By Andrew Bunting, VP of Horticulture at PHS 

As the days get shorter and cooler, the garden transitions from summer into fall. This period in the garden is highlighted by the myriad autumnal colors as green leaves turn to fiery hues of orange, red, and yellow.  And while many gardeners instinctively reach for chrysanthemums (mums) in autumn, there’s a whole other world of fall blooming perennials that are economical and provide lasting color, pollinator benefits, and year-after-year returns. 

Why Choose Fall Blooming Perennials Over Mums? 

Fall is the time when many annuals and perennials bloom. A common fall plant often purchased at garden centers is the garden mum. While the garden mum provides a burst of charming daisy-like flowers in a wide array of colors, it is short-lived in a container or garden, often due to insufficient watering or being damaged by cold weather. Most garden mums cannot be effectively planted in the garden as a permanent plant. While they might survive the winter, they typically don’t flower well in subsequent years. Most garden mums are purchased and used for a short, seasonal impact in the garden, and then discarded in the trash. 

As an alternative to mums, many fall blooming perennials can serve as excellent additions to your garden. These plants offer equal “flower power,” have a diverse range of flowering colors in the garden, and most importantly, are hardy and will come back in the garden for years to come. 

Fall blooming perennials can flower in September, October, November, and sometimes even into December. Because perennials come back year after year, they are more sustainable in the garden and cost-effective over time.  

Top Fall Blooming Perennials for Color and Interest 

Asters and similar plants 

Similar in shape and form to the garden mums are the many flowering asters. The native asters, unfortunately, had a taxonomic revision about 10 years ago, so many of the new genera that were once Aster are now hard-to-pronounce genera like Symphyotrichum, Doellingeria, and Eurybia. Regardless of how hard they are to pronounce, they are easy to love in the landscape. 

Aromatic Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ and ‘October Skies’) 

• Bloom Time: Beginning of October 
• Height/Spread: ~18 inches tall with equal spread 
• Features: Covered in lavender-blue, quarter-sized flowers with yellow centers 
• Bonus: Plants are completely blanketed in blooms and provide an important nectar and pollen source for late-season pollinator plants 

Smooth Aster (Symphyotrichum laeve ‘Bluebird’) 

• Form: More upright compared to S. oblongifolium 
• Features: Blue-purple flowers, similar in look but different in stature 
• Bonus: A keystone plant species, critical for supporting biodiversity in the garden 

New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae ‘Purple Dome’) 

• Height: Comparable to garden mums 
• Features: Brilliant, saturated purple flowers 
• Bonus: Dense, mum-like stature makes it a great alternative in fall containers or beds 

Montauk or Nippon Daisy (Nipponanthemum nipponicum, syn. Chrysanthemum nipponicum) 

• Height: About 2 feet tall 
• Bloom Time: September through October 
• Features: Pure alabaster-white flowers with golden centers, reminiscent of Shasta daisies 
• Bonus: Thrives in maritime climates, profuse bloomer, and excellent as a late-season cut flower 

Unique Fall Blooming Perennials 

Fall blooming perennials are not limited to only daisy-like flowers. Many other selections bring unique form and texture to the autumn garden: 

Hardy Begonia (Begonia grandis) 

• Features: Broad leaves with reddish undersides; wiry stems topped with pendant pink flowers in September 
• Bonus: After blooming, three-parted pinkish-red seed capsules add ornament to the garden 
• Growth Habit: Spreading perennial that also reseeds itself; new seedlings often appear in spring 
• Note: Very late to emerge in spring—it may look dead but is usually just slow to appear  
• Cultivars:
  • ‘Alba’ (white form) 
  • ‘Bells and Whistles’ (pink flowers, silver-marked leaves) 

Toadlilies (Tricyrtis ‘Sinonome’) 

• Features: Orchid-like, skyward-facing flowers spotted with purple 
• Growth Habit: Slowly spreading woodland perennial 
• Bloom Time: Throughout the fall

Japanese Anemones (Anemone x hybrida, A. hupehensis) 

• Form: Basal foliage with tall, wiry stems reaching 3–4 feet 
• Growth Habit: Quickly spreads and colonizes, forming impactful swaths of late-season color 
• Cultivars: 
  • ​​​‘Honorine Jobert’ – single white flowers with yellow centers‘
  • 'September Charm’ – pink petals with white tips and yellow centers 
  • ‘Pamina’ – bright pink flowers 

How to Plant and Care for Fall Blooming Perennials 

Fall flowering perennials can be planted from spring through the fall. After flowering, the plants can be left through the fall and into the winter. Plants can be cut back in the spring. If they need to be cut back earlier for aesthetic reasons, then stack the perennial stems in aesthetically arranged piles. This allows insects that might be harboring in the hollow stems to be able to effectively emerge in the spring. 

• Planting: Fall-flowering perennials can be added to your garden anytime from spring through fall, giving them plenty of time to establish before winter. 
• After Bloom: Once the flowers fade, leave the plants standing through fall and into the winter months. Their stems and seedheads provide food and shelter for wildlife, and add seasonal interest to the garden. 
• Cut Back in Spring: In early spring, cut back the plants to make way for fresh new growth. 
• If Cutting Back Earlier: If you prefer a tidier look before spring, you can trim perennials earlier. Instead of discarding the stems, stack them in small, neat piles around the garden. 
• Support Insects: Many beneficial insects overwinter inside the hollow stems. By stacking the cut stems, you’re giving them a safe place to rest until they can emerge in the spring. 

Design Ideas: Using Fall Blooming Perennials in the Garden 

From a design perspective, fall blooming perennials combine beautifully with ornamental grasses, shrubs with excellent fall color or autumnal fruiting displays and comparable ornamental trees.  

• Pair with Grasses: Combine fall perennials with ornamental grasses to create a striking contrast in texture. The grasses also add graceful movement as they sway in the breeze, bringing the garden to life. 
• Plan for Succession: Layer early-, mid-, and late-season bloomers so your garden has continuous color from late summer all the way through fall. This staggered approach keeps beds vibrant and interesting over time. 
• Add Daisy-Type Flowers: Include cheerful daisy-style blooms, such as Montauk daisies, to achieve a timeless cottage garden feel that’s both nostalgic and refreshing. 

Together, these combinations provide a vibrant display of color, form, and seasonal interest that extends the beauty of your garden well into autumn. 

Beyond Mums: Building a Better Fall Garden 

Fall blooming perennials are generally long-lived in the garden and require minimal maintenance from year to year. They are a great alternative for the short-lived garden mum. There are many exciting choices to experiment with in the garden, including fall blooming aster, the Montauk daisy, hardy begonias, toadlilies, and fall blooming anemones.   

Selecting some native flowering perennials will also add important biological functions to the garden and enhance your garden’s biodiversity. This fall, instead of throwaway mums, plant something that will reward you year after year with fantastic color, seasonal interest, and lasting impact for both your garden and the environment.