15 Perennials You Should Plant in September for Spring Color
Are you looking to add some perennial flowers to your garden this September? There are plenty of perennials that can be planted in the fall, and bloom in the spring. In this article, gardening expert Jill Drago examines 15 of her favorite perennials to add to your garden in September.
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September is a wonderful time to add new perennial plants to your garden. The weather is typically cooling down, and there will be plenty of time for the plants to establish themselves before the cold winter arrives.
There are many benefits to planting in September. The soil is still warm and will encourage healthy root growth which is the main goal when hoping your plants will make it through the winter. Don’t forget to water as you normally would, even if the temperatures are cooling down.
The best perennials to add to your garden are the early flowering perennials that bloom in the spring. Planting in September is ideal as it will allow your plants time to get established before the winter frost so they can flower when spring arrives. Let’s dig into some of my favorite perennials for September!
Allium
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botanical name Allium spp. (Spring) |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 1-6 feet, varies greatly between species |
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hardiness zones 4-10 |
Planting ornamental onion in the fall is my favorite way to add a big spring impact to gardens. There are many different varieties of allium in many different sizes. You may be most familiar with the large globe flowers that are the perfect purple sitting on one tall stalk. But there are other shorter varieties with more attractive foliage and less dense florets.
These plants have an onion-like odor to them, making them excellent companion plants in many gardens as this scent is great at keeping wildlife out of your garden.
When these plants are done blooming, they don’t have much to offer, so be sure to plant them behind some perennials or shrubs if you are worried about the yellowing foliage that comes with a bulb.
Artemisia
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botanical name Artemisia spp. (Summer to fall) |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 1-5 feet tall |
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hardiness zones 3-10 |
This is a large genus grown primarily for its soft silver foliage. These September perennials are tough and thrive in sunny and dry areas, perfect for hot-weather gardens.
Use caution when selecting a planting site for artemisia because it is known to be highly toxic to pets, and mildly toxic to humans. Give these plants a final haircut in the fall, and be ready for them to return in the springtime. Enjoy these low-maintenance plants in your gardens or even in containers. Avoid any invasive wormwoods, as they are plenty.
Beardtongue
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botanical name Penstemon spp. (Spring through summer) |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 1-3 feet |
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hardiness zones 5-8 |
This pretty herbaceous September perennial is a member of the same family as foxglove, the plantain family. Beardtongue will begin to bloom at the end of the spring, nicely filling in the gap after your spring bulbs have faded and your summer perennials have begun to bloom. The tube-shaped flowers appear on spiky flower stems, and the foliage is lance-shaped.
Deadhead these flowers after they have bloomed to neaten your garden as well as lengthen the blooming time. Beardtongue comes in shades of purple, red, pink, white, and even the occasional yellow. These perennials do best in rocky or sandy soil and can tolerate some summer drought.
Blazing Star
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botanical name Liatris spicata (Summer to fall) |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 2-6 feet |
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hardiness zones 3-9 |
Blazing star, also known as Liatris, is a great plant if you are looking to add something a little different to your gardens. These perennials have grass-like foliage, but their flowers are quite unlike any other plant. The blooms are a spike that is covered in tiny star-like flowers of either purple or white.
Blazing star is native to North America, which makes it a great choice if you are looking for a low-maintenance, drought-tolerant plant. These perennials are low maintenance, needing only the occasional trim. You can deadhead the blooms and foliage once they brown, or you can leave them in your garden for some fall interest.
Gaillardia
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botanical name Gaillardia x grandiflora (Summer to fall) |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 2-3 feet |
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hardiness zones 6-10 |
Gaillardia is also commonly known as a blanket flower. This September perennial is easy to grow, loves hot weather, and is tolerant of poor soil. The flowers come in many colors but the most popular is probably bright orange and yellow.
Gaillardia does not need to be deadheaded and will continue to rebloom all summer and through the fall. This plant is native to North America and makes a great addition to a low-maintenance garden. Plant this perennial in borders or containers.
Gaura
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botanical name Oenothera lindheimeri (Summer to fall) |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 2-5 feet |
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hardiness zones 5-9 |
Gaura, known to many as Whirling Butterflies, is a pretty plant. Its original form was invasive but it has since been hybridized to be more manageable in our garden beds. Gaura does have a taproot and does not like to be moved, so if you love this plant, be sure to choose a location you will be happy with for many years to come.
This perennial looks like an ornamental grass with sweet white or pink flowers dancing on the reeds. It’s great used as a backdrop in a perennial garden, or in a xeriscape because it is quite low maintenance.
Heather
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botanical name Calluna vulgaris (Midsummer to early fall) |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 2 feet |
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hardiness zones 4-6 |
You may know this plant by Scotch Heather, and if you don’t, it is an important hint to how to care for this plant. Heather is native to Scotland and is found beautifully decorating the moors. This plant is great in coastal climates and prefers moist, well-draining soil.
Heather grows in a nice mounded form and is slow growing. Its flowers are white or a mauve pink and spiked in nature. The foliage will offer pretty autumnal color as the temperatures cool.
Perennial Sunflower
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botanical name Helianthus doronicoides (Midsummer to fall) |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 3-6 feet |
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hardiness zones 4-8 |
Helianthus, or the sunflower, is a great addition to any full sun garden. The perennial species is even better. Its growth habit is whimsical and it keeps the beauty of sunflowers in your garden all summer long. This is an easy-to-care-for perennial that grows beautifully, even in poor soil.
Unlike the annual sunflower, this September perennial is multi-stemmed. Each stem has at least one flower on it, growing along a central stem. The blooms arrive in midsummer and die off in the fall or at the first frost.
Hosta
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botanical name Hosta spp. (Summer) |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 4 feet, varies greatly with species and variety |
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hardiness zones 3-9 |
If you are looking to bump up the beauty of your shaded gardens, hostas are a perfect solution. These perennials come in a variety of sizes, as well as hues. While most of them are green, they will come in variations with swirls of white.
The flowers of hostas are tube-shaped and are either white or purple. Plant your hostas on a border, or speckled throughout your shady perennial gardens. You can’t go wrong with these September perennials that come back consistently year after year!
Lavender
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botanical name Lavandula spp. (Summer) |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 2-3 feet |
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hardiness zones 5-9 |
Lavender is a well-known herbaceous perennial known both for its beautiful flowers and calming aroma. In its native region of the Mediterranean, lavender grows in rocky areas. This makes it a great choice for areas that may experience drought or have less fertile soil.
Take care when you are choosing your lavender variety. Their growing conditions vary, and choosing the incorrect plant will lessen your success with this September perennial. Lavender is useful for keeping deer away and is an excellent companion plant for just about anything in your garden.
Lenten Rose
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botanical name Helleborus x hybridus (Early spring) |
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sun requirements Partial to full shade |
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height 12-24 inches |
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hardiness zones 4-9 |
If you are looking to add spring-blooming perennials to your garden, give the lenten rose a try. This September perennial is a really pretty bloomer that could begin flowering as early as late winter or spring depending on where you live.
Lenten rose flowers are available in a wide variety of colors from white, pink, red, or purplish-black. This plant has attractive evergreen foliage, meaning you don’t even need to cut it perennial back unless the flattened foliage bothers you.
Lily Turf
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botanical name Liriope muscari (Summer) |
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sun requirements Full sun to full shade |
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height 12-18 inches |
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hardiness zones 5-10 |
This is a group of fun perennials that are grasslike with small spiked flowers. The foliage is deep green and lush, and the flowers can range from purple, pink, or white. This is an excellent plant to use as a border, or in an area where you are looking to prevent erosion.
Lily turf will grow and spread quickly, so take care to plant it in an area with enough space for its growth habit. This is a great low-maintenance plant for new gardeners looking for a great impact.
Monkshood
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botanical name Aconitum napellus (Summer to fall) |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 2-4 feet |
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hardiness zones 3-8 |
Monkshood is a beautiful tall perennial with gorgeous colorful blossoms that will accent your shade gardens perfectly. Before we get into the details of monkshood it is important to remember that it is toxic to humans as well as pets, so be careful where you plant this perennial. It’s well-acclimated to lower light conditions, making a great shade-friendly perennial.
The flowers can range from a bluish-purple, pink, white, and even yellow. Plant this perennial in September in an area with well-draining soil that remains moist, possibly alongside your hostas or hydrangeas!
Rose of Sharon
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botanical name Hibiscus syriacus (Summer to fall) |
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sun requirements Full to partial sun |
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height 8-12 feet |
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hardiness zones 5-8 |
Rose of Sharon is a relative of those tropical hibiscus flowers you see on your tropical vacation. This shrub is a hardier version of those plants. These shrubs are woody and can grow quite tall if you don’t prune them back. They are known to invade native ecosystems, so choosing a non-invasive cultivar for your region is best.
The flowers come in more subtle hues of white, pink, purple, and blue, all of which feature a darker throat than the petals. This shrub can grow almost anywhere and once they are mature they don’t require much care at all.
Sea Holly
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botanical name Eryngium planum (Summer to fall) |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 8 inches-3 feet |
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hardiness zones 4-8 |
Sea holly is a really interesting perennial that you should try adding to sunny areas in September. The flowers of sea holly are purple or white, and spiky. They remind me of globe thistle, surrounded by decorative petals.
These flowers will stay in bloom for a long time. Sea holly is a low-maintenance perennial that prefers sandy soil and does not need much water.
