15 Fall Annuals To Fill Your Fall Garden With Blooms

Xerochrysum bracteatum, commonly known as the golden everlasting or strawflower — Photo:
Getty Images

Autumn is a magical time in the landscape. Leaves sparkle on tree limbs like gemstones and flowering plants gear up for their season finale. The cool nights and crisp clear days of fall rejuvenate flowering annuals and perennials that may have languished in the heat of summer. The
result is a riot of blooms that gives the trees a run for their money. Among the spectacle are gorgeous annuals for the fall garden that bloom well into autumn.

As the days shorten, many of us begin to transition our gardens for the winter months, planting pansies, snapdragons, and ornamental cabbages for winter color. Fall annuals bridge the gap between summer blooms and these cool-season annuals. They include autumn classics like mums and other plants to celebrate the season, as well as summer annuals that just won’t quit. Use the fall annuals on this list to accent your autumn décor and carry planting beds through the seasons.

Avoid the late-season garden slump by planting flowering annuals that thrive as the seasons change. These beautiful fall annuals keep the garden looking its best well into autumn, when cool-season annuals can take over.

01 of 15

Mums

Botanical Name: Chrysanthemum spp.
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Moist, Well-draining, Rich
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic (5.8 to 6.8)

With gold, orange, red, and bronze blooms, mums are the quintessential fall flower. Although mums are winter hardy in USDA zones 5-9, most gardeners treat them like annuals, tucking plants into pots and planting beds to replace waning summer annuals. Mums have a shallow root system, making them ideal for containers. For long-lasting color, purchase plants with flowers that are just starting to open.

02 of 15

Marigold

Botanical Name: Tagetes spp.
Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Type: Moist, Well-draining, Average
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic to Neutral (6.0-7.0)

Easy to grow from seeds or transplants, marigolds are a favorite bedding plant for edging and borders. The flowers often wane in the heat of summer but undergo a resurgence when cool autumn weather arrives. The cheery yellow, orange, and red blooms make the perfect addition to autumn décor. Deadhead spent blooms for continuous flowering.

03 of 15

Million Bells

Botanical Name: Calibrachoa x hybrida
Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Type: Moist, Well-draining, Rich
Soil pH: Acidic (5.0-6.5)

Million bells are prolific bloomers, flowering non-stop from the day you plant until a heavy frost finally stops the show. They can tolerate light frost and keep on blooming. Best of all, million bells are self-cleaning, so there is no need to deadhead spent flowers to keep the show going. Hummingbirds adore the tubular blooms which are available in a wide range of autumn hues.

04 of 15

Cockscomb

colorful of Celosia argentea — Getty Images

Botanical Name: Celosia argentea
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Moist, Well-draining, Average
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic (6.0-6.5)

A playful addition to any garden, the unique flower forms of cockscomb make these plants well suited to fall decorating. Looking for a touch of spookiness? Flowers of the Cristata group look like hairy brains. Plumosa type cockscombs have a flame-like appearance and come in fiery autumn hues. Cockscomb flowers retain their color very well when dried for floral arrangements.

05 of 15

Calendula

Botanical Name: Calendula officinalis
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Medium Moisture, Well-draining, Rich
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic to Neutral (6.0-7.0)

Also called pot marigold, calendula thrives under cool temperatures, making a great addition to the autumn garden. Flowering in yellow and orange, they complement the autumn leaves and add vibrant color to the garden. Calendula tolerates a light frost but not hard freezes. Cover plants on cold nights to extend their flowering season into late fall.

06 of 15

Ornamental Peppers

Botanical Name: Capsicum annuum
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Moist, Well-draining, Rich
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic (6.0-6.8)

Although they are edible, ornamental peppers have been bred for eye-candy, not flavor. Their fruits come in a range of colors and shapes, from classic chili-pepper shapes to round or finger-like fruits. Many varieties feature deep purple to near black foliage. The colorful fruits are at their peak from late summer through fall.

07 of 15

Fountain Grass

Botanical Name: Cenchrus (formerly Pennisetum) setaceus
Sun Exposure: Full to Part Sun
Soil Type: Medium, Well-draining, Average
Soil pH: Acidic to Mildly Alkaline (5.5-7.8)

With colorful leaf blades and late-season plumes, fountain grass adds texture and movement to the fall garden. Many ornamental varieties feature burgundy to wine-colored foliage for rich color all season long. Plumes resembling narrow bottle brushes emerge in late summer and stand above the foliage throughout autumn.

08 of 15

Sweet Alyssum

Botanical Name: Lobularia maritima
Sun Exposure: Full to Part Sun
Soil Type: Dry to medium, Well-draining, Average
Soil pH: Acidic to Neutral (5.5-7.0)

This popular edging plant produces a flush of white flowers that nearly cover the strappy foliage. Flowering tends to wane during the dog days of summer, at which point plants can be cut back by half to encourage a fresh flush of autumn blooms. Another option is to sow seeds in August for fall flowers. Many hybrids and cultivars including 'Snow Crystals' and Snow Princess (Lobularia hybrid 'Inlbusnopr') are more tolerant of Southern heat.

09 of 15

'Autumn Beauty' Sunflower

Botanical Name: Helianthus annuus
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Medium, Well-draining, Rich
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic to Neutral (6.0-7.5)

Named for the warm colors of its flowers—a mix of gold, rust, and burgundy hues—'Autumn Beauty' sunflower stands out in the fall landscape. The six- to eight-inch blooms stand atop stems reaching six to seven feet tall. Plants flower 75-90 days after sowing seeds. For autumn blooms, sow seeds in June to July, depending on your location. Flowers attract bees and butterflies, while songbirds feed on the nutritious seeds.

10 of 15

Strawflower

Botanical Name: Xerochrysum (formerly Helichrysum) bracteatum
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Dry to Medium, Well-draining, Average
Soil pH: Acidic to Neutral (5.5-7.0)

Strawflower or everlasting flower is an easy to grow annual that is rather underused in the landscape. Plants bloom from early summer through frost, producing daisy-like flowers with a golden disc surrounded by stiff yellow, orange, red, pink, or white bracts. Flowers hold their form and color when dried, making them very popular for dried flower arrangements. Although commonly grown as an annual, plants are winter hardy in zones 8-10.

11 of 15

Globe Amaranth

Botanical Name: Gomphrena globosa
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Dry to Medium, Well-draining, Average
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic to Neutral (6.0-7.0)

With good heat and drought tolerance, this low maintenance annual is a staple of the Southern garden. Spherical, clover-like blooms stand atop mounded foliage in vibrant pink, purple, orange, white, and red hues. Globe amaranth makes an excellent cut flower, both fresh and dried. Plants flower non-stop spring through fall, at which time many gardeners collect flower heads for drying and seeds to sow the following spring.

12 of 15

Trailing Lobelia

Terracotta pot with blue lobelia blooms — Getty Images

Botanical Name: Lobelia erinus
Sun Exposure: Full to Part Sun
Soil Type: Moist, Well-draining, Rich
Soil pH: Acidic (5.5-6.5)

Lobelia thrives when the weather cools, sending up a flush of vibrant blue blooms. Trailing varieties make a fabulous addition to fall containers, providing cool contrast to more fiery fall blooms. In frost-free areas (zones 10-11) lobelia can be grown as a winter-to-spring annual. In cooler regions, plants are commonly planted in spring for an early season color and cut back in summer when plants decline due to heat. Lobelia rebounds in fall when cooler days return for a gorgeous autumn display.

13 of 15

China Aster

Botanical Name: Callistephus chinensis
Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Type: Moist, Well-draining, Rich
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic to Neutral (6.1-7.3)

China asters are a florist favorite thanks to their long vase life and wide array of colors and flower forms. Available in just about every color of the rainbow, the flower heads range from tight buttons and dense domes to soft, feathery blooms. China asters flower about 110-120 days after sowing, so adjust planting time to ensure autumn blooms.

14 of 15

Garden Verbena

Botanical Name: Verbena hybrid
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Medium Moisture, Well-draining
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic to Slightly Alkaline (5.8-7.2)

Garden verbenas are bred to be prolific bloomers, putting on a profusion of flowers from late spring to fall in a range of colors. Plants have good heat and drought tolerance, but flowering often wanes in the summer months. Autumn brings a fresh flush of flowers to carpet the ground in cool blues and purples, sunny yellow, and warm rose to red hues. Flowers produce a rich source of nectar for fall pollinators and migrating hummingbirds.

15 of 15

Dusty Miller

Botanical Name: Jacobaea maritima
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Moist, Well-draining, Rich
Soil pH: Acidic to Neutral (5.5-7.0)

Like the trees above, dusty miller’s sparkle shines through its foliage, not its blooms. With deeply lobed leaves covered in fine hairs, the silvery foliage stands out no matter the season. Pair it with purple-black flowers for a Halloween scene or tuck dusty miller into containers as a vibrant filler.

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Tell us why!