Are you interested in planting the Best Perennial Fall Flowers that will bloom every year no matter where you live?
Are you unsure what the perfect type of flower is to plant for a fall garden?
Or do you just want to attract pollinators to your flowers and garden this fall?
If so, then you’ll love 20 Best Perennial Fall Flowers to Plant for Pollinators!
And if you continue to scroll you’ll even learn about the best ways to plant your flowers and what to look for when buying Flower seeds and bulbs!
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1. Celosias
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 2 to 11
- Soil pH: 6.0 to 6.5
- Height x Width: 3 feet x 1.5 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Partial Sun
- Varieties: Crested, Plume, Spike
Celosia is a durable and easy-care fall flower that fits in any garden and home.
Expect dark shades of yellow, scarlet, orange, and purple that is perfect for a container garden.
Best of all is that this is one of the few types of vertical growing flowers that can be added to your garden for additional colors and textures that you otherwise wouldn’t have.
2. Dianthus
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9
- Soil pH: 6.0 to 6.9
- Height x Width: 1 foot x 1 foot
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Partial Sun
- Varieties: China Pink, Garden Pink, Maiden Pink
Dianthus flowers are some of the best perennial fall flowers that can attract pollinators.
This type of flower has a sweet frangrance that is perfect on a cool autumn evening.
Best of all is that the colors of white, pink, and red are perfect for hanging baskets, raised garden beds, and even ground cover.
3. Beautyberry
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 to 10
- Soil pH: 5.2 to 7.0
- Height x Width: 4 feet x 5 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Partial Sun
- Varieties: American, Japanese, Callicarpa
One factor that attracts bees to flowers is the color. And you will never forget the color of beautyberries.
This beautiful purple flower is cold-weather resistant making it the perfect perrnial for almost all climates.
Plant this flower or bush next to your house, in raised garden beds, or even as a border for best results.
4. Turtleheads
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 to 9
- Soil pH: 5.0 to 6.8
- Height x Width: 3 feet x 3 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Partial Sun
- Varieties: Chelone
The turtlehead flower is another beautiful bloom that is perfect in the fall.
This flower got its name from the turtlehead shaped blooms and can be enjoyed for weeks in the fall and early winter.
Plan this flower in a damp garden area. Expect it to grow in dense clumps and note that this plant does not survive in excessive heat and droughts very well.
This type of flower has a beautiful fragrance and can sprawl across raised garden beds, containers, and as ground cover.
What you’ll love about this type of flower is that it blooms in late fall and early winter, complementing early fall bloomers.
5. Oak Leaf Hydrangea
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 to 9
- Soil pH: 5.0 to 6.5
- Height x Width: 4 feet x 4 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Partial Sun
- Varieties: Oak Leaf
Oak Leaf Hydrangeas are some of the most beautiful flowers to grow, but can also be some of the most difficult.
- Related: Best Hydrangea Fertilizer
This type of flower will have its leaves turn from white to brown, gold, and burgandy in the fall attracting many different types of pollinators like butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.
Plant this flower in partial-sun with afternoon shade for best results.
It is recommended not to plant it in gardens or raised garden beds as they are one of the largest flowers on this list.
6. Sweet Autumn Clematis
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 9
- Soil pH: 6.0 to 7.0
- Height x Width: 30 feet x 5 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Partial Sun
- Varieties: Sweet Autumn
Clematis are one of the most well-known climbing flowers that can be found in climates all across North America.
The Sweet Autumn Clematis have beautiful white blooms and smell even better than they look.
Plant this flower in a partial-sun area where it can climb and grow. Be aware though that is will take over your garden if you don’t prune it!
7. Russian Sage
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 to 9
- Soil pH: 7.0 to 9.0
- Height x Width: 4 feet x 2 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Partial Sun
- Varieties: Blue Haze, Blue Spire, Little Spire
If you want a flower that blooms late summer and early autumn for weeks at a time then look no further than Russian sage.
This flower needs to be pruned every spring for beautiful purple blooms in the falls and is one of the best attractors for summer and fall pollinators.
What sets this flower apart is that it can be considered either a shrub or a flower and is perfect for any type of garden.
8. Sunflower
Also, this type of flower is considered a biennial where it will survive for two years before you will need to plant buy more bulbs.
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 2 to 11
- Soil pH: 6.0 to 7.5
- Height x Width: 8 feet x 3 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Full Sun
- Varieties: Common, Maximilian, Mammoth
Sunflowers may be the most recognizable flower that blooms in late summer and early autumn on this list.
There are over 15 different types of sunflowers and they can grow anywhere from 3 feet tall to 15 feet tall!
The best part about this type of flower is that the seeds have many uses, including food for humans and other animals alike.
9. Heleniums
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
- Soil pH: 5.5 to 7.0
- Height x Width: 3 feet x 2 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Full Sun
- Varieties: Common, Bigelow, Bitter
Helenium flowers will remind you of coneflowers, sunflowers, and other vibrant perennials and annuals that are perfect for large areas that you would like to fill your plants.
This type of flower blooms in early fall and is a great complement to late summer and other early fall bloomers.
Not only that, but this flower is another great option for gardeners growing flowers in drought-prone areas and fits perfectly in raised garden beds and traditional gardens.
10. Caryopteris
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 to 9
- Soil pH: 6.5 to 7.5
- Height x Width: 3 feet x 2 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Full Sun
- Varieties: Longwood Blue, Worchester Gold
Caryopteris is more commonly known as the blue mist shrub and blooms in late summer staying throughout most of the fall.
While it is slow to bloom, the beautiful blue and purple cluster flowers are some of the favorite to visit by butterflies and bumblebees.
You can cut back this plant in the winter, plant it almost anywhere, and enjoy its grayish green foliage year round.
11. Sedum
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 9
- Soil pH: 5.0 to 6.5
- Height x Width: 1 feet x 3 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Full Sun
- Varieties: John Creech, Autumn Charm, Goldmoss
If you are looking for the lowest type of maintenance plant to grow on this list then you have found it with sedum. Because of this, it is one of my favorite best perennial fall flowers to grow.
This flower and plant can be grown almost anywhere, is heat and drought tolerant, and is almost indestructible.
What you’ll love about this plant though is that it comes in some of the widest ranges of sizes, types, and colors and is a perfect fit for any type of garden
12. Balloon Flower
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
- Soil pH: 5.8 to 6.8
- Height x Width: 1 foot x 3 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Full Sun
- Varieties: Fuji Blue, Double Blue, Hakone Double Blue
Balloon flowers are a beautiful, but tricky flower to grow. While it mostly blooms in the summer, if you deadhead and prune it you will see beautiful colors in early autumn.
While this is a slow grower and bloomer, the colors are beautiful and the fragrance is one of the sweetest on this list.
Because of how slow this plant is to grow you can plant it in almost any garden, but make sure to give it plenty of space. This is truly one of the best perennial fall flowers.
13. Aster
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
- Soil pH: 5.5 to 7.5
- Height x Width: 2 feet x 5 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Full Sun
- Varieties: Alpine, Aromatic, European
The Aster flower should be the foundation of any perennial flower garden.
You’ll love the thick mounds of pink, blue, purple, and even white blooms throughout autumn every year. This truly is one of the best perennial fall flowers
This flower is also the favorite type of plant to visit by monarch butterflies.
And best of all because of its hardiness and short stature it can be planted in almost every garden type and garden container.
14. Daisies
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 to 8
- Soil pH: 6.0 to 7.5
- Height x Width: 3 feet x 2 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Full Sun
- Varieties: English, African, Shasta
The Daisy is prized by flower gardeners for its late-season blooms that last well into late fall and sometimes early winter making it one of the best perennial fall flowers.
If you want a flower that will retain its leaves and flower color into early winter and is frost and cold-tolerant then the daisy is perfect for you.
This flower is best planted in raised garden beds, pots, and well-draining gardens.
15. Chrysanthemum
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9
- Soil pH: 5.8 to 6.8
- Height x Width: 3 feet x 3 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Partial Sun
- Varieties: Amber Morning, Daisy and Tenderness
Chrysanthemum is more commonly known as mums by flower gardeners.
This type of flower is known for its beautiful fall colors of orange, yellow, pink, peach, and white.
You can find these flowers in a wide range of sizes and are perfect for containers, raised garden beds, next to your front door, or even in a garden.
16. Lily
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 9
- Soil pH: 4.5 to 6.0
- Height x Width: 2 feet x 2 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Full Sun
- Varieties: Tiger, Easter, Orange
Lilies can grow in late spring and in the summer, but are even more beautiful in the fall. And the fragrance they give off is even more amazing.
This type of flower should be planted in a full-sun and well-draining soil. Expect beautiful colors and amazing blooms after two years.
Look for areas in your yard that received full-sun. This is great for raised garden beds and even in pots around or inside your house.
17. Sneezeweed
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
- Soil pH: 5.5 to 7.0
- Height x Width: 2 feet x 3 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Full Sun
- Varieties: Common, Bitter, Bigelow
If you are looking for a flower that is perfect in fall gardens, looks like a coneflower, but is taller and has a Rust color then look no further than sneezeweed.
This is a great plant for dry soil, full sun, and even partial shade if need be. This makes it one of the best perennial fall flowers on this list.
Like the clematis that can grow tall quickly, plant this next to a trellis, in a raised garden bed, or even in gardening containers.
18. Joe Pye Weed
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 2 to 9
- Soil pH: 5.5 to 7.0
- Height x Width: 5 feet x 2 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Full Sun
- Varieties: Joe Pye Weed
Joe Pye Weed is another great plant to attract monarch butterflies and other pollinators in the fall. This makes it one of the best perennial fall flowers on the list.
This plant is the most rugged and hardy flower you will find on this list and is perfect for beginner gardeners. Not only this, but you’ll love the burgundy colors that bloom in the fall
Make sure to plant this flower by itself or in a large garden as it will take up a lot of space.
19. Goldenrod
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8
- Soil pH: 5.5 to 7.5
- Height x Width: 3 feet x 3 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Full Sun
- Varieties: Canada, Giant, Late
Goldenrod is my favorite flower on this list to grow in the fall. It is also one of the best perennial fall flowers on the list.
This is a heat and drought tolerant flower that is native to most areas and blooms a beautiful golden yellow color in late summer and early fall.
You’ll love planting this flower up against your house, in raised garden beds, or even among wildflowers.
20. Japanese Anemone
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 7
- Soil pH: 5.5 to 7.5
- Height x Width: 3 feet x 3 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Full Sun
- Varieties: Japanese
The Japanese Anemone is a unique and newer type of flower that is grown by gardeners in North America.
This type of flower prefers full sun or partial shade, well-draining soil, and loves organic compost.
They are known for underground runners, so keep it away from other plants that you don’t want it to take over and is great in raised garden beds and garden containers.
Frequently Asked Questions (7 Questions)
1. How Do I Plant Fall Flowers?
Planting Fall Flowers is relatively easy.
Assuming you are just planting a flower plant all you need to do is dig a hole approximatley 6 – 8 inches deep.
Then apply a cup of flower garden soil. Place your flower plant into the hole. Then cover it with your soil.
Next, apply flower fertilizer and water it for 15-20 seconds. Once a week you will want to water your flowers if they do not receive rain.
If you are planting flower bulbs you will want to dig a hole 6 – 8 inches deep.
Plant your bulbs with the “pointy end” up. Then cover it with soil and water it for 15 – 30 seconds.
After, do not water the bulbs as this can cause root rot and other diseases.
For Beginner Gardeners, I recommend not planting flower seeds as they take too much time, effort, and money. And the success rate on growing flowers from seeds is minimal.
2. When Do I Plant Fall Flowers?
Depending on how you plan on planting fall flowers you have several options on when to plant your fall flower garden.
If you plan on growing your fall flowers from seed then you should start your seeds about 6-8 weeks before you transplant them into your flower garden.
This usually means starting your flower seeds sometime in May or June.
If you plan on using bulbs then you should plant them in early spring and they will bloom in early to late fall.
And if you plan on using actual flower plants then you can plant them in late summer, approximately 2-3 weeks before you want them to bloom.
3. How Do You Attract Pollinators?
Attracting Pollinators to your garden may sound complex, but it doesn’t have to be.
All you need to do to attract pollinators to your garden is to plant flowers that they like.
For Bees I recommend planting:
- Aster, Goldenrod, Cornflower, Black Eyed-Susan, Sunflowers
For Butterflies I recommend planting:
- Daisies, Balloon Flowers, Sedums, Goldenrod
For Hummingbirds I recommend planting:
- Pansies, Goldenrod, Russian Sage, Lilies
4. What is a Soft Perennial and an Annual Flower?
One of the biggest questions gardeners have when choosing a flower is whether they should buy a perennial or annual.
Annual flowers bloom only once and need to be rebought and replanted yearly. This type of flower is a great fit for raised garden beds, hanging baskets, and garden containers.
Perennial flowers bloom every year and is a great fit for traditional gardens, anywhere in your yard, and even raised garden beds.
And then there are soft perennial flowers.
These flowers will bloom every year in warmer weather climates. At the same time, these flowers will bloom only once and act more like annual flowers in colder weather climates.
5. Where Do I Buy Inexpensive Fall Flowers?
Annual flowers can be very expensive to buy every year.
And flower bulbs and seeds can take time and effort to have success and there is still a likelihood that not all of your flowers with sprout or bloom.
If you are looking to buy inexpensive annual flowers, bulbs, and seeds then I recommend Amazon.
This will give you the widest variety of flowers at the most inexpensive price.
6. What Colors Should I Incorporate into My Fall Flower Garden?
Fall Flower colors is incredibly important when deciding garden designs and ideas.
Below, are some color arrangements that I recommend when planting your fall flower garden:
- Classic Harvest Colors: Red, Yellow, and Orange
- Blazing Colors: Orange & Yellow, Bright Reds, Red & Purples
- Metallic Colors: Golds, Silvers, Bronze
7. What Type of Garden Design Should I Use?
Garden design is the most complex and most rewarding part about flower gardening.
When deciding what you garden design should be there are several factors to consider:
- What Size Flower Garden Do You Want
- The Amount of Initial Work and Yearly Maintenance You Want To Do
- What Flowers You Want to Grow
- How Much Sunlight, Water, and Maintenance will be Required
- What Tools are Needed
- Whether you Want to Grow Your Flowers in a Traditional Garden, Raised Garden Bed, Hanging Baskets, Garden Containers, or just In You Yard
