Best Fall-Blooming Perennials for a Fantastic Autumn

Now is a great time to plant fall-blooming perennials in your garden. Consider color, height, sun, and watering requirements before choosing your plants. When it comes to gardening, a little planning goes a long way. Today I’m sharing some of my favorite fall perennials to give your garden a pop of color in autumn.

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)

No matter what color thumb you have, you can’t go wrong with Black-eyed Susan. There are over 24 native species of this plant so you can find a variety from which to choose. Be sure to check the plant tag to make sure the variety you pick is a perennial for your gardening zone. Black-eyed Susan is self-seeding so give it some room to spread its wings. Plant this beauty in full sun with moist to dry, well-draining soil.

 

Aster

I like to have a purple flower tucked among the yellows and oranges of fall-blooming perennials in my garden and Asters fill the bill. If you enjoy attracting pollinators to your yard, asters are a great choice and there are over 600 species. Check your plant tag for space requirements before taking this dainty flower home to your yard. To keep the flowers from getting leggy, trim them back in early spring and again in June for a bushier plant in the fall. Asters prefer full to part sun and are available in colors of blue, pink, purple, red, and white.

 

Sedum

This beautiful drought tolerant succulent does not disappoint in the garden. The fleshy leaves of the sedum provide an architectural element during summer, and then the beautiful blooms give their final show during the fall season. Like most perennials, you’ll find a range of sedum varieties, with Autumn Joy being a popular choice among gardeners. Sedum flowers can be red, pink, yellow, or white and prefer full to part sun and well-drained soil.

 

Sneezeweed (Helenium)

Despite its name, Sneezeweed doesn’t aggravate allergy sufferers. One of the more vibrant fall-blooming perennials, this pretty flower is a butterfly magnet. Sneezeweed grows from three to five feet tall making it a great choice for the back of a flower bed.

 

Yarrow

One of my favorites in the garden, Yarrow is available in yellow, purple, pink, white, orange, and red and bears the prettiest feathery leaves. Taller yarrow plants need to be staked to avoid them flopping over. I have them in several locations in my yard. This charmer enjoys full sun with well-drained soil.

 

Russian Sage

Russian Sage blooms in late summer through the fall season. I love it’s wispy bush appeal, reminding me of something you’d see in a garden of fairies. I planted mine by the pond but need to move it because my Rose of Sharon has grown so large that the sage doesn’t get enough sun. Russian Sage enjoys drier soil and at least six hours of direct sunlight. Mine is still blooming despite the shade, but its growth seems to be stunted. For peak blooms next season, prune back the previous year’s growth in late winter or early spring.

 

Sweet Autumn Clematis

If a fragrant garden is your thing, you can’t be without Sweet Autumn Clematis. This vining bloomer with white flowers grows rapidly from fifteen to thirty feet long and has the sweetest fragrance. Sweet Autumn Clematis is an ideal choice for growing along a fence and will gain two to three feet per year. Plant it in full to part sun in moist but well-drained soil and enjoy its scent from late summer through the autumn season.

 

Goldenrod

You’ve likely seen the brilliant blooms of Goldenrod in fields across the country. One of the later-blooming fall flowers, Goldenrod is another butterfly magnet. Since it grows about five feet tall, it’s best positioned toward the back of a flower garden where it can rise above shorter plants. Goldenrod prefers full sun to dappled shade with well-draining soil. If you want to control the spread of this plant, remove the flowers before they go to seed.

 

Do you have a favorite from today’s list of fall-blooming perennials? See a list of favorite fall annual flowers, too.