4 Fall-Flowering Plants to Spruce Up Your Landscape

The arrival of fall brings along stunning foliage colors ranging from red to yellow and everything in between. When we think of these autumn hues, our mind usually goes directly to trees rather than blooming flowers, which we associate more with spring. However, beautiful blooms aren’t just for the spring season! APRD’s Urban Forestry Land Manager, Wendy Pappas, suggests these four fall-flowering plants that can add some color to your garden as the cooler weather settles in.

Aster

Nothing says fall like the gorgeous blooms of an aster plant. This plant comes in a variety of colors like white, purple, pink, and even blue, any of which will add a unique pop of color to your garden. Aster flowers bloom so abundantly that the flowers can completely cover the leaves of the plant, so this is a great option for those that want to bring a fuller look to their fall garden. Aster thrives in USDA hardiness zones 4-8 and loves to soak up full sun. Rich, moist, well-drained soil works best for this plant.

Black Eyed Susan

The recognizable bright petals of the Black Eyed Susan make a lovely addition to any fall landscape in pigments of yellow, orange, or red with a brown center. This plant flowers all summer and lasts well into October in some areas. Black Eyed Susan does best in full sun to partial shade and can grow up to 3 feet tall. This flower is hardy in zones 3-9 and is very popular among pollinators, making it a great choice if you’d like to attract more butterflies or bees to your garden. This hardy perennial will come back year after year and they also reseed themselves, so you may end up with more flowers than you bargained for!

Mexican Bush Sage

This hardy shrub will bring ornamental white or purple blooms to your landscape that pop up in the summer and last into late fall. Mexican Bush Sage can grow up to 4-5 feet tall and wide, so make sure you have plenty of space to accommodate this plant’s growth. This plant prefers full sun or partial shade and requires only minimal watering and maintenance once established.

Purple Coneflower

Looking to bring more shades of purple to your landscape? The purple coneflower plant has gorgeous daisy-like flowers that last well into the fall. Hardy in zones 3-9, this perennial is also well-loved by pollinators and will likely attract some beautiful butterflies to your space. The flower stems can grow up to 5 feet tall, though most will reach heights of 2-3 feet. Purple Coneflowers love to soak up the Texas sun and they are also resistant to drought, making them a perfect option for summer as well.

Planting one or more of these in your garden will ensure that you’ll have amazing colors to appreciate in your landscape as autumn arrives!