What Flowers Are in Bloom in the Fall?

A well-rounded garden plan has flowers that bloom in each season, and fall is no exception. As the hot summer temperatures fade, the door opens to colors as vibrant and beautiful as your spring blooming garden flowers. When you think of flowers that bloom in the fall, asters and chrysanthemums most often come to mind, but many others bloom in early fall and even up to the first frost.

This evergreen shrub bears clusters of creamy white flowers which emerge from velvety-soft purple calyces, the flower's outer coverings. These flowers bloom on long arching stems, and like most sages, the leaves of Mexican Bush Sage are aromatic. According to Floridata, this perennial shrub is native to Mexico and Central America and will tolerate some drought in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) hardiness zones 8 to 10. Elsewhere, it can be grown as an annual, but requires a long growing season, not blooming until the beginning of autumn. Mexican Bush Sage can grow to 4 feet tall and wide in full sun.

Turtlehead, or Chelone, is a wildflower that is named for its flowers that resemble a turtle's head emerging from its shell. An herbaceous perennial, Turtlehead doesn't start blooming until August and then fills your fall garden with white or pink flowers until the end of fall. Turtlehead grows to 3 feet tall and prefers partial shade in moist, humus-rich soil. The leaves of Turtlehead plants are dark green and grow on stems that form a clump. Turtlehead naturalizes well and will attract butterflies to your garden.

Helenium is also known as Sneezeweed, according to Perennial Reference, because it was once used as snuff. Helenium is a wildflower perennial that blooms from mid-summer into fall. The flowers have long thin petals surrounding a central eye and bloom in shades of yellow, burgundy and orange. Sneezeweed flowers grow in partial to full sun in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 8. These perennials can grow up to 7 feet tall and may need staking. They are slightly drought-tolerant but prefer moist, well-drained soil. Helenium will spread by underground rhizomes and may need to be divided every two to three years.

Plumbago is a trailing shrub that can grow to 10 feet high and wide. Pale blue or violet flowers bloom in the fall and last until the first frost. Plumbago leaves are small and grow on long arching stems. This evergreen shrub is native to South Africa and grows best in slightly sandy soil in full sun, according to Floridata. Plumbago is hardy from USDA hardiness zones 8 to 11. Plumbago flowers will attract butterflies to your fall garden and can be grown in a container. This shrub is pest and disease resistant and matures quickly, Floridata states.