1Montauk Dasies
One of the last perennials to bloom each year, Montauk daisies open in September and keep going until frost. The crisp white petals and golden centers look like oversized garden daisies and pair beautifully with pumpkins and gourds. Plant them in full sun and well-drained soil for years of reliable late-season color.
Varieties to try: Nippon White, Montauk Giant
2Russian Sage
Tall, airy spires of lavender-blue flowers bring a soft and hazy look to autumn gardens. Russian sage thrives in full sun, shrugs off drought, and adds a gorgeous contrast against warm-toned fall flowers like mums or rudbeckia. Plus, it attracts bees and butterflies right up to the season’s end.
Varieties to try: Blue Spire, Rocketman
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3Joe Pye Weed
With its big, dusky pink flower heads, Joe Pye Weed is a pollinator favorite that blooms from late summer into fall. It’s tall enough to anchor the back of a border, and its soft color palette fits right in with other fall perennials. Plant in full sun to part shade and keep the soil consistently moist for best results.
Varieties to try: Gateway, Little Joe
4Canna Lily
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Add a burst of brilliance to your garden this fall with the fiery canna lily! Blooming in late summer and continuing through fall until the frost arrives, these vibrant flowers feature banana-like leaves and come in stunning shades of red, orange, and yellow, bringing a touch of tropical charm to your autumn landscape.
Varieties to try: Apricot Dream, Firebird
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5African Daisy 
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These daisy-like blooms, often called blue-eyed daisies due to their striking gradient centers, thrive in full sun. From late summer through early fall, they deliver vibrant color shortly after planting.
Varieties to try: Lemon Symphony, Sideshow Copper Apricot
6Japanese Anemone 
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With their delicate pink and white petals, these flowers bloom in the fall with beautiful branching stems! They flourish in light to partial shade and prefer soil rich in organic matter.
Varieties to try: Pamina, Whirlwind
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7Nemesia 
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Despite its name meaning “nemesis,” Nemesia is anything but negative! This charming, sweet-scented flower thrives in cooler temperatures and well-drained soil, making it a wonderful choice for borders, hanging baskets, and flower beds.
Varieties to try: Lemon Mist, Opal Innocence
8Helenium
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Often referred to as “sneezeweed,” this warm-toned flower is perfect for cottage gardens, wildflower meadows, and everything in between! Thriving in full sun and blooming from late summer through fall, it loves moisture and attracts butterflies.
Varieties to try: Mardi Gras, Ruby Tuesday
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9Cosmos
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With their cheerful, daisy-like flowers, there’s just something so charming and irresistible about cosmos. That’s probably why they’re so often used in bouquets and flower arrangements. Cut a few to place into vases around your home for fun pops of color or throw them in your garden to produce blooms from summer into fall. They’ll even attract birds, bees, and butterflies.
Varieties to try: Dazzler, Fizzy Pink
10Hardy Fuchsia
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These fuchsia have incredibly eye-catching two-tone pendent flowers that will bring such a special touch to your yard—but they’re a little fussy when it comes to soil. Conditions shouldn’t be too wet, too dry, or too hot. Get it just right and the shrub will reliably persist through fall with dangling blossoms galore.
Varieties to try: Beacon, Dollar Princess
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11Goldenrod
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A deep yellow color makes the aptly-named goldenrod flower a good choice for any autumn garden—but beware: It’s sometimes considered a weed because of its tendency to multiply. Despite this, you can easily find a cultivar that offers better performance so you can still have those bright yellow plumes reminiscent of fireworks that thrive in a wide variety of conditions, from full sun to part-shade and in average to dry soils.
Varieties to try: Zigzag, Seaside
12Sumac
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You’ve probably seen sumac listed in some of your favorite recipes: The dried, ground berries of this flower lend a sour, lemon-like flavor to plenty of savory dishes. In your garden, they’re just as interesting to have around. Especially in the fall thanks to those clusters of short-stalked flowers and leaves that become extremely colorful! Note: This one can grow up to 30 feet tall!
Varieties to try: Lemonade Berry Sumac, Fragrant Sumac
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13Sunflowers
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It’s impossible not to love sunflowers! I mean, they’re one of Ree Drummond’s all-time favorite flowers for a reason as they provide cheery, larger-than-life charm in gardens all over the country. Though they peak in the summertime, they’ll continue standing tall through the early autumn months. Check out our complete guide on how to grow sunflowers to liven up your space.
Varieties to try: American Giant, Evening Sun
14Chrysanthemum
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Well, if it isn’t the star of autumn gardens! This iconic flower comes in every shade of the rainbow. Plus, they’re hardy and cold-tolerant, so they’ll come back next year if you get them in the ground early enough in the planting season. But fall-planted mums generally are considered annuals because their roots don’t have time to establish before winter. That’s okay! Enjoy them now and plant new ones next year using this guide on how to care for mums.
Varieties to try: Matchsticks, Mammoth Daisy Lavender
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15Aster
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Here’s another must-have for your autumn garden. Plant them in the summer and they’ll bloom later in the season (around the same time as mums) when your other florals begin to fade. You’ll get the prettiest blue, lavender, pink or purple shades for years to come. That’s right! They’re easy to grow and live a long time with little fuss from you, making them the perfect perennial for late-season color.
Varieties to try: Bluebird, Peachie’s Pick
16Marigold
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Marigolds have been a fall favorite for a long time. You may even remember them from your grandmother’s garden! That’s because these hardy annuals bloom well into fall and can even survive a light frost. They aren’t bothered by pests or critters either. You’re sure to enjoy their reliable, steady hues in a perfect fall color palette. Just note: They come in a range of sizes from 6 to 18 inches tall, so read the label to be sure about what you’re getting.
Varieties to try: Triple Treat, Strawberry Blonde
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17Sweet Alyssum
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Smelling lightly of honey, these charming low-growing annuals look best cascading from window boxes and baskets. They also tolerate a light frost, so you’ll enjoy the color and fragrance well into fall.
Varieties to try: Carpet of Snow, White Knight
18Sedum
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When many other plants have faded, sedum offers lovely muted shades that contrast well with the vibrant colors of autumn. The cut blooms last for weeks in a vase.
Varieties to try: Lemonjade, Firecracker
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19Ornamental Cabbage and Kale
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Who says cabbage and kale can’t be pretty? These annuals have frilly edges and swirls of green and pink leaves in the center rosettes. They’re as tough as nails and are gorgeous in the garden when mixed with other cool weather lovers, like pansies.
Varieties to try: Color Up Pink, Crane Pink
20Viola
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With their bright colors and adorable funny-face markings, these cool weather annuals enjoy the milder days of fall. In warm climates, they may make it through most of the winter, and some types self-sow to pop up again in your garden next spring.
Varieties to try: Plentifall Frost, Johnny Jump-Up
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