head. The "snap" happens when you pull back on the top and let it close shut.

Grow snapdragons for season-spanning color from spring to fall. It plays well in garden beds and containers. Be sure to plant snapdragons in well-draining soil in full sun.

Sneezeweed is a funny name for a pretty flower. You can just as easily call it by its botanical name, helenium. This native perennial is hardy in zones 4 to 9. Like many late summer-to-fall garden favorites, it's a member of the daisy family.

Sneezeweed is a good choice for fall garden beds and containers; it's also a favorite for meadowscapes. Because the plants like to have wet feet, keep sneezeweed in mind when you plant a rain garden.

Although known botanically as Lycoris, this plant is commonly called by a variety of names: surprise lilies, naked ladies, spider lilies, and september lilies. The vivid red blooms of the spider lily resemble the vibrant clusters of azalea flowers.

It's a beloved heirloom in southern gardens and features striking flower clusters atop tall, leafless stems, with strap-like leaves appearing only after the bloom stalks have faded. Bulbs are hardy in zones 5 to 10.

Spider lilies are resistant to rodents and deer, low-maintenance and long-lived once established. Depending on the planting location, blooms typically appear from early September to mid-October.

Plant spider lilies in fall or early spring. For best results, avoid disturbing the bulbs after planting and apply a light mulch covering for winter. Partial shade can help extend the flowering period, and regular watering during the growth cycle keeps the blooms fresh.

Tip: Spider lilies are just one favorite fall blooming bulb. Look for crocus, colchicum, dahlias, iris and ranunculus.

Stonecrop sedum is part of a diverse genus of flowering plants well-known for succulent foliage, drought resistance, and a range of forms and colors. Sedums are hardy plants cherished for their minimal maintenance needs and pollinator attracting qualities.

In the Garden Center, look for 'Autumn Joy' and other perennial sedums. 'Lemon Coral' sedum is a popular groundcover and container plant. Sedums have a wide growing range, from zones 4 to 9, and are drought tolerant once established in your garden. Sedums excel at storing water in their leaves, making them highly drought-tolerant once fully established.

Sedums prefer well-draining soil in sunny locations. This can mean rocky, sandy and nutrient-poor soils that are tough for other plants to grow in.

Sunflowers are a cheerful, low-maintenance addition to any fall garden. With their vibrant yellow blooms and towering heights, they brighten up any outdoor space.

However, they're not all tall. There are many varieties of sunflowers, ranging from dwarf types that grow just a few feet high to giant varieties that reach heights of over 12 feet. Determine the space available in your garden and decide whether you want sunflowers for decorative purposes or for harvesting seeds. Popular varieties include "Mammoth," "Autumn Beauty," and "Teddy Bear."

Sunflowers thrive in full sunlight, so choose a spot in your garden that receives at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight each day. Ensure the area has well-draining soil to prevent root rot.

Tip: In addition to their grandeur in the garden, sunflowers make excellent cut flowers, too. Grow extra for bouquets in your home.

Alyssum is a sweet addition to your fall garden. Also called sweet alyssum, this low-growing perennial makes a carpet of small golden blooms.

Sweet alyssum is hardy in zones 5 to 9 and will bloom in spring and again in fall. Its flowers invite butterflies and other pollinators to your garden.

Verbena is a full sun performer that blooms all summer and into fall. It features profuse, vibrantly-colored flower clusters that perform well in garden beds and trailing over stones and rock walls.

For this reason, verbena is a smart choice for hanging baskets. Verbena is hardy in zones 8 to 11.

Tip: Plant verbena in well-draining soil. After plants are established, you'll only need to water when soil is dry.

Zinnias have a well-deserved reputation for being easy to grow from seed or seedling. If you follow "cut and come again" guidance, you'll have a succession of zinnia blooms from summer to first frost.

For a long and abundant zinnia season in your garden, buy both packs of seeds and packs of seedlings. You'll have colorful blooms in early summer and, with successive sowings of the seeds, more blooms will follow.

Tip: Heat and humidity can cause powdery mildew on zinnias. It's easy to just snip off the tainted blooms and foliage. To ease the problem, look for mildew-resistant zinnia varieties.

When it comes time to plant flowers in your fall garden, follow these tips:

• Ease plants out of their pots and gently loosen roots.
• Dig a hole wider than, but only as deep as, the plant’s container. Use the empty pot as a guide.
• Put plants in holes but don’t plant too deep. The top of the plant should be level with the top of the soil.
• Fill with soil and tamp down gently to eliminate air pockets.
• Water thoroughly.
• Add mulch about 2 to 3 inches deep, keeping it away from the base of the plant.
• Feed weekly to produce the most flowers.