17 Wildflowers That Bloom in Fall

With long-lasting flowering and a fall resurgence, wildflowers bridge seasonal transitions with bursts of color while providing important pollen and nectar sources for native bees and other pollinators. After the bloom, the late-season seeds become forage for birds and wildlife.

By definition, wildflowers are uncultivated and require little gardener intervention to flourish. With endless color combinations from natives and their cultivars, the bloomers combine effortlessly with other perennials for a composition that brightens, sways, and buzzes in the landscape.

New England Aster

	common name New England Aster
	botanical name Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-7’
	hardiness zones 4-8

Asters, native to North America, are easy-going mainstays with deep blue-purple, lavender, and pink daisy-ray flowers. Asters put on a showy display well into fall, with small, abundant blooms obscuring the foliage in color.

The succession of blooms supports pollinators throughout the late season and brings beauty to the beholder. Native to grasslands and woodland edges, New England asters are adaptable, persisting in old homesteads and along fencerows. 

They prefer consistently moist, organically rich soils. Ensure plenty of air circulation and thin stems in summer if crowding inhibits airflow. Thinning, along with good soil drainage, helps prevent foliar diseases.

Turk’s Cap

	common name Turk’s Cap
	botanical name Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
	sun requirements Full sun to full shade
	height 3-6’
	hardiness zones 8-10

Turk’s cap is a high-performing native perennial in warm climates like Mexico and Texas to the Carolinas. It grows across soil and light conditions with effortless flowering from mid-summer until freezing temperatures. A member of the mallow family, its blooms resemble a small hibiscus about to unfurl in rich red with cultivars in pink and white.

The red “caps” are a hummingbird delight. For added interest, bright red berries emerge post-bloom and are a food source for birds (relating to its other common name, Mexican apple). 

The natives tolerate heat, drought, and coastal exposures. They’re also deer-resistant and make beautiful container specimens.

Black-Eyed Susan

	common name Black-eyed Susan
	botanical name Rudbeckia fulgida
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1.5-2’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Black-eyed Susan, with its loads of golden ray flowers with dark centers, is a nonstop show of color until heavy frost. A native prairie wildflower, Rudbeckia makes an easy mass planting, border accent, meadow or cottage arrangement, and fall container display.

The long-blooming, adaptable grower is tough. It thrives in heat, humidity, and drought. Look to ‘Indian Summer’ for a late-season display and a long-lasting cut flower. 

Autumn Sage

	common name Autumn Sage
	botanical name Salvia greggii
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-3’
	hardiness zones 6-9

Salvias enchant with a rejuvenated display of color late in the season. For fall blooms and edible leaves, look to the North American native autumn sage. Tubular blooms are red, with varieties in white, purple, and pink.

In zones 8-10, pineapple sage (Salvia elegans) produces late-season red flowers, and its foliage has a light pineapple flavor. This one brightens partially shaded beds.

Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’ is a favorite native late-bloomer. Its tall, deep blue tubular flowers begin in summer and last ‘til frosty conditions.

Salvia thrives in hot, dry settings and appreciates light afternoon shade. The durable performers do best in well-draining soils that dry out slightly between watering sessions.

Mistflower

	common name Mistflower
	botanical name Conoclinium coelestinum
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 18-36”
	hardiness zones 5-10

Mistflower features tufts of purple-blue flowers. Its feathery bloom clusters on tall, upright stems lend a soft haze to the composition.

The sky-blue clusters appear from July through October. Beautiful among silver, deep purple, or chartreuse foliage, mistflower offers textural contrast.

Ageratum is somewhat drought-tolerant but performs best in moist, well-drained soil. In ideal conditions, it spreads aggressively by seed and rhizomes. Divide the colony to keep it in check.

Coreopsis

	common name Coreopsis
	botanical name Coreopsis spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-5’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Coreopsis brings waves of sunny blooms and reseeds readily for successional seasons. One of the first to appear in spring and one of the last to fade, coreopsis is a hardworking perennial indigenous to North America.

Lance-leaved coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) is the most common, with signature golden ray petals and yellow centers. C. lanceolata is drought-tolerant. It forms clumps of pincushion leaves with blooms above.

Plains coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria) is native to the western U.S. and widely cultivated due to its adaptability. It features color variations with yellow daisy petals, deep red highlights, and brown button centers. Though considered an annual, a single plant may flower for two to three years.

Coreopsis is a favorite nectar and pollen source for bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Songbirds forage on the seeds through winter.

Echinacea

	common name Echinacea
	botanical name Echinacea purpurea
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1.5-5’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Purple coneflower is a hallmark of the summertime arrangement with vibrant color and continual blooms. Their purple petals surround a prominent orange central disc, a rich nectar source for beneficial insects.

Echinacea offers multi-season appeal with lasting flowers and dried seed heads that persist into winter. Cultivars abound in a myriad of colors and forms. A natural prairie plant, coneflower needs well-draining soils and thrives in summer heat.

Joe Pye Weed

	common name Joe Pye Weed
	botanical name Eutrochium purpureum
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 5-7’
	hardiness zones 4-9

Joe Pye weed is a tall, back-of-the-border specimen with domes of purple-pink flower clusters. Their fall resurgence attracts beneficial insects, and dark seed pods extend interest into winter.

While most Joe Pyes are quite tall, there are also dwarf cultivars with compact habits that are easier to fit into various spaces. ‘Little Joe’ and ‘Baby Joe’ grow only two to four feet tall with dense stems. 

The easy-going natives grow in different soil conditions, including clay. They thrive in rich, moist, well-drained conditions. Joe Pye is a valuable pollinator addition to naturalistic arrangements, especially in a group. 

Blanketflower

	common name Blanketflower
	botanical name Gaillardia spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-4’
	hardiness zones 3-10

Early to flower and late to fade, blanketflower’s disc blooms bring vibrance in gold, orange, red, or bi-color with brown button centers. The North American native G. aristata reseeds readily, often blooms in its first growing season. It is also drought and heat-tolerant.

There are numerous other species of blanketflower. Gaillardia pulchella originates in the Southwest with colors to match—warm tones of red and gold bloom from late winter through fall. G. pulchella is an annual that thrives in most areas of the country. The species are adaptable, versatile, and a favorite of butterflies.

Blanketflower grows in poor, sandy soils with good drainage. To prolong bloom time, offer additional water during dry periods.

Globe Gilia

	common name Globe Gilia
	botanical name Gilia capitata
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-3’
	hardiness zones 7-10

Gilia bears long-lasting clusters of deep blue flowers in small, neat globes. Ideal in a mixed planting arrangement, gilia dots the landscape with its floating spheres of 50 to 100 petite flowers.  

Gilia capitata, or globe gilia, is the most popular species and occurs naturally throughout much of the American West. Pink, white, lavender, or powder blue flowers emerge as early as late winter and go until frost’s return. The orbs attract numerous insects, including butterflies, moths, and caterpillars.

Gilia’s natural habitat is sandy, rocky, and well-drained. It self-seeds readily for recurrent pops of blue.

Heliopsis

	common name Heliopsis
	botanical name Heliopsis helianthoides
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-5’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Heliopsis is called ox-eye daisy or oxeye sunflower for its golden sunflower-like blooms with fuzzy yellow button centers. The vibrant flowers attract pollinators, and birds eat the seeds post-bloom. Any leftovers self-seed to expand the colony.

Heliopsis’ stiff, sturdy stems grow to five feet, with dwarf varieties in cultivation. Notably, heliopsis adapts to various soil conditions, making it an easy-to-grow performer with extended seasonal interest.

Liatris

	common name Liatris
	botanical name Liatris spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-5’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Blazing star, or gayfeather, represents a genus with about forty species and numerous cultivars. Dense flowers line slender upright stalks in purple, pink, and white. Arching, fine-bladed foliage forms clumps beneath the leafy stems. The tall flowers on sturdy stems are bold with unique forms and high contrast. They serve as host plants for butterflies and moths.

Liatris spicata, or marsh blazing star, is native to the Eastern U.S. in moist meadows and marshy areas. It boasts densely packed blooms and low maintenance qualities in an array of cultivars. Plants are two to five feet tall with blooms from spring through frost.

Rough blazing star (Liatris aspera) ranges from Canada south to Florida and thrives in dry, sandy sites. Magenta-purple pompon blooms open in late summer on two to four-foot stems. Once established, blazing star is quite drought-tolerant.

Helenium

	common name Helenium
	botanical name Helenium spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-5’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Helenium is another North American native with daisy-ray petals that fan around a fuzzy central disc. The bright yellow blooms appear in mid-summer with continuous color until cold weather arrives. While commonly called sneezeweed, the name relates to old medicinal uses for colds and not allergy-inducing fits (fortunately!).

This beautiful fall flower needs a moist site to thrive, with a natural habitat along streambanks, ponds, and wet meadows. They tolerate spells of standing water and poor soils. 

Prairie Coneflower

	common name Prairie Coneflower
	botanical name Ratibida spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-5’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Prairie coneflower is a highly showy, long-blooming, easy-care wildflower that offers nectar for insects and seeds for birds and small mammals in cold weather. With tall flowers in bold yellows and deep reds, this coneflower brightens the wildflower display from spring until the first fall frost.

Ratibida columnifera (commonly, upright prairie coneflower or Mexican Hat) holds the hallmark coloration in red, yellow, or dark purple-red ray petals with bright gold edges. Petals uniquely droop below a prominent central gold-brown disc.

Grey-head coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) also has tall yellow blooms. With sparse basal leaves, the selections look best in a mass or a mixed planting where the unique blooms shine.

Prairie coneflower is fast-growing, drought-tolerant, and withstands competition from other plants. It can be aggressive in optimum growing conditions and may outcompete weaker growers.

Solidago

	common name Solidago
	botanical name Solidago spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-6’
	hardiness zones 2-8

Solidago, or goldenrod, infuses the garden with arching spires of golden yellow. They provide food for pollinators with bloom clusters that revive in autumn. Most solidago are native to North America and naturalize readily in the landscape – aggressively – but well-behaved varieties like ‘Fireworks’ won’t spread rampantly to other areas.

Solidago attracts numerous species of bees and other beneficials. Deadhead spent blooms to prolong flowering and to prevent spread by seed (but leave some seeds for the birds who find it a valuable food source).

Solidago performs well in high heat. It prefers consistent moisture and well-draining soils, though it’s also highly tolerant of poor soils.

Cosmos

	common name Cosmos
	botanical name Cosmos spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-6’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Sun-loving cosmos produce vibrant blooms throughout the warm season, but they also keep on going for an autumnal display. If you live in a warm climate, the annuals do well with a late summer sowing for a quick blast of blooms before frost. They grow quickly from seed.

This summer annual is indigenous to the Americas and has daisy-like flowers in vivid shades of yellow, apricot, bright pink, lavender, red, and chocolate (and many more). Its ray flowers float on wiry stems.

The delicate flowers make a more significant statement en masse. When flowers finish blooming and go to seed, let the stems be so seeds germinate for the next generation of blooms.

Chelone

	common name Chelone
	botanical name Chelone spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-5’
	hardiness zones 3-8

Chelone’s flowers resemble a little turtle with an open mouth, hence its common name, turtlehead. The bell blooms are as pretty as their name is cute, flowering in white, pink, and red. 

Like snapdragons, these flowers also have two-lipped petals. They line stalks in late summer to early fall with dark green, shiny leaves.

This native wet-soil-loving plant occurs naturally in bogs, swamps, and woodlands. It prefers moist, organically rich soils.