Autumn Blossoms: Flowers That Bloom in the Fall

Just because it’s fall doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some colorful flowers. Many fall-blooming flowers also make lovely cut flowers, bringing fall’s colorful blooms inside.

Here are some ideas for autumn blossoms and how to grow those flowers that bloom in the fall.

Asters

For those who live where asters grow wild, their blooms are a sign of the coming fall. Asters provide beautiful colors like purple, white, pink, and shades of blue. To get your asters to bloom through fall, pinch off blooms in the earlier part of summer. This makes the plants denser and more plentiful.

Hellebores

Sometimes called the Christmas Rose, hellebores produce a large, five-petaled bloom in colors like pink, burgundy, white, and even light green. Shade-loving hellebores are perennials that actually bloom in late fall and early winter.

Chrysanthemums (Mums)

These fall garden classics still bear mentioning. Not all mums are cold-hardy, though – make sure you get a variety that’s labeled hardy. You can buy them in pots in late summer and plant them directly in the garden. A nice layer of mulch can extend these blooms even farther into fall.

Twinspur

The little pink flowers of twinspur are surprisingly hearty. Sources say they can handle a light frost and keep blooming. Cut back the stems in summer for another display of blooms in fall.

Goldenrod

Don’t let goldenrod’s reputation as an allergen stop you from planting this beautiful, easy-to-grow flower. It’s actually a myth that goldenrod causes allergies; its bright yellow pollen looks like a primary culprit, but ragweed blooms at the same time as goldenrod and most allergies can be blamed on ragweed pollen. Goldenrod is cheerful and bright, and keeps its color well when dried.

Monkshood

Monkshood’s blue-purple blooms grow in spikes, and provide a lovely contrast with the oranges and yellows of fall. It’s a shade lover, and does not like heat. That’s why it does so well in cooler weather with less sunlight.

Witch Hazel

A North American native, witch hazel has a medicinal history and its extract is still readily available in drug stores. Its yellow blooms are spider-like and they bloom on bare wood for a striking fall or, depending on where you live, winter display.

Strawflowers

These dry little flowers are colorful and crisp, and dry beautifully for dried arrangements or autumn wreaths. They may even persist in blooming through a mild frost. They come in colors like rose-red, pink, yellow, and orange.