The Best Fall Flowers (That Aren’t Mums): Expert Picks
Updated: Jan. 10, 2023
Plan on adding some of these plants to your garden to attract more flowers and color in the fall.
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The Best Fall Flowers
Q: Besides mums, what should I plant to get more flowers and color in autumn? — reader Judy Roberts, Graytown, Ohio.
A: Mums definitely signal the end of the growing season, but native asters (pictured below), turtleheads and goldenrods are also excellent options. Try sunny Ohio goldenrod or the cultivar Fireworks. They provide nectar for pollinators preparing for winter or migrating to their southern homes.
One of our favorite nonnative plants is toad lily (pictured above). The flowers remind us of orchids and appear along or at the tip of the plant’s stem.
Native and noninvasive ornamental grasses also provide texture year-round, and many flower in fall, producing attractive seed heads that last through winter.
Asters (pictured above) are a late-blooming, bee and butterfly friendly flower that looks gorgeous in the garden and in a fall floral display. When landscaping, don’t forget about shrubs for autumn beauty. Some shrubs flower or turn red in the fall.
— Melinda Myers, gardening expert.
