Mario Bautista
While the changing of the seasons might not always seem like the right time to start a new garden, autumn is actually prime time to invest in fall plants. According to the plant pros at Monrovia, an online plant retailer, the fall is a good time to plant everything from spring bulbs to certain perennials, trees, and shrubs.
“Fall is the time of year when root systems really go to work, strengthening the plant and preparing for another season of beauty,” the experts at Monrovia explain. By planting in the fall, these flowers and shrubs will already be established before the weather warms up, providing colorful blooms and foliage to your yard earlier in the spring. Plus, planting in the fall when the weather is cooler feels much less daunting than during the heat of summer.
Here are the best fall plants to start growing ASAP. Pick from flowers and shrubs that will provide immediate beauty to your garden this season or those that will reward you with glorious blooms come springtime. Even better: You can’t go wrong with a mix of both for a beautiful garden now and later.
Strawberry Shake Hydrangea
Hydrangeas are some of our favorite flowers, and this late-summer variety is a showstopper. The abundant blooms start out white and turn a soft shade of blush. The branches can be dried to create everlasting arrangements you’ll enjoy all winter long. Plant this hydrangea in partial shade to full sun.
Zones: 4 to 8
Evolution Emerald Ice Sedum
Sedum, also called stonecrop, is known for being hardy and drought-resistant. Forming dense, low-growing mounds, this variety will carpet the garden with tiny pink flowers in late summer. Plant it in a spot with partial to full sun.
Zones: 4 to 9
Grace N’ Grit Roses
The name says it all: this rose variety will add elegance to the garden, but it was bred to be disease-resistant. Able to withstand the heat of summer, it graces the garden with blooms well into autumn. Note that this plant prefers full sun.
Zones: 4 to 9
FloralBerry Sangria Hypericum
Set against dark green foliage, yellow flowers and red berries really pop. This variety blooms in summer, with the berries following in autumn. Plant in partial shade to full sun.
Zones: 5 to 9
Crimson Kisses Weigela
The vibrant red blooms of this compact shrub first bloom in spring, then provide waves of flowers all summer long. Plant it during the fall in a spot with full sun for a more colorful garden the following year.
Zones: 4 to 9
Harlequin Purple Beardtongue
If one of your garden goals is to attract butterflies and hummingbirds, opt for this perennial with dazzling purple flowers. This compact, hardy shrub won’t flop over in wind and rain, plus it blooms all summer long. Plant this in full sun.
Zones: 5 to 9
Little Joker Ninebark
Attention urban gardeners: This small shrub (it grows to be 3 to 4 feet tall) will add low-maintenance beauty to a small backyard. In the spring and summer, a profusion of delicate pink flowers appears on the deep burgundy and dark green foliage. It prefers partial shade to full sun.
Zones: 4 to 8
Queen Sophia Marigold
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Not only is this flower strikingly beautiful, it also attracts a number of beneficial insects (like hover flies, an important pollinator) to your garden. This compact annual boasts carnation-like flowers in bursts of orange and red. Marigolds are also among the fastest-growing plants, if you’re the impatient type.
Zones: 4 to 11
Blanket Flower
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The only challenge about growing blanket flowers is that they bloom so much, they can get overwhelming. These gorgeous blooms spread to cover a lot of ground, making them a solid choice for those looking to fill in some gaps in their garden. As a bonus, they come in a variety of warm and cool shades.
Zones: 3 to 9
Chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemums are hardy and vibrant, making them a great choice for those whose gardens sometimes get cold in the fall. They grow well in the summer and fall and can flourish in the ground or within containers. Chrysanthemums are also among the cut flowers that last the longest, so these are perfect for an indoor arrangement.
Zones: 5 to 9
Rudbeckias
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More commonly known as the Black-eyed Susan, the Rudbeckia is a classic perennial. It’s a great choice for a home garden, as its known to attract butterflies, bees, and other pollinating insects—and need very little attention to grow in abundance.
Zones: 3 to 11
Joe-Pye Weed
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Among the stunning flowers that attract butterflies, these easy-to-grow blossoms are known for their dark foliage and white or lavender flowers. While they grow in late summer, they’ll grow in early fall, too (and can be cut back once temperatures grow colder).
Zones: 3 to 9
Sweet Alyssum
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Sweet alyssum is a flower that best blooms in cooler weather. Plant it in early spring, post-frost, and expect it to fade as the heat grows. But come fall, it will bloom once more and often can grow throughout winter, as well. Some of the more frost-resistant varieties can tolerate cold exceptionally well.
Zones: 5 to 9
Asters
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Asters can grow as tall as four feet, making them a great choice for a border plant. They thrive in full sun and grow best in well-drained soil, but they’re also frost-hardy, and can withstand near-freezing temperatures temporarily, making the fall season a prime time for them to grow.
Zones: 3 to 8
Petunia
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Petunias are annual flowers and thrive in a variety of seasons, blooming from spring until frost, The flowers are great for those who love variety as they come in several colors and patterns. They can also be potted and work well in a vessel.
Zones: 9 to 11
Coral Bells
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If you don’t have a green thumb, coral bells might be an ideal choice for your garden. That’s because they are among the plants that are near-impossible to kill. Coral bells are tolerant of a wide range of weather and light conditions (they can even thrive in poor soil and amid drought).
Zones: 4 to 9
Snapdragon
Snapdragons prefer cooler temperatures so while they are often set out in spring, they bloom even in the winter. They are at their best during their first bloom, but they show off their intensely saturated blossoms year after year.
Zones: 7 to 11
Lobelia
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Lobelia will not survive freezing temperatures, so fall is really the latest time for these flowers to bloom. The plant’s soft, fluffy blue flowers spread 6-10 inches wide, so they make great filler in a garden or a container.
Zones: 10 to 11
Helenium Autumnale
Helenium autumnale, commonly known as the sneezeweed, is known for its abundant yellow blooms that attract butterflies. Cut them back during the early summer months to encourage branching and increase blooming come fall.
Zones: 3 to 8
Japanese Anemone
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The Japanese anemone offers stunning, purple-tinged blossoms that come to life in summer and stay blooming through fall. They thrive in partial shade, but can tolerate full sun so long as the soil is kept very moist.
Zones: 4 to 8
Chocolate Cosmos
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Cosmos aren’t just a cocktail! This gorgeous, rich chocolate-brown bloom is a perfect foil for the bright reds, golds, and oranges of a fall garden. They start to bloom in mid-summer, but will usually continue to showcase flowers until the temperatures dip toward frost. They’re perfect for those sunny spots in your garden, as they need at least six hours of sunlight to thrive.
Zones: 9 to 11 as a perennial
Pansy
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Pansies thrive in lower temperatures—which is why they’re a great choice for your spring or fall gardens. Depending on how mild your winters are, pansies planted for fall could bloom all the way through the winter and into spring.
Zones: 7 to 11
Zinnias
Bold and bright zinnias come in a rainbow of colors to suit any garden aesthetic, and work in pretty much every growing zone—as long as you give it plenty of sunshine. These beloved, and easy-to-grow annuals start blooming in early summer, and will continue to brighten your garden until the first frost.
Zones: 2 to 11
Autumn Crocus
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You may think of a crocus as an early harbinger of spring, but the autumn varieties can be planted in the summertime to brighten your garden into the fall. They come in a number of colors, just like their spring-blooming cousins, including pink, purple, white, and yellow.
Zones: 4 to 8
Autumn Joy Sedum
Sedum (also known as stonecrop) is a hardy perennial that produces big, bold bunches of tiny star-shaped blooms in early fall. Thanks to its succulent-like leaves, it’s drought- and heat-tolerant, so perfect for dry, arid areas.
Zones: 3 to 9
