I absolutely love to grow bright flowers each autumn! Here are some of my favorite flowers for fall.
1. Sunflower
Sunflower is a classic flower for autumn. These tall beauties commonly have cheery bright yellow petals with brown centers. That said, there are numerous different specialty types to grow, including adorable short ‘Teddy Bear’ fluffy sunflowers, towering ‘Mammoth’ giant sunflowers, bronze ‘Autumn Beauty’ bouquet sunflowers, and pollinator-magnet ‘Lemon Queen’ sunflowers. Plant sunflower seeds in early summer for a gorgeous display of flowers in early autumn.
2. Rudbeckia
Rudbeckia, or Black-Eyed Susan, is a favorite flowering perennial for autumn. Rudbeckia blooms look like tiny sunflowers, with bright golden-yellow petals and dark centers. Pollinators love these happy flowers, which return reliably each spring from overwintered roots. Some of the most popular Rudbeckia cultivars include ‘Goldsturm’, ‘Autumn Sun’, and ‘Little Goldstar’.
3. Dahlia
Dahlia plants produce some of the most stunning blooms available in the fall. Cultivars are available in a multitude of different shades, from soft pink to rich burgundy and vibrant bi-color flowers. Dahlia plants grow from underground tubers, which can stay in the ground in areas with mild winters but must be dug up and stored indoors in cold-climate zones. Popular types include big dinnerplate dahlias like ‘Cafe Au Lait’, ball dahlias like ‘Cornel’, and cactus-type dahlias like ‘Karma Corona’.
4. Zinnia
Zinnia is an annual flowering plant with brightly-colored blooms. Flowers are available in pink, yellow, purple, red, orange, and even in a soft lime green. Popular zinnias to grow include the ‘Benary’s Giant’ series, the ‘Lilliput’ series, and the ‘Oklahoma’ series.
5. Coreopsis
Coreopsis, also known as Tickseed, is an herbaceous perennial plant that flowers in early autumn. These low-maintenance landscape plants have small cheery flowers that return reliably year after year. Most types of Coreopsis have golden-yellow flowers, but specialty plants are available in different flower colors including soft yellow, soft pink, rich burgundy, and yellow-brown bicolor. Popular types of Tickseed/Coreopsis include ‘Early Sunrise’, ‘Full Moon’, ‘Limerock Ruby’, ‘Mercury Rising,’ ‘Sweet Dreams’, and ‘American Dream.’