FIVE PERENNIALS FOR LATE-SUMMER & FALL COLOR – Green-Thumb Gardener
If you plan accordingly, you can keep the bright colors going in your garden right up until the first frost. For fall flowers to thrive in your garden you need to plant them in the spring or early summer, so they have time to become established. Now is the time to check out the perennials that are blooming and keep note of the ones you would like to have for yourself. Here are our top five favorite perennials for fall color:
Goldenrod: While goldenrod can be a bit of an aggressive spreader in the garden, it’s one of the last flowers to bloom in the fall. It’s bloom period generally stretches from August to October. It’s clusters of tiny yellow flowers provide a wonderful color show during fall. You’re not the only one that will enjoy it, bees and butterflies also love Goldenrod.
Want to try Goldenrod but don’t want it to takeover? You can easily control the spread by removing the flower heads before they go to seed.
Chrysanthemum aka “Mums”: Mums are a common sight to see during the fall months. No matter where you look, you’ll find these colorful plants dotting porches in neighborhoods, at every fall festival, and even at the grocery store! While a blooming mum makes for a wonderful fall gift, you can have mums blooming in your garden year after year!
In order to grow chrysanthemums as a perennial you’ll want to make sure you get them planted into the ground in the spring so they can be well established before fall and colder temperatures arrive. Ideally, mums should be cut back and pruned no later than the 4th of July. This keeps the plant compact and full of foliage as well as sets you up for a bushy, blooming plant in the fall!
Aster: With star-shaped flower heads, Asters bring delightful colors from purple, blue, and white to your garden from late summer through autumn. Asters attract bees and butterflies, providing the important pollinators with a supply of nectar late in the season.
Sedum: If you’re looking for a low maintenance and drought-resistant plant that blooms in the fall, then look no further than Sedum (also known as Stonecrop). Large, semi-domed flowerheads in colors of pink and red shades appear in August and remain through fall.
Helenium: Add glorious late-season color with Helenium, a sun-loving perennial that delivers a display of orange, yellow, and red from late summer through early fall. Sometimes confused with coneflowers, Helenium blooms have petals that face outward from a central cone.
Besides choosing plants that have a late bloom period, you’ll also want to check your growing zones to be certain they will bloom and flourish in our crazy Indiana weather! Your local nursery can always offer advice if you are unsure.
This article was written by Erin Davidson and sponsored by McNamara Florist.
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