15 Colorful Fall-Blooming Perennial Flowers We Love
By: Tessa
What’s better than blooming flowers in your front yard? Flowers that bloom again year after year in your front yard. Yup — we’re talking about perennials, which are nature’s gifts that just keep on giving. While most flowering perennials make their debut in the spring and summer, there are plenty that grace us with their presence in autumn. Keep reading to learn about colorful fall-blooming perennial flowers, because we could all use more plants in our lives.
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15 Colorful Fall-Blooming Perennial Flowers We Love
#1 // Mums
We thought we’d start off with the mother of all colorful fall-blooming perennial flowers: Mums. These gorgeous ladies come in all sorts of colors. Because many people place them in planters and toss them at the end of fall, most people are surprised to learn that they are actually perennials. However, you have to plant them in the ground during spring, summer, or early fall so they have enough time to establish a root system before the winter.
#2 // Sage
As if the heavenly scent of sage wasn’t enough to make us fall in love with this perennial, the delicate purple flowers that appear in early fall have truly won us over. We suggest the Russian Sage variety because its purple bracts that hold the flower in place remain long after the petals fall off. The bracts give the plant color all throughout October.
#3 // Japanese Anemones
We admit, if we had anemones in our yard, we’d probably be tempted to pick them all to place in vases throughout the house and porch. If you can resist the temptation to pluck them, they can give a whimsical look to your flower beds. Some anemones bloom earlier, so be sure to plant Japanese Anemones if you want them to show off in the fall.
#4 // Goldenrod
Goldenrod starts blooming midsummer and usually sticks around through early fall. It’s the quintessential fall color that everyone loves, and it can give a carefree look to an otherwise polished flower bed. You can start these by seed in early spring, and be sure to keep the soil moist until they start to take off. After that, you can let the soil dry out between waterings. Once a Goldenrod plant finishes blooming at the end of fall, remove the dead stalks to help it get off to a good start for next year’s show.
#5 // Coneflowers
Yes, coneflowers are typically thought of as a summer perennial. However, if you take the time to deadhead them, they can bloom well into fall. Bonus: You can even leave out the seed heads for a snack for the birds. They are one of our favorite colorful fall-blooming perennial flowers because they are so easy to care for, and they attract butterflies and bees.
#6 // Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas bloom in such a beautiful, clustered shape. These round beauties bloom during different times of the year, depending on which variety you choose. Some late bloomer varieties include Tardiva Hydrangeas and Limelight Hydrangeas. These plants flower throughout most of their growing season, with individual buds lasting weeks until new buds appear.
#7 // Balloon Flowers
Balloon Flowers have such a unique bud, so you get to admire it throughout the entire blooming process. Once they open from their balloon-shaped bud, they reveal a star-shaped flower. They start blooming in late summer, but in most regions, they will continue to bloom in early fall. Their purple hue offers a lovely contrast against the yellows and burnt oranges of fall.
#8 // Autumn Crocus
Most crocuses start sprouting up at the very beginning of spring, but not the Autumn Crocus. This flower saves its show for when the leaves start to turn. But if your Autumn Crocus starts to look like it has made a turn for the worse in July, don’t worry. This plant’s leaves start to appear in spring, but they die back in the summer before revealing their flowers in fall. Just a warning: Avoid this plant if you have curious kids or pets. All parts of this plant are poisonous if consumed.
#9 // Sunflowers
Fields of blooming sunflowers basking in the sun are always a tell-tale sign that summer is ending and fall is beginning. While the vast majority of sunflowers are annuals, there is one hybrid sunflower that is classified as a perennial. The Helianthus x multiflorus (which means many-flowered sunflower) is a perennial that is a cross between a thin-leafed sunflower and a traditional sunflower.
#10 // Late-Blooming Sedums
Sedums come in multiple colors, and some varieties, like dark pink Mr. Goodbud Sedums, stick around through the fall. Although Mr. Goodbud Sedums begin blooming dark pink in the summer, contrasting white flowers start to appear in fall. Autumn Joy and Maestro are two other types of sedums that bloom past the summer months.
#11 // Alma Potschke Aster
This flower looks pretty similar to mums, but we love how it comes in a slightly more vibrant hue. An Alma Potchke Aster is known for its hot pink hue, which draws in birds and butterflies. To make sure your Alma Potschke Aster is ready for a successful fall, pinch back the stems to about six inches in June. The result will be even more flowers with hearty stems.
#12 // Celosia
Celosia, also called cock’s comb, is a tender perennial. This means it may not sprout back up in regions with harsh winters. However, if you plant tender perennials like celosia close to the foundation of your house, you may get lucky and experience its reoccurring growing seasons. And as a little bonus, these flowers dry beautifully.
#13 // Lavender
We think lavender is one of the most overlooked and colorful fall-blooming perennial flowers out there. One of our theories as to why people don’t associate lavender with fall is because many assume it only flowers in June. However, these plants actually have another blooming season in early fall, making them one of autumn’s best-kept secrets.
#14 // Black-Eyed Susans
Just like sunflowers, Black-Eyed Susans radiate happiness. They come in both annual and perennial varieties, so be sure to ask your local greenhouse about which type of starter plant or seed you are purchasing. They start blooming into three-inch flowers in midsummer and continue all throughout early fall.
#15 // Witch Hazel
And just when you think the blooming season is over, a witch hazel plant may surprise you. These branches reach peak bloom in late October and November. Learn how to harvest witch hazel so you can reap its medicinal benefits.
Overall, we love a well manicured lawn with beautiful layered flowers the bloom from year to year.
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