Leaves have no monopoly on the colors of autumn

Clients can continue to have a blossoming garden late into the fall.
Photo: Mariani Landscape

Fall is usually associated with the brilliant display of trees’ foliage, but there are also plenty of flowering plants that continue to bloom well into autumn.

Here are just a handful of the plants you can offer your clients if they want to keep their backyard radiant with a rich variety of annuals and perennials.

________________________________________________________

Photo: Monrovia

Mammoth Daisy Dark Bronze Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum morifolium ‘Dark Bronze’) 

Orange-bronze, yellow-centered flowers engulf the dense foliage, creating a neat dome of color for more than a month. Bred to withstand cold winter temperatures. Superb for borders, edging, large containers or mass plantings. This perennial has a fast growth rate. Grows 3 feet high and 6 feet wide.

• USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-9
• Full sun

________________________________________________________

Moulin Rouge Pansy (Viola tricolor)

Large 2 ½-inch blooms display brightly colored and patterned petals that are extra frilled. Use this annual in beds or containers. Winter hardy in USDA hardiness zones 8-11. Grows 8 inches tall.

• USDA Hardiness Zone: all zones
• Full sun to part sun

________________________________________________________

Photo: Jill Odom/Total Landscape Care

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

This attractive perennial bears lovely daisy-like flowers that are rosy-purple with cone-like centers that are orange-brown. The North American native is heat- and drought-tolerant. Attracts butterflies in the summer. Grows 1.5 to 5 feet tall.

• USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-9
• Full sun

________________________________________________________

Photo: Monrovia

Eternal Fragrance Daphne (Daphne transatlantica ‘BLAFRA’ Eternal Fragrance P.P. #18,361)

A profusion of soft pink trumpet-like blossoms in clusters adorn its compact form providing long lasting fragrance in the garden for multiple months. A tidy landscape shrub for group plantings or containers. Grows 2 to 3 feet tall and wide.

• USDA Hardiness Zone: 6-9
• Partial to full sun

________________________________________________________

Photo: Monrovia

Firewitch Cheddar Pink (Dianthus gratianapolitanus ‘Firewitch’)

This evergreen perennial boasts a spicy clove-like fragrance synonymous with autumn. Bluish-gray foliage contrasts well with its prolific amount of magenta blooms. It is fast-growing and can be used as a border, groundcover, or container plant. Grows 1 foot tall and wide.

• USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-9
• Partial to full sun

________________________________________________________

Photo: Pixabay

Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)

This deciduous shrub has a moderate growth rate but can become a small tree with age. The plant is fragrant, with a hard-to-describe, sweet scent. It has bright yellow petals that look like streamers. Its leaves also turn yellow-orange in the fall. This plant can also be used for firescaping. Grows 15 feet tall.

• USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-8
• Partial to full sun

________________________________________________________

Photo: Monrovia

Little Lemon Goldenrod (Solidago hybrida ‘Dansolitlem’ P.P. #17,297)

Covered in tiny yellow sprigs, this perennial is known for its long-lasting blooms. It is low-maintenance and needs very little watering once established. It can be planted for borders, mass plantings, and in containers. Attracts butterflies and has a moderate growth rate. Grows 1 to 1.5 feet tall and wide.

• USDA Hardiness Zone: 5-8
• Full sun

________________________________________________________

Photo: Monrovia

Ruby Charm Helen’s Flower (Helenium ‘Ruby Charm’)

A variety with rich red flowers and petals that turn up. Another great perennial for containers and borders. Attracts birds and butterflies. Deer resistant. Fast growth rate. Grows 2 feet tall.

• USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-8
• Partial to full sun

________________________________________________________

Photo: Monrovia

Autumn Joy Stonecrop (Sedum x ‘Autumn Joy’)

Low-maintenance succulent that has clumped starry flowers that change from pink in the late summer to russet-red in the fall. Ideal for rock gardens. Attracts butterflies. Moderate growing speed. Grows 1.5 to 2 feet tall and wide.

• USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-11
• Partial to full sun

________________________________________________________

Photo: Monrovia

Alma Potschke New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae ‘Alma Potschke’)

Perennial with pink daisies with golden yellow centers. This is a fast-growing native that can serve as a late-season border. A water-wise choice that can be used for firescaping. Grows 3 to 4 feet tall.

• USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-8
• Full sun.