Late-blooming Perennials for the Garden 🌼

Seasons change and so do our gardens! As the days start to shorten, our plants reduce their rates of photosynthesis and prioritize storing energy to survive the harsh environmental conditions ahead in winter. As most of our plants begin to wind down, the shorter days and cooler temperatures tell a fair few other plants to start blooming! And by delaying their blooms, these plants deal with fewer competitors for light and space. Here are some of our favorite fall-blooming native plants that will keep your garden buzzing and popping with color through the growing season’s end.

Asters

Asters offer wonderfully teeny, daisy-like flowers in shades of purple, pink, and white. The genus Symphyotrichum includes over 100 different types of asters with the vast majority being native to North America. We like New England Aster (shown below) but there are countless native aster options to choose from!

Boneset

Boneset, produces clusters of small, fuzzy white flowers and thrives in moist areas with partial sun. Boneset interestingly has opposite leaves, which appear to “wrap” around the stem at the junction. They can get quite tall and bushy, so give boneset some lateral space to grow and maybe layer them behind some of your smaller flowers.

Mistflower

As you could assume, mistflower offers misty, fluffy lavender blooms and will stay relatively low as it spreads through the landscape. It thrives in moist, sunny spots and is thoroughly loved by many kinds of butterflies. Give it a try. You won’t be disappointed when the puffballs start to pop!

Goldenrods

Goldenrod is a powerhouse for a wide variety of our pollinators. It’s resilient, easy to grow, and will happily fill in spaces in your garden, providing visual appeal and essential resources for late-season insects. Be sure to give it room to grow! They like to spread.

Swamp Sunflower

A true centerpiece for the landscape! This super-tall sunflower dazzles with large yellow blooms in late summer and fall. They can reach over 12 feet, so make sure to plan accordingly with its placement.

Joe-pye Weed

Joe-pye Weed thrives in moist soil and partial sun, and its clusters of pinkish-purple flowers are a favorite of monarch butterflies! If you have any soggy soil in the landscape, these will do just fine. You may already have late-blooming flowers volunteering themselves in your landscape. Since they’re not the showiest in summer, they sometimes get identified as a “weed” and get pulled. Keep an eye out!