Ten Fall Flowers to Plant - Bringing Autumn Color to Your Garden

Article by Dean Ravenscroft, Ph.D. - Updated 17th Oct 2023

Many people do not look forward to the Autumn, and especially to the Winter, as the days begin to darken and the weather begins to chill.

However this time of year can be a wonderful time in the garden, so long as you choose the right plants.

Looking out into your garden at all the beautiful colors can help lift ones spirit, even on the most miserable of days.

Ten Fall Flowers to Plant to Bring Color to your Garden

Chrysanthemum

These late flowering plants will create lovely colors in your garden. Chrysanthemums like to grow in full sunlight and are great to make flower cuttings from to bring some color indoors.

They should stay in bloom until the first hard frost of autumn.

Chrysanthemums by Oatsy40.

Cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium)

Although these small plants flower at the beginning of autumn with pink or white rocket shaped flowers, they carry attractive marbled leaves that look great all through the winter. Cyclaman can grow in part shade to full sunlight, and reach about six inches (15 cm) in height.

Cyclamen hederifolium by Paul Gulliver.

Fall Asters

Range from one and a half to five feet ( 45 to 150 cm) in height, and have daisy like flowers in a large range of colors such as white, pink, blue, purple and red.

Fall Asters should ideally be grown in a rich soil, and like to grow in full sunlight. A compact growth of Asters can be encouraged by pinching and pruning.

New England Aster by Keith T. Robinson.

Japanese Anemone (Anemone x hybrida)

These plants reach two to five feet (60 to 150 cm) in height. They have poppy like flowers of white, burgundy or red. Japanese Anemone take very little effort to care for, but should be mulched during their first winter.

They like to grow in part shaded to full sun conditions. They make good flowers to take cuts from for displaying in your home.

Japanese Anemone picture by pen3ya.

Ornamental Kale & Cabbages (Brassica oleracea)

These plants are grown for their colorful foliage, and can be grown with pansies to create a delightful corner in your garden.

Kale reaches from 18 inches to two feet in height (45 to 60 cm), and like to grow in full sunlight.

They have attractive foliage of blue, purple, white or green, and will bring color in your garden through to the spring.

Brassica oleracea by Ava Babili.

Miscanthus

Miscanthus range in height from three to eight feet (1 to 2.5 m), and can grow in partially shaded and full sunlight conditions.

They carry plumes in colors of white, cream, pink, bronze, silver and purple.

These grasses are very easy to look after and are an ideal border plant.

Miscanthus grass by F. D. Richards.

Pampas Grass (Cortadera selloana)

These large grasses can reach from eight to eleven feet in height (2.5 to 3 m), have gray-green foliage, and lovely fluffy flower heads.

Pampas grasses like to grow in full sunlight and are great for use in flower arrangements.

Cortadera selloana by Jimmy Baikovicius.

Phlox

Phlox makes a great autumn plant, and has varieties that flower in a multitude of colors including white, blue, red, pink and purple.

They range from two to four feet in height (60 to 120 cm), and can grow in partially shaded or full sunlight conditions.

This makes then great fall flowers to plant, though they should only be grown in a part of the garden that has good ventilation.

Phlox diffusa by Brewbooks.

Scotch Heather (Calluna vulgaris)

These plants can be grown for both their flowers and foliage. Their bell shaped flowers can be white, violet, purple, red or bronze, and leaves may be green, apricot or russet.

They prefer to grow in full sunlight. Some of the late blooming varieties include Goldsworth Crimson, Blazeaway, Alba Jae, Darkness and David Eason.

Calluna vulgaris by Kingsbrae garden.

Winter Pansy (Viola wittrockiana)

Pansies, with their 'smiley faces', flower in a large array of colors, and they look spectacular if grown with ornamental kale or cabbages.

These plants flower throughout the autumn and winter, and can reach a height of two feet (60 cm). They like to grow in full sunlight.

Viola wittrockiana photograph by Andreas Kohn.

I hope that you enjoyed this article on fall flowers to plant to bring color in your garden, for more Gardener's HQ gardening articles go here, and be sure to check out these guides on how to grow Low Maintenance Plants and Attract Butterflies to the Garden.