Best Perennials for Fall

Fall’s classic bloomer is the garden mum. These colorful beauties paint the autumn landscape in nearly any shade imaginable, from pastel tints to bold hues. Garden mums grow best in full sun with well-drained soil and work well in containers or beds. To enjoy the longest show, choose mums with flower buds that are just beginning to crack open. To overwinter plants as perennials in colder zones, get mums into the ground as early as possible in fall. Mulch well after the ground freezes. Plants grow 1 to 3 feet tall and wide. Hardy in Zones 5-9.

New England aster (Aster novae-angliae) is a beloved native plant that’s an all-time fall favorite. ‘Purple Dome’ unfurls 1.5-inch blooms in shades of deep purple, but you can also find asters in a host of other colors. Look for asters with blossoms in neon or pastel pink, white, lavender and violet. Flowers beckon late-season pollinators, including bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Plants grow 18 to 24 inches tall and 24 to 36 inches wide. Hardy in Zones 5-8.

Trouble-free and beautiful, Japanese toad lily (Tricyrtis hirta) opens exquisite orchid-like blooms in late summer through early fall. Flowers measure 1 inch across and feature a white or lavender background with deep purple dots. On mature plants, stems are literally covered with blossoms. Toad lily spreads easily to form a colony. Place it in a shady spot (part to full shade) with moist soil. Plants grow 24 to 36 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide. Hardy in Zones 4-8.

Turn up the fall color with ‘Red Jewel’ helenium. This native perennial tosses open blooms in shades of red and orange starting in midsummer and extending well into fall. Tuck helenium into rich soil that drains well, and cut plants back by half in spring to increase branching and bushiness. Flowers make a great addition to garden bouquets. Plants grow 30 to 36 inches tall by 18 to 24 inches wide. Hardy in Zones 4-8.