Add Some Color to Your Fall Garden with These Gorgeous Blooming Bushes

Fall is a beautiful time of year, with the leaves changing color and the weather cooling down But as the blooms of summer fade, many gardens can start to look dull and bare. Fortunately, there are many bushes that bloom in fall, allowing you to extend the flowering season and keep your garden looking spectacular into autumn In this article, we’ll look at some of the best fall-blooming bushes to add visual interest and pops of color this season.

Top Fall-Blooming Bushes

Muhly Grass

Muhly grass is a perfect fall-blooming bush, with its pink to purple delicate plumes that sway in the autumn breeze. There are a few different varieties but pink muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) is likely the most popular. It blooms starting in late summer and lasts through the fall. Muhly grass looks stunning planted en masse, where it can make a dramatic statement in any garden. It thrives in full sun and is drought tolerant once established.

Autumn Sage

For weeks of fall color, you can’t go wrong with autumn sage (Salvia greggii). Its flowers come in a range of hues like red, pink, orange, yellow, white, and purple. Blooming begins in summer but reaches peak performance in fall. Deadheading encourages more blooms. Autumn sage is drought tolerant, attracts pollinators, and deer tend to avoid it. It does best in full sun.

Hardy Hibiscus

With their huge, flashy blooms, hardy hibiscus shrubs (Hibiscus moscheutos) definitely make a statement in fall. The flowers can be white, pink, red, or bicolored depending on the variety Blooming starts in midsummer and lasts until the first frost. Give them full sun, regular watering, and prune back each spring

Encore Azaleas

Azaleas are classic spring-blooming shrubs, but the Encore azalea varieties will give you blooms in fall as well. They are known for having multiple flushs of color at different times of the year. For fall, Autumn Royalty, Autumn Carnation, Autumn Fire, and Autumn Bonfire are particularly good choices and come in a range of hues.

Rose of Sharon

An old-fashioned favorite, rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) reliably blooms in late summer into fall. The flowers come in single and double forms, with color options like white, pink, purple, lavender, and blue. These fast-growing, vase-shaped shrubs reach 8-12 feet tall. Prune in late winter to control size and promote flowering. Rose of Sharon thrives in full sun to part sun.

Perennial Hibiscus

Like their tropical cousin hardy hibiscus, perennial hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos) boasts huge, showy blooms in late summer and fall. But they tend to be more compact, topping out around 2-4 feet tall. Good varieties for fall color include ‘Plum Crazy,’ with its deep purple blooms, and the bright magenta-pink blooms of ‘Midnight Marvel.’ Give them full sun to part sun and medium to wet soil.

Chrysanthemums

When it comes to classic fall flowers, it’s hard to beat chrysanthemums. These fall-blooming perennials come in all sorts of colors like orange, red, pink, purple, yellow, and white. To get the most flowers in autumn, be sure to pinch plants in spring and early summer to promote branching. Chrysanthemums need at least 6 hours of sun daily and average to dry soil.

Goldenrod

Goldenrods are quintessential fall-blooming perennials, with their spikes of tiny yellow flowers. They are low maintenance, drought tolerant, and attractive to pollinators. Pruning plants after blooming in spring encourages more flowers in the fall. Most varieties thrive in full sun and can adapt to various soil types. Try ‘Fireworks’ for a more compact goldenrod.

Aster

Asters are daisy-like perennials that bloom profusely in the fall in shades of purple, pink, red, blue, and white. Some popular varieties include the deep purple flowers of ‘Prince’ aster and the clear white blooms of ‘Wood’s White’ aster. Give asters full sun to part sun and prune them back to about half their height in early spring to encourage bushy, flowering growth.

Ornamental Grasses

Ornamental grasses offer low maintenance and unique texture along with fall interest. Varieties like Muhlenbergia capillaris, Schizachyrium scoparium, and Panicum virgatum have plumes or seed heads that provide visual interest into winter. For the most impact, plant grasses in groups or swaths. Most prefer full sun.

Russian Sage

With its airy spikes of lavender-blue flowers and silvery foliage, Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) is a lovely addition to the fall garden. It blooms from midsummer well into fall and thrives in hot, sunny conditions when given good drainage. Drought tolerant and deer resistant, Russian sage works nicely along borders or as part of a pollinator garden.

Fall-Blooming Shrubs for Berries

In addition to blooms, berries can provide pops of color in the fall landscape. Here are some top shrubs grown for their autumn berries:

• Deciduous hollies like winterberry and possibilities hollies have bright red berries that birds love.

• Beautyberry bushes have abundant purple berries along the leaf axils in fall.

• Viburnum varieties like arrowwood viburnum have clusters of blue or black fall berries.

• Dogwoods produce red berries on leafy branches in fall.

• Sumacs have big clusters of fuzzy red berries in autumn that last into winter.

The Importance of Fall Blooms

There are several reasons why incorporating fall-blooming plants into your garden is beneficial:

• Extends the flowering season after spring & summer blooms fade

• Provides critical food sources like pollen and nectar for pollinators preparing for winter

• Offers visual interest and color when many plants are dying back

• Fruit and berries feed birds and wildlife going into winter

• Allows the garden to evolve through the seasons

• Brightens up the autumn landscape

With their diversity of colorful flowers and berries, fall-blooming bushes are an essential part of the changing garden. They sustain wildlife, boost curb appeal, and keep your outdoor space lively long after summer fades. With so many excellent options available, you’re sure to find beautiful fall-blooming bushes to enhance your own garden.