Top Fall Flowers for Your Garden

Fill your garden with these fall flowers perfect for fresh bouquets and late-season color.

Aster

New England aster bears loads of pink, blue, purple, and white flowers that are great in the vase  or in the garden. Butterflies love it -- and we do, too.

Name: Aster novae-angliae
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 5 inches tall
Zones: 4-8
Native to North America: Yes

Asters get their name from the Latin word for "star," and their flowers are indeed the superstars of the fall garden. Some types of this native plant can reach up to 6 feet with flowers in white and pinks but also, perhaps most strikingly, in rich purples and showy lavenders.

Not all asters are fall bloomers. Extend the season by growing some of the summer bloomers, as well. Some are naturally compact; tall types that grow more than 2 feet tall benefit from staking or an early-season pinching or cutting back by about one-third in July or so to keep the plant more compact.

Light:

Sun

Type:

Perennial

Height:

Under 6 inches to 8 feet

Width:

1-4 feet wide

Flower Color:

Blue, Pink, White

Seasonal Features:

Fall Bloom, Spring Bloom

Problem Solvers:

Drought Tolerant

Special Features:

Attracts Birds, Cut Flowers, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance

Zones:

3-9

Toad Lily

Toad lilies keep shady gardens  from getting dull at the end of the season. This easy-care perennial offers intricate, orchid-like flowers from late summer to mid-fall.

Name: Tricyrtis hirta
Growing Conditions: Shade and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide
Zones: 4-9
Native to North America: No
Tricyrtis

No fall garden should be without toad lilies. These Asian curiosities bloom with orchid-like flowers that demand a close look, when the garden is winding down in fall. They do best in light shade in humus-rich soil that retains moisture, and are suitable for borders or less formal parts of the garden and among shrubs gradually becoming large clumps. Some self-seed but not aggressively.

Light:

Part Sun, Shade

Type:

Perennial                                                                                                                                                                               

Height:

1 to 3 feet

Width:

1-2 feet wide, depending on variety

Flower Color:

Blue, White

Foliage Color:

Chartreuse/Gold                                                                                                                                                                               

Seasonal Features:

Colorful Fall Foliage, Fall Bloom, Summer Bloom

Problem Solvers:

Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant

Special Features:

Cut Flowers, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance

Zones:

4-9




Goldenrod


Fall wouldn't be fall without the cheery yellow flowers of goldenrod. It's a tough, beautiful plant that looks good despite summer heat and drought. Note: Goldenrod isn't typically a source of allergies; this is a common misperception.
Name: Solidago rugosa
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 4 feet tall
Zones: 4-9
Native to North America: Yes

Goldenrod Solidago_ spp.

It's time to debunk a garden myth: Goldenrod does not aggravate allergies! The pollen is too heavy to fly in the wind and instead sticks to the legs of the insects and butterflies that feed on its nectar.

It's one of the most glorious flowers of late summer and early autumn, with the wild type blanketing ditches and other open, moist sunny places. In your own garden, choose the hybridized types that are shorter, longer-blooming, and don't spread out of control. Divide or take cuttings of these to increase your supply; seed will not come true.

Light:

Part Sun, Shade, Sun

Type:

Perennial

Height:

Under 6 inches to 8 feet

Width:

8 inches-3 feet wide

Foliage Color:

Chartreuse/Gold

Seasonal Features:

Colorful Fall Foliage, Fall Bloom, Summer Bloom

Problem Solvers:

Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Slope/Erosion Control

Special Features:

Attracts Birds, Cut Flowers, Fragrance, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance

Zones:

4-5, 7-9


Russian Sage


It's fun to have some contrast to all the warm autumnal shades. Russian sage does the trick with its airy blue flowers and silvery foliage. Another reason we love it: It's tough as nails and both the foliage and blooms have a great scent.
Name: Perovskia atriplicifolia
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 5 feet tall
Zones: 5-9
Native to North America: No