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The transition from summer to colder weather can be rough. The trips to the beach or pool come to an end, the days start getting shorter, and some of the most vibrant plant life starts to die off. However, as the autumnal breeze creeps in, we can still enjoy some fall flowers. There are a number of flowers that don’t start blooming until fall or have long growing seasons that last from mid-summer through the fall season. Here are some fall flowers that can brighten up your day—and the outside of your home.
While it may be too late to plant these flowers from seed, you still have time to buy already established plants from a local nursery to plant in-ground before the first frost, or opt for container plants to decorate your front porch.
Yarrow
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Yarrow is a wildflower native to California and found throughout North America. (It can also be found in the backyard of the 2024 Real Simple Home, featuring landscaping by Brooklyn Grange.) It has flat-topped clusters of small flowers with feathery, fern-like leaves. The flowers have a long bloom time spanning from April to October, meaning you can enjoy them for several seasons in your garden, year after year.
Aster
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As many other summer-loving flowers start to die off, asters enter their prime blooming time. These daisy-like flowers, often found in inviting shades of purple and blue, typically bloom from August through October. These flowers also attract butterflies, so you can enjoy some extra pollinator activity in your garden before the cold weather sets in.
Goldenrods
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Another butterfly-attracting plant, goldenrods feature branchlets of small, bright yellow flowers toward the top of each stem. The flowers bloom from late summer to early fall and the plant is deer- and drought-resistant—so you can enjoy the blooms for several months with little hassle.
Black-Eyed Susans
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For another burst of yellow in your garden, try the highly popular wildflower black-eyed Susans. They typically bloom from early summer to fall, though some varieties have later growing seasons, carrying on throughout the duration of fall. These plants are also self-seeding, so you can enjoy new growth year after year without the added work. (Black-eyed Susans also appear in the backyard of this year’s Real Simple Home.)
Chrysanthemums
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One of the welcome harbingers of fall, chrysanthemum are a flower that pretty much everyone is familiar with. These fall-blooming flowers come in a wide array of colors, from deep reds to baby pinks, and they make a perfect addition to container gardens. And while many gardeners grow these popular plants as annuals, mums are actually perennials—and they’re hardy in USDA gardening zones 5 through 9, meaning they can survive winter in about half of U.S. states. So, make sure to hold on to these beauties so you can enjoy them for many more fall seasons to come.
