The month of September is considered late summer or early fall. This is the time when most gardens lose much of their color. However, many perennial flowers provide the garden with color and rich texture during this month. Ornamental grasses also mature into their full forms in September, topped with showy seed heads that supply much-needed fall and winter interest.
Flowers for Fall
September Blooms
September Blooming
Sun-Loving Perennials
When much of the garden is beginning to fade, there are some fantastic September-blooming perennials that stand out amongst the rest! From the vibrant yellow flowers of Black-Eyed Susan to the whimsical plumes of ornamental grasses, there’s no shortage of fantastic options to add color and texture to the landscape this time of year.
Full Sun | 6+ hours of direct sunlight
Sun to Part Shade | 4+ hours of direct sunlight
Rudbeckia spp.
Black-eyed Susan
Though they typically start blooming in late July, the vibrant yellow blooms of Rudbeckia stand out among the fall colors of the landscape, making them one of our favorite September bloomers. They are vigorous, productive, and reliable, and their long-lasting blooms are great butterfly attractants!
Sedum spp.
Perennial Sedum
Also referred to as Showy Stonecrop, the perennial Sedum family contains numerous easy-to-grow, hardy, succulent varieties from groundcovers to upright, showy stonecrops. Sedum are long-lasting in dry, rock gardens and containers. In addition to their gorgeous blooms, there are a rainbow of foliage colors and variegations. Their flowers are excellent pollinator attractants, with some blooming well into October.
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
New England Aster
New England Asters provide fantastic late summer to fall color. They produce mounded foliage, covered in small, vivid-colored, daisy-like flowers with yellow centers. New varieties have been bred for excellent disease resistance, compact, mounding habit, and late-season show. They’re easy to grow in containers or in the cutting garden.
Clematis terniflora
Sweet Autumn Clematis
Sweet Autumn is a gorgeous flowering vine that, produces small, white flowers in abundance in the late summer months. Like spring-blooming Clematis varieties, this gorgeous plant naturally twines around supports or can sprawl as a ground cover.
SOLIDAGO CANADENSIS
Goldenrod
Goldenrod is an excellent source of late summer and fall color and an excellent pollinator attractant. Bushy and attractive golden yellow panicles emerge on compact, sturdy stems that are easy to fit around the front border of sunny spaces in the landscape. Note: Goldenrod does not cause hay fever; unfortunately it often gets confused with ragweed.
Chrysanthemum hybridum
Mammoth™ Mums
This is a wonderfully cold hardy Chrysanthemum series developed at the University of Minnesota tolerates -30 degree temperatures over the winter. This particular series develops compact, cushion-like habits that are covered with a single to doubled daisy-like flower that provides late summer to fall color. They grow well in both containers and the landscape with no deadheading or pinching needed!
September
Shade Perennials
There are so many foliage options when it comes to shade gardening, but did you know there are also fantastic blooming options as well?
Part Shade | 4-6 hours of direct sunlight
Full Shade | Less than 4 hours of direct sunlight
LIRIOPE MUSCARI
Lily Turf
Also known as Lily-turf, Liriope produces violet, grape hyacinth-type flowers amongst thick clumps of grassy foliage. Their desirable, violet blooms mature to blue-black berries in the fall. Liriope makes a great evergreen edging plant for year-round interest.
Anemone spp.
Japanese Anemones
Hybrid or Japanese Anemones are delightful and dependable producers of 2-3″ wide, pink, mauve, white, single to double flowers with yellow centers that dance in the wind on long, graceful stems late summer into fall. Anemones make an excellent cut flower and also provide wonderful late-season color.
foliage feature
Perennial grasses add fantastic color and texture to the garden in late summer and early fall. Bonus? Their dried foliage can be left up once dried to add winter interest to the landscape! Here are a few of our favorite foliage grasses perfect for the perennial landscape:
bringing it all together
Between September-blooming flowers, ornamental grasses, and strong climbing vines, there are many reliable, long-blooming, colorful perennials that come on as summer begins to shift into fall.
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