Gardening Flowers Perennials 8 Fall-Blooming Perennials That Keep the Show Going Until Winter Enjoy colorful flowers in your garden as long as possible with plants that bloom late in the growing season. Most will power through the first frost. By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Instagram Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on October 6, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email After a long, hot summer, the autumn garden doesn't have to end in a sigh. The best gardeners plan for blooms from spring through autumn. By planting fall-blooming perennials that add color when summer annuals and perennials start to fade away, you'll be able to keep enjoying your garden long after the last barbecue of the summer. Some of the trees in your yard will provide beautiful fall foliage, but these perennials will add color and interest throughout your entire garden. Fall is also a good time to plant new perennials, so if you don't already have some of these favorites as part of your landscape, there's no time like the present to plant a few. 01 of 08 'Fireworks' Goldenrod Denny Schrock 'Fireworks' goldenrod (Solidago rugosa) is an award-winning classic for almost any fall garden. It's a reliable, tough plant, and pollinators love it. Goldenrod can grow to a whopping 8 feet, making it an eye-catching autumn perennial in an open landscape. In addition, this fall-blooming perennial is deer-resistant and drought-tolerant. The best part is that it won't aggravate your allergies (goldenrod pollen often gets incorrectly blamed for your seasonal sniffles when the cause is pollen from ragweed that blooms simultaneously). Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil Size: Up to 8 feet tall Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Goldenrod Wildflower Seeds (from $7, Etsy) 02 of 08 'Adagio' Maiden Grass Bob Stefko Autumn is the time when many wispy ornamental grasses shine. Although there are wide varieties of maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis), one of the most popular for modern gardens is 'Adagio' because of its dwarf habit. It's also a sterile cultivar, so it won't reseed all over the garden and become invasive. Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil Size: Up to 5 feet tall Zones: 5-9 03 of 08 'Standing Ovation' Little Bluestem Denny Schrock Little bluestem is a popular native warm-season grass that often flops over unless it's growing close together with other plants. But not 'Standing Ovation' little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), which will stay upright in the fall garden. Plus, it's deer-resistant and handles drought well. Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to 4 feet tall Zones: 3-9 Buy It: 'Standing Ovation' Little Bluestem ($15, Spring Hill Nurseries) 04 of 08 Leadwort Denny Schrock Hardy plumbago is also called leadwort (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides). Its bright blue flowers provide an unexpected bit of color in the fall as the rest of the landscape fizzles. It's also a drought-tolerant groundcover that can fill in dry, bare spots in your landscape. Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil Size: Up to 12 inches tall Zones: 5-9 Buy It: Hardy Blue Plumbago Chinese Leadwort ($142 for 25, Walmart) 05 of 08 Pitcher Sage Chipper R. Hatter Pitcher sage (Salvia azurea) is a North American native that provides an alternative to Russian sage. This deer- and drought-resistant fall-blooming perennial attracts birds with its beautiful blue blooms. (Unlike other varieties of salvia, pitcher sage is not an herb meant to be eaten.) Growing Conditions: Part sun and well-drained soil Size: Up to 5 feet tall Zones: 5-9 Buy It: May Night Sage (from $17, Eden Brothers) 06 of 08 'Lidakense' Sedum Jason Wilde Hardworking, drought-tolerant sedums come in various sizes, from upright perennials to groundcovering varieties like this one called 'Lidakense'. This low-growing succulent welcomes fall with small pink flowers contrasting beautifully with the blue-gray foliage with hints of purple. Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil Size: Up to 6 inches tall Zones: 2-9 Buy It: 'Lidakense' Sedum ($9, Etsy) 07 of 08 'Honorine Jobert' Windflower Helen Norman Windflowers (Anemone x hybrida) come in white, lavender, and pink shades. They have been popular perennials in American gardens for well over a century, and for good reason. They're easy to grow, even in shade, and bloom after many other plants have faded. 'Honorine Jobert' is an especially popular variety that will produce white flowers with yellow centers on long, thin stems that will dance in the breeze. Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall Zones: 4-8 Buy It: 'Honorine Jobert' Windflower ($9, Etsy) 08 of 08 Mexican Bush Sage Ed Gohlich Hitting its peak bloom when cooler temperatures set in, Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha) produces numerous wands of beautiful pinkish-purple blooms. They'll attract an abundance of hummingbirds and butterflies. Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall Zones: 7-10 Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit