The time of year toplant fall flowersvaries tremendously.
Some are planted in spring, growing all season until the first frost.
Others are best to plant in mid or late summer or early fall.
The Spruce / Autumn Wood
Here are 26 good ornamental plants to consider for your fallcontainer gardens.
These perennial plants come in various colors and leaf textures and are almost impossible to kill.
Coral bells work exceptionally well with gourds, mums, andornamental grasses.
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They also look lovely when paired withpumpkin planters.
Verbena (Verbena spp.)
They are suitable fall flowers based on a long bloom period and their tolerance for cool temperatures.
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Many verbenas are hardy down to 15 degrees Fahrenheit and will continue flowering even after the first frost.
Colors range from white to brilliant reds to deep dark blue to purples and pinks.
It is exceedingly easy to grow and likes partial shade tofull shade.
Kerry Michaels
Another nice feature about oxalis is that you’re free to bring it indoors to overwinter.
Cabbages are excellently grouped in either rustic garden planters or low baskets.
They also bring rich color and texture to mixed container gardens.
Kerry Michaels
Kales can look great in funky shallow baskets, window boxes, or modern metal planters with clean lines.
Sedum (Sedum, Hylotelephium spp.)
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The largeSedumgenus recently was split, with 33 species reassigned to theHylotelephiumgenus).
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This included standard favorites such as ‘Autumn Joy,’ now known asHylotelephium’Herbstfreude' Autumn Joy.
However, they are all still generally known by the common name of sedum or stonecrop.
Many fall-bloomingSedum(orHylotelephium) species are classic plants for fall container gardens.
Marie Iannotti
Some varieties can growtalland are great to use in the center or back of a container.
If you stop pruning in early July, the plants will likely flesh out and bloom in September.
Asters (Aster spp.)
Kevin Dutton
Because mosttypes of astergrow rather tallas much as 6 feetthese are plants best suited for huge containers.
As container plants, they do best when planted in rich soil and kept moist but not soggy.
After flowering, cut the stems back entirely and store the potted plants in a cold frame or greenhouse.
Kerry Michaels
Pansies don’t do well in the hot months of midsummer.
They need fairly moist soil, so water them frequently when growing them in containers or hanging baskets.
Unlike many perennials, black-eyed Susans are relatively easy to grow from seed.
David Beaulieu
Use well-drained potting soil.
Coneflower (Echinacea spp.)
In most climates, the containers can be moved to a sheltered area tooverwinter successfully.
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Or they can be grown as annuals, planted afresh in containers each spring.
Themillion bellsplant is more often grown in containers than in garden soil.
It has a mounding habit that works well with trailing plants in mixed hanging baskets or large containers.
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The stalks are topped with attractive bristling seed heads in late summer, which last well into fall.
Dahlia (Dahlia spp.)
Some can grow up to 6 feet tall.
David Beaulieu
These flowers grow best in full sunlight with moist, well-drained soil.
The plants are perennial in warmer zones.
This plant is toxic to cats and dogs.
The Spruce / LetÃcia Almeida
Petunia (Petunia spp.)
The Spruce / Kara Riley
Petuniasare fast-growing plants that will reach full size by late spring.
They will flower all season as long as they have ample sun, water, and fertilizer.
The Spruce / Kara Riley
Deadhead spent blooms to keep the plant flowering until the first frost.
Prune away scraggly growth to encourage new growth.
Celosia (Celosia spp.)
The Spruce / Autumn Wood
Deadhead the faded, browning blooms to keep the plant producing flowers all season.
These plants require full sun, frequent watering, and well-draining soil.
Zinnias (Zinnia spp.)
The Spruce / Letícia Almeida
Zinnas flower from summer to first frost.
Zinnias do not have to be deadheaded, but their flowers may last longer if you do.
Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Goldenrodsproduce attractive, fluffy golden flower spikes that grow best in a sunny spot.
Its late-season blooms attract pollinators up through October.
Deadhead the fading flowers to extend the plant’s bloom season.
The Spruce / Gyscha Rendy
Marigold (Tagetes spp.)
The Spruce / Gyscha Rendy
Marigolds(Tagetesspp.
)are cheerful, reliable, blooming annual flowers.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Marigolds vary in size, color, and typefrom single-petal flowers to large, double-petal blossoms.
Deadheading will keep your flowers more prolific.
These easy-to-grow, low-maintenance perennial plants bloom in late summer and early fall.
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They develop rhizomatous roots that spread and colonize an area.
These plants prefer fertile, moist, well-drained soils.
Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus)
Brightsnapdragonsproduce flowers from spring through fall.
The Spruce / Marie Iannotti
Snapdragons are cold-hardy plants.
This plant thrives in full sun and requires ample water to keep its prolific blooms throughout the fall.
Helenium attractsbutterfliesin late summer and fall.
The Spruce / Claire Cohen Bates
Deadhead faded flowers to encourage another blush of blooms.
Hydrangea (Hydrangea spp.)
They grow in versatile soils, from sandy coastal parameters to shady woodlands.
The Spruce / Leticia Almeida
Hydrangeas prefer an entire sun site, fertile, rich soil, that is consistently moist but not soggy.
These plants grow fast, about 2 feet per year.
They can return year after year but fare best with winter wraps to help them survive the freeze.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Hydrangeas are toxic to pets.
This plant tends to fade during summer heat but will return when the temperatures cool.
It produces a carpet of tiny, fragrant flowers that serves as a ground cover of four-petal flowers.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
It grows fast from seed, flowering within two months.
In California, it’s an invasive plant.
Dianthus (Dianthus spp.)
The Spruce / Randi Rhoades
Blooms are single or double with jagged-edged petals.
Deadhead the plants after the first blush of blooms to ensure another set of flowers.
Salvia (Salvia yangii)
Russian sageis a fast-growing, low-maintenance, drought-tolerant perennial plant.
It’s best planted in the spring when the soil is warm but not too hot.
During hot periods, supplement with water to keep it from drying out.
It has a long blooming period of small, bluish-lavender floral panicles throughout the summer and fall.
It features feathery silver stems that can reach up to 5 feet tall.
These annuals grow on thick, sturdy, upright stems.
Most carry a single flower, although some can have multiple blooms.
Opt for a compact variety for planting in containers.
Plant them in the spring once the soil has warmed past 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
Dahlia.ASPCA Animal Poison Control.
