Perennials For Fall Color

 Most Fall flowers tend to bloom in jewel tones such as rusts, golds, deep purples, or scarlets. But my favorites are the blue toned ones!There are many examples of fall-blooming perennials. Some are easy to maintain and free of issues, but many are not ! Arranged alphabetically by Genus - here is my list of relatively care-free winners.

Boltonia asteroides - Boltonia

 Boltonia flowers from late summer into fall with daisy-like flowers. The flowers generally have white petals with a yellow disc in the center, but they can have pink or violet. They attract butterflies and pollinators.Careful ! - they are bushy, perennial plants that can grow 2-4 feet wide! 

Caryopteris x clandonensis – Blue Mist Shrub

 The blue mist shrub typically blooms in late summer or fall. It slowly opens its blossoms with dazzling flower clusters that butterflies and bumblebees love. Cut back in early spring to maintain its size and shape and to remove any dead or diseased portions - it blooms on new wood.The gray-green foliage is attractive all season – and is fragrant ! 

Ceratostigma plumbaginoides - Leadwort

 An aggressively spreading low, perennial ground cover. It has true blue flowers and bronze-red fall leaf color. To winter over in cooler climates, provide a light winter mulch.Plant in a container – as it has an aggressive root system and can spread freely. 

Clematis paniculata – Sweet Autumn Clematis

 While its’ fragrant, snowy blooms are beautiful, this clematis is an aggressive, woody, self-seeding perennial vine that is considered invasive in some states. The flowers attract pollinators and songbirds use the vine as a nesting site.This plant can be cut to the ground in fall or spring because it flowers only on new wood. 

Colchicum autumnale – Autumn Crocus

 Autumn crocus bulbs planted in summer will bloom the next fall. The flowers appear first, blooming for two to three weeks, and then they die back. The next spring, long leaves will sprout and then disappear as summer heats up. The plant remains dormant throughout the summer and blooms in early fall.Requires very little care – just an occasional feeding in spring.Keep in mind - all parts of the plant are toxic to humans, cats, and dogs. 

Coreopsis tinctoria - Tickseed

 Tickseed or Coreopsis is available in many cultivars that range from dwarf to nine feet tall – make sure and get a dwarf one !Most bloom periodically throughout the summer season. But if you prune back your plant after it flowers it will put on a glorious fall floral display. Bees and butterflies tend to love the daisy-like blooms. Most diseases and pests avoid the plant. 

Echinacea purpurea - Coneflower

 The coneflower blooms with deep magenta cone-like flowers on top of pink rays. The blooms generally last for several weeks at a time, starting from the early summer until the first frost. The plant is native to the central and eastern United States and has been around in gardens since the 1700s. 

Gaillardia aristata – Blanket flower

 Blanket flower is a perennial blooming with bright red flowers that have yellow tips. They're called blanket flowers because they spread and "blanket" an area. They are short-lived plants that are fast-growing.Blanket flower can be planted either from seed or from nursery starters, but if planted from seed they generally won't bloom until their second year.These plants are slightly toxic. 

Helenium autumnale – Autumn sneezeweed

 Sneezeweed blooms look like small, russet-toned coneflowers in orange, yellow, gold, copper, and brown. Many can grow quite tall and will need to be staked or pinched.The plant likes cool feet and hot heads, meaning you should use mulch to keep the roots cool but plant it in full sun to keep the top of the plant warm.Careful – plant has toxic compounds. 

Helianthus spp. – Perennial Sunflower

 Many gardeners are familiar with annual sunflowers, which can grow up to 12 feet tall and display plate-size flowers. But Helianthus includes perennial sunflowers that bloom in the fall. The perennials generally produce smaller daisy-like flowers than the annuals but in larger quantities.Varieties include H. angustifolius, H. schweinitzii, H. divaricatus 

Muhlenbergia capillaris – Pink Muhly Grass

 With masses of airy pink plumes, this ornamental grass deserves a place among fall-blooming perennials flowers. The wispy flower heads of pink muhly grass are unmatched in the landscape.Flowers are followed by tan seed heads that hold through winter, offering food for birds. Drought tolerant and deer resistant, pink muhly grass also tolerates salt and is ideal for coastal environments. 

Platycodon grandiflorus - Balloon flower

 Balloon flower mostly blooms in the summertime, but it also can bloom in the fall if you deadhead it. It starts as a puff or bubble and pops open when it is ready to bloom. Balloon flower is a profuse bloomer and the plants spread slowly, filling in without becoming a nuisance.Other than cutting the plants back in the spring or fall, virtually no other maintenance is required. 

Salvia leucantha – Mexican Sage

 Mexican bush sage or Velvet sage is an herbaceous perennial that prefers rich, evenly moist, well-drained soil. It grows two to three feet tall and wide. The flower stalks bear persistent flowers that are velvety and purplish with short-lived, white corollas that do not appear until late summer.The showy, bicolor flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds. 

Salvia yangii – Russian Sage

 Russian sage flowers can last for weeks, with the plant typically blooming at the end of the summer to early fall. The blooming begins slowly, and the flower color gets more brilliant as the small blooms fully open. Prune in early spring, as the flowers form on new growth.Make sure to pick a planting site with full sun, as too much shade can cause the plants to flop over.Strong menthol fragrance. 

Solidago - Golderod

 Goldenrod is one of the last flowers to bloom in the fall, with its bloom period generally stretching from August to October. There are more than 100 species in the goldenrod family with clusters of tiny yellow flowers at the tops of their stems when they are in bloom.Bees and butterflies love these flowers. Goldenrod is fairly low-maintenance and can be an aggressive spreader in the garden.  

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   Article written by our Staff Horticulturist, Peter B Morris, BSc, MSc, MBAAll photographs used with permission @SHUTTERSTOCK