Are you interested in planting flowers that will bloom all fall this 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 17 Best Annual 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. Chrysanthemum (Mums)
- 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.
2. Pansy
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 11
- Soil pH: 5.4 to 5.8
- Height x Width: 1 foot x 1 foot
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Partial Sun
- Varieties: Blue Moon, Black Accord, Cool Wave
Pansy Flowers are a fan favorite among Gardeners who want to add beauty to their garden during cooler weather.
This type of flower comes in every type of color from yellow to black to white to pink to blue.
This is the perfect flower for hanging baskets, raised garden beds, and ground cover.
Best of all is that this type of flower will even come back in the spring to bloom.
3. Amaranthus
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 7 to 11
- Soil pH: 6.5 to 7.5
- Height x Width: 8 feet x 3 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Partial Sun
- Varieties: Red, Tricolor, Love-Lies
Amaranthus flowers are the perfect annual plant to track pollinators for gardeners!
This type of flower can grow up to 8 feet tall with lush green stalks and blooms a beautiful red color.
This is great for partial to full-sun, has an amazing scent, and is perfect planted or cut!
4. Alyssum
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 11
- Soil pH: 6.0 to 7.0
- Height x Width: 1 foot x 1 foot
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Partial Sun
- Varieties: Pink, White, Purple
Alyssum is also known as sweet alyssum and is a beautiful flower that adds colors of white, purple, and pink.
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. Viola
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
- Soil pH: 5.4 to 5.8
- Height x Width: 1 foot x 2 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Partial Sun
- Varieties: Hirta, Odorata, Arvensis
Viola flowers are small and charming and come in every color that you can possibly imagine.
This type of flower has a beautiful is one of the most versatile flowers a gardener can plant and holds up better than most in rain and wind.
What you’ll love about this flower is that it complements pansies perfectly and can be grown in almost any spot in your yard.
6. Marigold
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 2 to 11
- Soil pH: 5.8 to 6.2
- Height x Width: 1 foot x 1 foot
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Partial Sun
- Varieties: Mexican, Signet, Tagetes
Marigolds are beautiful annual flowers that are perfect for any gardener looking to add color to their garden.
If you live in an area that receives cold nights and even light frosts in late fall or early winter then you have the perfect flower with marigolds.
Best of all is that you can deadhead your marigold flowers once they die to promote more flower growth.
7. Lobelia
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8
- Soil pH: 5.5 to 6.5
- Height x Width: 8 feet x 3 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Partial Sun
- Varieties: Cardinal Flower, Mexican Lobelia, Blue Cardinals
Lobelias are beautiful annual flowers that grow tall, spread wide, and add beautiful blue colors to your flower garden.
In addition, this type of annual flower is perfect for rock gardens, border edging, and even can fit in hanging baskets.
Best of all is that Lobelia is easy to plant and to find that all beginner gardeners can buy no matter where you live.
8. Flowering Kale
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 2 to 11
- Soil pH: 5.8 to 6.5
- Height x Width: 3 feet x 1.5 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Partial Sun
- Varieties: Chidori White, Glamour Red, Peacock Red
This type of flower is perfect to be planted in herb gardens, vegetable gardens, raised garden beds, and even in pots.
What you’ll love about this type of flower is that it blooms greens, purple, and white colors that last all the way through winter.
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.
9. Celosia
- 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.
10. Dusty Miller
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 8 to 10
- Soil pH: 5.5 to 6.5
- Height x Width: 3 feet x 2 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Full Sun
- Varieties: Silver Lace, Silver Dust, Ramparts
Dusty Miller is also known as Jacobaea Maritima and maybe the most unexpected flowering plant to add to your garden.
Expect beautiful shades of silver and fluffliness leaves that is perfect for usda hardiness zones 8 to 10.
While this is a great flower for garden containers, raised garden beds, and next to your house, it needs full-sun and well-draining soil.
11. Sunflowers
- 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.
12. Gomphrena
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 7 to 10
- Soil pH: 5.8 to 6.2
- Height x Width: 2 feet x 2 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Full Sun
- Varieties: Globe, Haageana
Gomphrena is one of my favorite flowers a gardener can grow if their soil is dry or has lots of clay.
While you can grow this flower in containers and raised garden beds, you should plant this among other plants in your yard.
Best of all is that this type of flower is drought-resistant and pest-resistant that will last into the first frost.
13. Verbena
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 6 to 10
- Soil pH: 5.8 to 6.2
- Height x Width: 2 feet x 5 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Full Sun
- Varieties: Common, Purpletop, Garden
Verbena are tiny flowers that are uncommon to most gardeners, but should be part of your fall garden!
This type of flower blooms until the first frost of the year and can tolerate dry and warm summers.
Verbena flowers are the perfect flower to brighten up raised garden beds, containers, and hanging baskets.
14. Rudbeckia (Black-Eyed Susan)
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 9
- Soil pH: 6.8 to 7.2
- Height x Width: 2 feet x 2 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Full Sun
- Varieties: Indian Summer, Prarie Sun, Moreno
Rudbeckia is more commonly known as the Black-Eyed Susan and is the perfect flower for late summer and fall flower beds.
This type of flower is perfect in drought-resistant areas, should be thinned out in the spring, and can be an annual or perennial plant depending on where you live.
Not only this, but this flower is a great plant to attract pollinators and is deer, rabbit, and squirrel resistant.
15. Helenium
- 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.
16. Red Salvia
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 9 to 12
- Soil pH: 6.2 to 7.6
- Height x Width: 3 feet x 3 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Full Sun
- Varieties: Red, Victoria Blue, Summer Jewel
Red Salvia is another flower that many gardeners may not have heard of, but is perfect for anyone who is just beginning or who needs to add color to their garden.
This flower is perfect planted in mass gatherings in raised garden beds, containers, and traditional gardens.
Look for areas in your yard that are well-draining, humus-rich, and partial shade when planting this flower.
17. Nasturtium
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 9 to 11
- Soil pH: 5.5 to 7.5
- Height x Width: 3 feet x 1.5 feet
- Maintenance Level: Low
- Light: Full Sun
- Varieties: Garden, Tuberosum, peregrinum
The Nasturtium flower is another great plant to add color to your garden in the fall while attracting plenty of pollinators.
There are over 80 varieties of this flower, all of which are great for homesteaders and beginners gardeners.
What you’ll love most about this flower though is that it is edible and perfect to add to salads!
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, Pansy
For Butterflies I recommend planting:
- Alyssum, Calendula, Coneflowers, Cosmos, Butterfly Bush
For Hummingbirds I recommend planting:
- Pansies, Coneflowers, Petunias, Trumpet Vine
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
