Fall is a great time to get perennials in the ground. Perennials will come back year after year and provide you with color all season long without having to replant annuals every season. Initially, perennial plants are going to be more expensive than seasonal annuals but they will save you money and time in the long run because you won’t need to frequently be buying and planting plants for every season. In addition, some perennial plants can be divided after one or two seasons to give you more plants. This is not necessarily a good practice for every perennial so do some checking before you go out to dig up and chop in half any of your plants. Without further ado here are some of my favorite herbaceous perennials:
Scabiosa- probably one of my favorite because it almost always is flowering and is low maintenance. There are many different colors of scabiosa but to my knowledge, only this purple variety shown is a perennial. The others are annuals and will die with frost. But for this little beauty, the plant itself gets around 8-12 inches tall with flower stems above that and has a mounding habit. I have noticed no winter dieback on my plant and even flowers through the winter. The only time I don’t see flowers on it is when I’ve cut back the flower stems to remove all the old blooms. Truly a great plant to add to your landscape.
Echinacea- also called coneflower, these plants bloom from summer to fall and come in a rainbow of colors and forms. There is some difference in size based on which variety you select but plants typically range between 1-3 ft tall. They can see a little scorching on the leaves in the intense summer heat. To prevent this make sure you keep them adequately watered and group them with other plants that may give them a little protection, or place them in a location where they will get some shade at the hottest part of the day.
Gaillardia- consistently the first and last thing in my garden to flower every year and goes all the way from early spring to late fall. Deadhead these little guys on occasion and they will not stop blooming. There is some variation in size for these as well. The ones I grow are a nice tight mound about 18 in tall and wide but other varieties can be much looser in form and nearly 3 ft in height. Flowers come in many shades of reds oranges and yellows and some bicolor.
Centranthus- this is a great early spring flower. Be warned they do typically go into a period of summer dormancy when it starts to get hot but will typically have another round of flowers in the fall as it cools again. The tufts of pinkish-red flowers are great for all pollinators.
Sedum- these come in many different forms. The upright succulent is what I’m referring to here though the ground cover varieties are excellent for lower water areas as well. This is a late summer through fall bloomer and will die to the ground with frost. Flowers are usually some shade of pinkish to red depending on the variety. The fun thing about these is that as the flower heads age and eventually dry on the plant they continue to change shades. These are suitable for full sun and low water once established.
Rudbeckia- this is another plant that is highly variable in size and flower color based on variety. They can be up to about 4ft tall and usually have colors ranging from yellow to deep red. Blooms for a very long time well into the fall if you continue to deadhead during the flowering season. They are easy to start from seed but are also easy to find in starts from a nursery. They also make a great cut flower.
Coreopsis- This is another flower that is a spring and fall bloomer going into a period of dormancy during the summer. They don’t die to the ground, but they go into what I call sleep mode, producing almost no flowers if they are in full sun and just making it through. These would appreciate some protection in the hottest part of the day. There are many different colors and bicolors of these ranging from deep maroon to yellow. The flowers can also be used as a natural dye.
Yarrow-so many beautiful colors of yarrow in pastels, bright yellow, deep red, and white. These tend to be evergreen in the Central Valley area and only need a little bit of tidying up after winter. When the flower stalks get heavy they do tend to fall so plant these in an area where they will get some support from plants around or maintain pruning or other support methods. Many varieties easily reach 2-3ft tall if they are well watered but keeping them on the drier side will keep them a bit smaller. One variety called moonshine has a lower growing habit with flower stalks that extend above. The leaves of this variety are also silvery which contrasts nicely with the bright yellow flowers.
Statice- there are two main species of this: Limonium perezii and Limonium sinuatum. L. perezii is usually referred to as sea lavender and has larger leaves. I’ve only seen this variety with purple flowers and is best with afternoon shade in the valley. L. sinuatum comes in a rainbow of colors and is often used in fresh and dried bouquets. This variety has done well in full sun for me, but they do get some protection from the plants around them. Both types reach around 2ft tall.
Milkweed- gloried as the monarch butterfly food and planted by many in hopes of attracting the beautiful butterflies. Whether or not this is your goal they are great for pollinators. These do also have some confusion as there are different types and the leaves can look quite different. All are great for pollinators and are a great perennial to plant with a range of flower colors.
Tall Verbena- it’s in the name for a reason, these get very tall. They can reach anywhere from 3 to 6 ft in height. Beautiful purple flowers on very airy sparse plants make a very whimsical addition to the garden. They bloom from spring to fall and are quite drought-tolerant once established.
Bulbs- all bulbs are best planted in the fall for spring flowers. They will get you the early spring color and give way just as other flowers are coming into their own. Don’t neglect to put a few bulbs like daffodils, tulips, and iris in your flower beds and garden to get some early color in your yard.
These are just a few of my favorite perennials that are great for fall planting. A few others that are great plants to add to your garden I haven’t shared details of include columbine, penstemon, heuchera, lupine, hosta, and hellebore.
There are so many others that would make great additions to a landscape so if you would like more information head over to my contacts page and send me a message.
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