23 Mum Alternatives for Your Thanksgiving Display

Mums are signatures of fall with their hallmark autumnal hues and blanket of blooms. They’re omnipresent this time of year, welcoming chilly days and seasonal festivities in cheery form. And there’s nothing wrong with that! But, there are alternative options to pair with mums or use in their stead to excite the arrangement, mix up the predictability, and lengthen the show. 

Plus, many mums we purchase last only a few weeks before heading to the compost bin. Alternatives (even hardy chrysanthemums) perennialize or are frost-tolerant for an extended bloom time.

Aster

	botanical name Symphyotrichum spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-6’
	hardiness zones 3-8

Asters are stars of the fall garden, putting on a showy display as other blooming plants begin to fade. Aster, Greek for “star,” blooms in clusters of daisy-like flowers in blues, reds, pinks, and purples. Aster has small but abundant flowers, giving it a complete blanket of color.

Many asters are native to North America. The Symphiotrichum genera, among others, includes smooth, calico, heath, wood, and aromatic species. The range of asters means wide adaptivity and varying bloom times. This succession of blooms allows support for pollinators throughout the changing season.

Aster’s bloom clusters work well in floral design as cut flowers or dried for lasting beauty. Arrange them with sedum, solidago, rudbeckia, and ornamental grasses for stunning late-season color and texture.

Solidago

	botanical name Solidago spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-5’
	hardiness zones 2-8

Solidago is a perfect pairing with aster both in bloom time and in contrasting color and form. These mum arrangement alternatives produce golden yellow spires throughout the warm season and refresh in autumn.

Most solidago are native to North America and spread unabashedly. To keep them in bounds, opt for a well-behaved variety like ‘Fireworks’ and ‘Baby Sun.’ These dwarf goldenrods are stout with prolific, arching bloom spikes

To prolong flowering, deadhead spent blooms, leaving some to go to seed as forage for birds. Clip the blooms for Thanksgiving flower arrangements.

Rudbeckia

	botanical name Rudbeckia fulgida
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 18-24”
	hardiness zones 3-9

Black-eyed Susan blooms until frost and dries well, with golden ray flowers and chocolate button centers. The long-blooming North American native is a prairie wildflower, durable across various conditions, including heat, humidity, and drought.

R. hirta ‘Indian Summer’ is an All-America Selections winner with broad yellow blooms. ‘Irish Eyes’ has fresh, light green centers. ‘American Gold Rush’ is compact with bright gold blossoms that crowd two-foot stems. Its smaller foliage resists leaf spot.

Rudbeckia is low maintenance. It doesn’t require cutting back at dormancy, as its hollow stems suit pollinator overwintering. Seeds persist into winter and provide food for songbirds.

Amaranth

	botanical name Amaranthus spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-5’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Amaranth bears unique blooms, draping or upright, in burgundy, gold, coral, and magenta. They add spectacular color and texture to fresh and dried florals. Flowers lead to high-protein seeds, and birds forage on those left to dry on the stem.

‘Coral Fountain’ and ‘Emerald Tassels’ feature ropes of trailing blooms. ‘Red Spike’ arches gracefully in deep red. ‘Hot Biscuits’ warms in mellow amber and tawny plumes for textural filler.

Aztecs and earlier American cultures domesticated amaranth thousands of years ago and relied on it as a significant food source. This historic grain grows worldwide because of its nutritious seeds and easy growth. The heirloom amaranth may be the consummate mum alternative to bring to the Thanksgiving table—in feast or floral form.

Celosia

	botanical name Celosia spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 6-36”
	hardiness zones 10-11

Like amaranth, celosia is a great mum alternative that stands apart with plumes of brilliant color. It brings wild form and texture in fuzzy red, magenta, yellow, and orange.

Depending on the group, flowers appear as plumes, spikes, or ruffly fan shapes. Celosia makes an excellent cut or dried specimen, sometimes fading to vintage tones. In vibrant hues of the season, it works well with other fall bloomers and dark foliage selections.

Crotons and Tropicals

	botanical name Codiaeum spp.
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 2-10’
	hardiness zones 11-12

Tropical plants, in their jewel tones, complement autumnal arrangements indoors to brighten the theme and outdoors if your season is warm. If pots are in a protected area where temperatures don’t drop below the low forties (~4°C), tropicals hold their own.

Crotons bring bold, punchy hues. Their thick, leathery leaves have bright, crackled streaks of red, yellow, orange, and black. Foliage varies from broad to twisted spirals. Cordyline is another fitting tropical with long and glossy or strappy leaves in hot pinks, deep magenta, and rich reds.

Zebra plant (Aphelandra squarrosa), flaming sword (Vriesea splendens), and kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana) complement the look with dynamic foliage and flowers. 

Violas

	botanical name Viola spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6”
	hardiness zones 3-8

Cold-hardy violas bring cheery faces and a subtle fragrance in a wide range of colors and patterns in compact forms. As frost-tolerant annuals, they withstand cool temperatures, flowering all winter in mild climates and fall and spring in colder growing areas.

Consider deep purple, orange with purple wings, clear yellow, copper, and velvety red at Thanksgiving. Nursery select mixes offer sweet combinations, easy to tuck into temporary tabletop centerpieces for planting out later or in winter containers. Bonus: violas are edible and make a lovely garnish for holiday desserts.

Dahlia

	botanical name Dahlia spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-10’
	hardiness zones 7-10

Dahlias show their splendor through late fall, and you may be able to collect a few for the tablescape. Their blooms, from pompoms to dinner plates in varying colors, make them a stand out mum alternative in late autumn arrangements.

The American Dahlia Society characterizes them by flower form in groups like formal, informal, peony, orchid, and cactus, all based on petals and shapes of intricate symmetry. Exuberant and dramatic, they make stunning cut flowers to bring joy from the garden to the Thanksgiving centerpiece.

Coral Bells

	botanical name Heuchera spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-2’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Coral bells, or Heuchera, are the North American native perennials we know and love for their foliage in unique shapes and colors. These are bold filler specimens in pots and the front of the border.

Heuchera ‘Autumn Leaves,’ ‘Plum Pudding,’ ‘Caramel,’ and ‘Apple Twist’ are befitting of the theme. They offer high contrast in deep red, purple, apricot, and bright green. Coral bells are exciting with pansies, ornamental grasses, and even pumpkins and gourds.

Heirloom Squash

	botanical name Cucurbita spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 6-50’ vines
	hardiness zones 2-11

Heirloom winter squash embellishes a natural centerpiece in the spirit of a bountiful harvest. The seasonal favorites offer rich selections that make it easy to incorporate history and culture into our Thanksgiving designs.

Pumpkins, gourds, and other squashes reflect the long-awaited harvest. In orange, green, peach, white, and even blue, and smooth, warty, round, or long-necked, they highlight all things fall.

For accents, make “blooming pumpkins” by carving them into a bowl to fill with violas, lettuce, herbs, or fresh flowers. Stack them as pumpkin “topiaries,” or simply nestle them in a pot or arrange them on the table.

Fresh Herbs

	botanical name Varies
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 6-24”
	hardiness zones 2-11

Herbs add an easy, rustic quality to holiday plant decor, not to mention fragrance and culinary use. No feast would be complete without fall herbs, and a fresh grouping is lovely and functional.

Rosemary provides a strong upright form or a trailing feature, depending on the variety. Sage, whether silvery, gold, or tricolor, adds velvety texture. Thyme brings little leaves and oregano a fine texture. Chives have frost-tolerant blades, and parsley refreshes in feathery green. 

Depending on your climate zone, these perennial herbs last well beyond the season. After the festivities, grow them on a sunny windowsill or install them outdoors.

Marigolds

	botanical name Tagetes spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 6-48”
	hardiness zones 2-11

Marigolds make a bright addition as fall annuals that bloom until frost. Perfect as mum alternatives in displays, their ruffly pompons in bright yellow, gold, scarlet, creamy white, and tangerine are a feast for the eyes.

Between French, Signet, African, and Mexican species, there’s a marigold for nearly every garden, at least until heavy frost. Signets (Tagetes tenuifolia) are the most petite and also tastiest; use these to garnish salads and serving platters for a special touch.

Stock

	botanical name Matthiola incana
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-3’
	hardiness zones 6-10

Stock is a cool-season column of blooms that brim with fragrance. The old-fashioned flowers line stiff, upright spikes in red, purple, pink, cream, and copper, among others. 

Stock makes a lovely fresh floral with a scent to savor. ‘Vintage Copper’ is an ideal autumnal complement in antique shades.

Stock grows easily from seed with quick germination. Thriving in cool temperatures, they don’t withstand hot summers and grow best as cool season annuals in warm regions.

Ornamental Peppers

	botanical name Capsicum annuum
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-4’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Ornamental peppers add high visual interest to late summer and fall plantings with shiny pops of color among dark purple and green leaves. Peppers range from long candles to rounded pearls; some are flashes of fiery color, while others are deep and dark in purple and mahogany.

Dwarf varieties are ideal for container culture and overwintering indoors. Opt for deep shades like ‘Black Pearl,’ ‘Purple Flash,’ and ‘Autumn Time’ to contrast other seasonal tones. ‘Candlelight’ has bundles of upright, slender fruits in green, orange, and red. Tuck them amongst marigolds, pumpkins, pansies, and aster.

African Daisy

	botanical name Osteospermum spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-3’
	hardiness zones 9-11

Osteospermum is a late-blooming mum alternative with a profusion of daisy-ray flowers. It requires cooler weather to bloom, making them ideal for themed florals.

African daisies have central discs with tubular florets surrounded by colorful ray petals. ‘Whirligig’ is whimsical with scalloped, spoon-shaped petals in white and deep purple.

Seasonal tones like burnt orange, yellow, and coral make a good cut flower and are stunning in a pot. Brighten the look with purple, pink, white, and blue pastels.

Plectranthus

	botanical name Coleus fruticosus
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 3-4’
	hardiness zones 9-11

Plectranthus sits quietly all summer to shine in September through November with rich bloom spikes. Its lilac and dark purple flowers float above deep green leaves in a loose habit. 

The violet blooms stand out among muted rust and gold hues. You can use them as alternative flower accents in dwindling mum arrangements. Pair them with coral bells in apricot or lime and purple ornamental peppers.

Plectranthus is a tender perennial or annual to bring indoors in cold climates, perfect for a Thanksgiving bloom show.

Ornamental Grasses

	botanical name Varies
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-6’
	hardiness zones 4-9

Ornamental grasses bring graceful movement with tall, feathery plumes and blades in deep tones. The dried leaves and seedheads make a stately focal point. Soften them with violas, asters, rudbeckia, coral bells, and leafy greens.  

Natives like switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), and muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris) and their cultivars make structural, long-term landscape additions.

For a larger statement piece, turn to ornamental millet ‘Purple Majesty.’ Millet is a grain that makes a striking fall plant with a tall, stalky habit with dark purple leaves and seeds.

Sedum

	botanical name Sedum spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3”-24”
	hardiness zones 3-9

Sedum, or stonecrop, brings exciting color and texture with late flowers that transition in tone and yield interesting seedheads. Hylotelephium ‘Autumn Joy’ is a favorite with large, pink clusters that turn deep rose-red and fade to copper. Silvery green, padded leaves are attractive from spring through heavy frost. ‘Autumn Fire’ is similar but more stout, with richer pigmentation and thicker leaves.

‘Back in Black’ has nearly black foliage and massive flower heads that develop mid-summer. Creamy white petals with deep red centers contrast the dark leaves.

Sedums are drought-tolerant succulents that need well-draining soil to thrive. Butterflies enjoy the late-season flowers as a food source, and birds forage on persisting seeds.

Snapdragons

	botanical name Antirrhinum majus
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 6”-36”
	hardiness zones 7-10

Snapdragons are classic cool-season mum alternatives and comrades that attract pollinators, grow well in containers, and make showy cut flowers. The nostalgic charmer in colors like ‘DoubleShot Orange Bicolor’ (large, double deep orange flowers) and ‘Twinny Peach’ (double blooms in pale peach and yellow) is perfect for bouquets and containers.

Showcase them with asters, marigolds, and violas for a full-color display. They’ll blossom throughout the winter in warm climates and flourish in fall, spring, and summer in colder areas.

Cyclamen

	botanical name Cyclamen spp.
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 6-16”
	hardiness zones 4-11

Cyclamen, with mottled, heart-shaped leaves, offer a sweet choice of white, pink, purple, red, or bicolor flowers from fall through spring, depending on the species.

Cyclamen has blooms that rise in a bunch above attractive, silver-patterned leaves. Hardy cyclamen, C. hederifolium and C. coum, are smaller relatives of florists cyclamen (C. persicum). C. hederifolium is the hardiest and easiest to grow, with pink blooms in October and November. C. coum blooms mid-to-late winter with a profusion of pink-purple flowers.

Hardy cyclamen make excellent options as perennial groundcovers in woodland settings and shaded borders. Grow florists cyclamen indoors to protect it from extreme heat and cold.

Calendula

	botanical name Calendula officinalis
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2’
	hardiness zones 9-11

Calendula is a long-blooming, frost-tolerant annual with bright ray flowers. Rich yellow, orange, pink, ivory, and bicolor blooms flourish in cool conditions.

Calendula leaves and flowers are edible for a fresh garnish or dried for teas and baking. Whole flowers dry beautifully for arrangements.

Leafy Greens

	botanical name Varies
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 6-36”
	hardiness zones 2-11

Mix and match leafy greens with flowers and gourds for a gorgeous look that also makes a lovely garnish. Highly ornamental greens include Swiss chard, ornamental cabbages and kales, giant red mustard, and red-veined sorrel.

Ornamental kale and cabbage are rosettes of colorful leaves in purple, pink, creamy white, and olive green. Soft leaves like Swiss chard, mustards, and sorrel add flavor to fall dishes while bright and crisp in the planted composition. Like herbs and edible blossoms, they perform double duty as edible ornamentals.

Thanksgiving Cactus

	botanical name Schlumbergera truncata
	sun requirements Bright indirect light
	height 2’
	hardiness zones 9-11

Thanksgiving cactus bears the name of its holiday bloom time, exhibiting color for four to six weeks near the holiday. Buds emerge along branches in late summer and open to billowy petals in fall, ranging from white to pink to red.

Thanksgiving cactus resembles its Christmas and Easter cacti cousins, the main distinctions being more sharply pointed leaves and bloom time. Thanksgiving cactus relies on shorter and cooler days to bloom and are a harbinger of the season.