As the weather cools down and leaves turn into beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow, it’s the perfect time to add flowers that thrive in autumn.
Just because summer’s over doesn’t mean your garden has to lose its color!
With these awesome fall flowers, you can keep your yard looking bright, cheerful, and full of life until the first frost.
Fall plants look amazing, but they’re also tough, so you won’t have to worry about them wilting in the heat.
Plus, many of these blooms attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, who stay as long as they have flowers to visit.
Let’s dive into the top 50 flowers that’ll make your garden or patio look fantastic and keep you excited to enjoy the fall season outside!
- Canna Lily—These beauties bring a pop of fiery red, orange, or yellow with tropical, banana-like leaves. And they keep blooming from late summer until frost.
- African Daisy—Also known as blue-eyed daisies, these sun-loving flowers have a cool, gradient center that shines in late summer and early fall. Plant a few, and you’ll have vibrant colors almost instantly!
- Japanese Anemone—With delicate pink and white petals, these flowers add a soft touch to shaded areas. They love soil rich in organic matter and will bloom beautifully well into the season.
- Nemesia—Despite its fierce name, Nemesia is a sweet-scented, cool-weather flower perfect for borders and hanging baskets. It thrives in well-drained soil, so it’s also low maintenance.
- Helenium (Sneezeweed)—This warm-toned flower blooms from late summer to fall and is a magnet for butterflies. It’s ideal for wildflower gardens and loves moist soil with lots of sun.
- Cosmos—With cheerful, daisy-like petals, the cosmos bring charm and attract birds, bees, and butterflies to your garden. They’re perfect for bouquets or as pops of color among other fall blooms.
- Hardy Fuchsia—These two-tone flowers dangle elegantly and require just the right soil moisture balance. Get it right, and you’ll be rewarded with blossoms galore until the frost!
- Goldenrod—This deep yellow wildflower is great for sunny or part-shade areas and often gets mistaken for a weed. Pick a cultivar to control its spread, and enjoy its bright yellow plumes all fall.
- Sumac—With colorful clusters and unique short-stalked flowers, sumac also grows up to 30 feet tall. In fall, its leaves explode with brilliant colors, perfect for a dramatic garden addition.
- Sunflowers—These cheerful, larger-than-life blooms continue to grow from summer to early autumn. They’re tall and vibrant, making any garden space feel like a sunny meadow.
- Chrysanthemum (Mums)—The stars of the fall garden, mums are tough, cold-tolerant, and come in every color imaginable. Plant them early, and they might just come back next year.
- Aster—With colors like blue, purple, and pink, asters bloom just when you need them most, as other flowers begin to fade. These are easy perennials that keep your garden happy year after year.
- Marigold—These fall classics are pest-resistant and bloom well into the season. They come in all sizes and vibrant autumn hues—perfect for that classic fall garden vibe.
- Sweet Alyssum—These low-growing annuals have a honey-like scent and look great, cascading from window boxes. They handle light frost well, so you’ll enjoy their color and fragrance late into fall.
- Sedum—Known for its muted pink blooms that age to copper, sedum is lovely in bouquets and looks fantastic, among other fall colors. When other plants fade, sedum steps up with long-lasting color.
- Ornamental Cabbage and Kale—Who knew cabbage could look this good? These tough, frilly plants have pink and green leaves that add a fresh twist to any fall garden.
- Viola—With bright colors and “faces,” these cute annuals enjoy cool weather and even last through most of the winter in warm areas. Some types self-seed, so they might just surprise you next spring.
- Dahlias—These stunning blooms come in so many colors and make amazing cut flowers. Remember to dig up the tubers in colder areas after the frost hits!
- Petunia—Not the first flower that comes to mind for fall, but petunias last until frost and keep blooming with a bit of TLC. They’re gorgeous, spilling over planters or in window boxes.
- Dusty Miller—With its soft, silver foliage, Dusty Miller is perfect for adding contrast to your garden. It pairs beautifully with vibrant autumn colors and does well as a backdrop or border plant.
- Caryopteris—This small, blue-blooming shrub attracts pollinators and is a wonderful garden filler when other flowers are winding down. It’s a late bloomer that adds texture and color.
- Zinnia—Tough and colorful, zinnias come in every shade imaginable and attract bees and butterflies. Plant a bunch together for a lively, frost-tolerant garden patch.
- Hydrangea—These shrubs bloom from summer through fall and keep their papery flowers intact into winter. They add texture and color to any garden, even as the leaves start to drop.
- Rose—Don’t let their reputation fool you; shrub roses bloom until frost and are pretty low-maintenance. Newer hybrids are cold-hardy and bloom continuously, so they’re ideal for fall.
- Black-Eyed Susan—These golden flowers with dark centers are as happy as they look. Depending on the type, they come back each year or every two years and bloom for months.
- Blue Vervain—A native wildflower with pale purple blooms, blue vervain is practically carefree and loves moist soil. It’s a beautiful, tall addition to rain gardens or meadows.
- Blanket Flower—These short-lived perennials thrive in poor, dry soil and come in vibrant fall hues. They’re great for Waterwise areas or mixed borders needing a splash of color.
- Boltonia—Often called false aster, this eastern U.S. native has tiny daisy-like blooms in white or pink. Plant it for a spectacular late-season show, especially in natural areas.
- Canna—Bringing exotic vibes with bold leaves and tropical colors, canna is ideal for warm climates. Use it in mass plantings or containers for a lush fall look.
- Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass—This tall, elegant grass adds movement and texture to your garden. It’s drought-tolerant, thrives in a variety of soils, and blooms from summer to fall.
- Fountain Grass—With pink and purple bottlebrush flowers, this grass brings winter interest and looks amazing, swaying in the breeze. Plant it in borders or in mass for extra texture.
- Goldenrod—Bright golden flowers that attract pollinators and look fantastic in wild gardens. Try Fireworks for a showy display that’s also disease-resistant.
- Ironweed—With its towering purple flowers, ironweed adds height to any garden and attracts pollinators. Place it at the back of borders or in naturalized areas.
- Fall In Love Japanese Anemone—These elegant flowers bloom in shades of pink and white from late summer into fall. Their long-lasting, airy stems are great for cottage gardens.
- Joe Pye Weed—Showy pink flowers on tall stems make Joe Pye weed a magnet for butterflies. It thrives in meadows and at the back of borders for a wild, natural look.
- Leadwort—With blue flowers and green foliage that turns red in fall, leadwort is perfect for ground cover. It’s tough, low-growing, and great for rock gardens or borders.
- Little Bluestem—This native grass turns beautiful shades of red and orange in fall. It’s hardy, low-maintenance, and a great addition to native gardens.
- Mexican Bush Sage—This shrubby perennial produces velvety purple flower spikes that look stunning with coneflowers. It’s a pollinator favorite that lasts until frost.
- New England Aster—Native to North America, this tall purple flower thrives near streams and damp areas. It’s a fall favorite among butterflies and brightens up any wild garden.
- Obedient Plant—Named for its bendable flowers, the obedient plant has pink or white blooms. Its upright habit and pastel colors make it perfect for naturalized areas.
- Pink Turtlehead—With hooded pink blooms, this hardy perennial is perfect for rain gardens. It’s named for its flower shape, which resembles a turtle poking out of its shell.
- Russian Sage—Frost-tolerant and fragrant, Russian sage has lavender-blue flowers that last until frost. It’s tough and pairs well with black-eyed Susans and sneezeweed.
- Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’—A popular succulent with star-shaped flowers that change from pink to copper as they age. Plant it for a low-maintenance, late-season color boost.
- Sneezeweed—With warm autumn hues, sneezeweed brings cheerful color and grows well in moist meadows. It’s a butterfly favorite and lights up native gardens.
- Spike Speedwell—This ground-covering or upright plant has spires of purple or blue flowers. Speedwell is a versatile choice that works in borders or as a mass planting.
- Perennial Sunflower—Unlike the annual kind, these sunflowers bloom year after year and brighten gardens into late fall. Their tall, cheerful blooms are great for the back of borders.
- Switchgrass—Known for its feathery plumes, switchgrass adds texture to native or mixed gardens. It holds its form into winter, making it a great year-round option.
- Tickseed—These daisy-like flowers bloom for weeks in yellow, red, or coral shades. They’re easy-going and bring lasting color to meadows and native borders.
- Prairie Coneflower—This native beauty has yellow drooping petals with a central cone, blooming from summer to fall. Its quirky look adds interest and attracts pollinators.
- Chinese Lantern—This plant is striking with bright orange lantern-shaped pods and adds interest in the fall. The dried pods can be used for seasonal decor or as a unique garden accent.
There you have it! Fill your garden with these vibrant fall flowers and keep the beauty going strong through the crisp autumn days.
With a mix of color, texture, and hardy blooms, your garden will stay cheerful, warm, and welcoming, giving your yard a cozy, seasonal vibe.
So, grab your gardening gloves, pick a few favorites, and get ready to transform your outdoor space.
Enjoy creating a garden that brings joy and color to fall—happy planting!
