Fall-Blooming Flowers: Asters, Goldenrod, Helenium, and More for Autumn Color

Extend the Garden Season into Autumn

Fall flowers bridge summer's end and winter's start. Most prefer moist soil and full to partial sun. These seven deliver reliable late-season color.

Calico Aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum)

Robust perennial, Asteraceae family. Blooms August–November. Compound flowers 1/3 inch: pale yellow disks aging to reddish-purple/brown, 8–12 white/yellow rays. To 3 feet tall.

Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum)

Herbaceous perennial, native to eastern coastal North America. To 5 feet, coarse lance-like leaves to 8 inches. Domed clusters of tiny rose-pink flowers, 1–1.5 feet wide. Blooms July–September. Zones 4–8. Borders for cottage and butterfly gardens.

Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale)

Asteraceae family. Bold crimson, orange, gold daisy-like clusters August–October. To 4 feet tall, 3-foot spread. Foliage prone to rust, leaf spot, powdery mildew. Despite the name, not allergenic—historically used as snuff.

Crown of Rays Goldenrod (Solidago hybrid)

Clump-forming hybrid, ~2 feet tall, 18-inch spread. Fast, ~10-year lifespan. Horizontal plumes of small bright yellow/gold flowers. Excellent for butterfly gardens.

Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)

Drought-resistant perennial, zones 4–9. Upright, lacy gray-green leaves (sage scent when crushed). Violet-blue flower spikes, midsummer to fall. 3 feet tall, 30 inches wide. Mint family. Borders, cottage gardens, filler plant.

Japanese Anemone (Anemone hupehensis)

Long-lived perennial, hairy leaves, graceful 4-foot stems. Rose, pink, or white poppy-like flowers in fall. Adds late-season elegance.

Boltonia (Boltonia asteroides)

False aster, perennial. "Thousand-flowered aster"—numerous half-inch blooms on silvery foliage. White, purple, pink with yellow centers. 3–5 feet. Sunny, moist, well-drained soil. Back-of-border. Blooms August–September.

Plant in drifts for a spectacular autumn finale.