13 Best Late-Summer Flowers For Your Fall Garden

Fall is the season when most plants lose their lush and vibrant self. However, your garden doesn’t have to look dull in fall if you plant these amazing late-summer flowers. These late-summer blooming flowers are some of the most beautiful and easy-to-grow perennials that can keep your fall garden flourishing even in the dull autumn season.

Late-summer flowers are also pollinator-friendly plants that can contribute greatly to your environment. In this blog, we have compiled a list of some of the best late-summer flowers you can grow easily and keep your outdoor garden thriving even when most plants lose their vibrancy.

Late Summer Gardening

Gardening in late summer isn’t very tricky. The weather during this time of year shifts from high temperatures, intense sunlight, and dry conditions to days getting shorter and cooler. Late summer blooming flowers are highly drought-tolerant and heat-resistant.

To get a vibrant late-summer garden you need to plan and select the right variety of late-summer flowers that will thrive in your local climate. And just by providing care similar to that of other plants, you can easily grow late-summer flowers in your garden.

13 Late-Summer Flowers

Here are some of the best late-summer blooming flowers for your garden –

1. Joe Pye Weed

Joe Pye weed is a hardy perennial that is popular among many gardeners for its dusky purple blooms. These late-summer flowers can grow tall, however, there are various dwarf varieties available for you to grow. Joe Pye weed prefers nutrient-rich and slightly moist but well-drained soil to thrive. Also, these late-summer blooming flowers thrive in partial to full sun.

The blooms of this plant attract many pollinators. Therefore, it is important to grow these plants in a secluded area, as they can easily intrude into the space of other plants.

2. Rudbeckia

With a wide variety of vibrant flowers that come in different colors, Rudbeckia offers tons of options. Among these many options is Black-eyed Susan, these low-maintenance outdoor plants are self-seeding. Moreover, these late-summer flowers attract a lot of pollinators.

Grow these plants in a sunny location and provide consistent watering even though these are hardy and drought-tolerant.

3. Helenium 

The gorgeous daisy-like flowers and tall height of helenium are perfect for creating an eye-catching display in your garden. The vibrant late-summer blooming flowers of these plants come in a variety of colors such as yellow, orange, pink, red, and more.

Heleniums are sun-loving perennials, so plant them in a location with plenty of sunlight and well-drained soil. Keep the soil consistently moist to encourage healthy blooms.

4. Chrysanthemum 

These are popular fall flowers, but some varieties of Chrysanthemums start blooming in late summer. Mums come in a huge variety of flowers in different sizes, colors, and flower forms. You can mix these late-summer blooming flowers with different plants to create an enchanting display in your garden.

Plant these late summer flowers in full sun and use well-draining, slightly acidic soil. Moreover, keep deadheading the spent flowers to promote new growth.

5. Sedum

Sedums are hardy and easy-to-grow late-summer flowers that come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Their fleshy foliage helps them store water, and the blooms change color as the temperature changes.

Just plant these late-summer blooming flowers in a sunny location with well-drained, sandy soil and watch them thrive.

6. Dahlia

These late-summer flowers bloom from fall to first frost. A large variety of dahlias is available in different shapes, sizes, and colors. Dahlia makes great cut flowers and can be used as ornamental plants at home.

Plant these late-summer blooming flowers in full sun and well-drained loamy soil. Keep the soil consistently moist but avoid overwatering.

7. Japanese Anemone

The beautiful white or pink late-summer flowers of the Japanese Anemone are perfect for adding delicate colors to your garden. These plants mix well with others so you can try grouping them, however, keep an eye on the growth of these plants as they spread quickly through underground runners.

These plants thrive in partial to full sun with a well-drained, loamy, and nutrient-rich soil.

8. Asters

These versatile late-summer blooming flowers also produce daisy-like blossoms. Asters are well known for being used as summer bedding plants. The flowers come in a variety of exciting colors, including white, pink, purple, and blue. You can choose from a variety of Aster plants for your garden, each with different characteristics.

These are low-maintenance late-summer flowers that will thrive in full sun or partial shade and well-draining soil.

9. Red Birds In a Tree

These plants that look like animals can grab anyone’s attention. Scrophularia macrantha also known as ‘Red Birds In a Tree’ are famous for their unique red flowers that look like birds. These are drought-tolerant late-summer flowers that thrive in full sun and well-draining soil.

The red birds in a tree are also pollinator-friendly plants and attract hummingbirds. Moreover, they are also very easy to grow and care for.

10. Coneflower

The big and attractive blooms of coneflower attract a lot of pollinators. These are hardy and sun-loving late-summer flowers that come in a wide variety some even featuring double petals and bi-colored flowers. Coneflowers are easy to grow and care for as they are also drought-tolerant.

You can even encourage more blooms by deadheading spent flowers.

11. Phlox

Another garden perennial with beautiful blooms, these late-summer flowers are a great choice for your garden if you can provide them with enough space. Phloxes need good air circulation to thrive as they are prone to mildew. These plants feature clusters of tiny flowers that come in various colors such as pink, white, red, purple, and more.

These late-summer blooming flowers look good as garden borders. Grow them in nutrient-rich and well-draining soil.

12. Balloon Flower

These plants got the name ‘Balloon Flower’ because of their beautiful balloon-shaped flower buds that burst open into brightly-colored flowers that come in shades of blue, violet, white, and pink. These late-summer blooming flowers thrive in partial to full sun with well-drained soil.

These plants also make great cut flowers and can be grown easily in your garden.

13. Clematis

These climbing plants feature flowers of different shapes. Clematis would be a perfect choice for a vertical garden. Depending on the variety these late-summer flowers can bloom at different times. These plants need full sun to produce flowers but prefer shade on roots.

Use well-drained and loamy soil for these plants to help them thrive.

How To Care For Late-Summer Flowers?

Taking care of late-summer flowers isn’t very tricky and you just need to keep in mind the following things –

• Deadheading: Regularly prune away the spent flowers to keep the plant disease-free and encourage new growth.
• Watering: Water your late-summer flowers deeply to encourage a robust root system. Try to water the plants in the morning to prevent fungal disease.
• Feeding: Fertilize your plants using a balanced and slow-release fertilizer to provide the necessary nutrients to the plants.
• Mulching: Use organic mulch to help retain moisture and keep weeds away.

Common Challenges With Late-Summer Flowers

Even though, late-summer blooming flowers are easy to grow, one might face some of the following challenges –

• Preventing Heat Stress: Long exposure to harsh summer heat can cause wilting or scorching in the plants so try to provide shade to protect your plants.
• Overcrowding: Late-summer flowers can grow vigorously and require proper airflow. So make sure to prune extra growth and keep the plants in shape.
• Dry Soil: Hot temperatures can dry out the soil quickly. So keep an eye on the soil and water consistently.
• Pests: Late summer conditions attract many common plant pests such as aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies, and spider mites. Regularly check your plants and use neem oil to manage pest infestations.

Conclusion

Late summer gardening can be a fulfilling experience as it can bring lots of colors to your autumn garden. Moreover, late-summer flowers are easy to grow and care for. With this guide, we hope to have provided you with all the necessary information on late-summer blooming flowers. So make sure to add these plants to your collection.