Top 15+ Hardy Perennials To Plant Now For Autumn Hues, Winter Foliage, And Early Spring Blooms
Fall planting brings autumn hues, winter foliage, and early spring blooms to the garden.
October is an ideal time to plant perennials throughout the Southern states. Crisp cool nights and sunny days allow plants to establish with less stress, while a return of rain means you won’t have to drag hoses around as often. Garden centers stock up on autumn-blooming perennial plants that complement fall foliage, providing a wide selection to choose from. Spring bulbs are also readily available. Many of the plants featured here also provide interest through the winter months, from persistent foliage to winter blooms.
01 of 15
ColorPop Pickables™ Dianthus
- Botanical Name: Dianthus hybrid 'Pie-168'
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Type: Medium, Well-draining, Rich
- Soil pH: Slightly acidic to slightly alkaline (6.0-8.0)
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 10
The fragrant hot pink blooms of ColorPop Pickables™ Dianthus provide a valuable source of nectar for migrating hummingbirds and late season butterflies, and they also make delightful cut flowers. The large flowers have an iridescent lavender eye and stand atop evergreen foliage that adds soft blue-green hues to the garden year-round. Plants produce a flush of blooms in spring, followed by repeat blooms summer through fall.
02 of 15
'Real Glory' Leucanthemum
- Botanical Name: Leucanthemum x superbum 'Real Glory'
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Type: Average, dry to medium, well-draining
- Soil pH: Acidic to neutral (5.5-7.0)
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
This modern take on Shasta daisies brings bold blooms, a high flower count, and improved disease resistance to an old-fashioned garden favorite. 'Real Glory' Leucanthemum produces an abundance of anemone-like flowers with layers of pure white, reflexing petals surrounding frilly yellow central petals. Expect blooms from early summer through autumn with deadheading. Flowers stand on sturdy, upright stems and make excellent cuttings that last up to two weeks in a vase.
03 of 15
'Color Guard' Yucca
- Botanical Name: Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard'
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Type: Dry to medium, well-drained
- Soil pH: Slightly Acidic (5.5-6.5)
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 10
Few plants provide such a dependable performance as 'Color Guard' yucca. Grown for its handsome variegated foliage, 'Color Guard' boasts long, sword-like leaf blades with a distinctive gold stripe down the center. The foliage looks good through the toughest days of summer and endures the chill of winter, when the evergreen foliage takes on coral pink hues. This Eastern native thrives in poor, dry soil and tolerates everything Mother Nature can throw at it: deer, rabbits, salt spray, drought, heat, and urban pollution.
04 of 15
'Pumpkin Spice' Heucherella
- Botanical Name: Heucherella hybrid 'Pumpkin Spice'
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Type: Rich, moist, well-draining
- Soil pH: Acidic to neutral (5.5-7.0)
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
What better plant for October planting than 'Pumpkin Spice' Heucherella? With rich bronze-red foliage accented by a maroon center, 'Pumpkin Spice' adds radiant color and lush texture to gardens and containers. The sculpted foliage remains evergreen in mild climates and is complemented by airy late-spring blooms that attract a variety of pollinators. These vigorous plants tolerate the heat and humidity of Southern summers in style.
05 of 15
Smooth Aster
- Botanical Name: Symphyotrichum laeve
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Type: Dry to medium, well-draining
- Soil pH: Slightly acidic to slightly alkaline (5.8-7.8)
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
Autumn brings an explosion of purple blooms to this gorgeous native perennial, providing a late-season feast for butterflies. This drought-tolerant beauty serves as a host plant to Pearl Crescent butterfly larvae, and its blooms support a diversity of specialized native bees. Flowers give way to seeds that attract hungry songbirds. Plant in mixed borders to complement other fall bloomers like goldenrod and perennial sunflowers.
06 of 15
Goldenrod
- Botanical Name: Solidago spp. and cltvs.
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Type: Average, dry to wet, well-draining
- Soil pH: Slightly acidic to neutral (5.5-7.0)
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 8
Goldenrods are quintessential autumn bloomers, with sprays of vibrant yellow flowers complementing fiery fall foliage. The small flowers provide an important source of nectar for butterflies, bees, and numerous other beneficial insects. With over a hundred native species, there is a goldenrod adapted to all types of habitats. Goldenrods are commonly blamed for fall allergies, though the true culprit is ragweed.
07 of 15
Winter Aconite
- Botanical Name: Eranthis hyemalis
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Type: Medium moisture, well-draining, rich
- Soil pH: Neutral to alkaline (7.0-8.5)
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7
The tubers of this unique perennial are typically available in fall and can be found alongside spring-flowering bulbs, with which they share the same growth cycle. As its name suggests, winter aconite blooms in late winter producing cheery yellow cup-shaped flowers atop frilly foliage. In Southern gardens, winter aconite benefits from partial shade, making a good selection for woodland gardens. They even tolerate black walnut trees. Plants go dormant by late spring.
08 of 15
Autumn Sage
- Botanical Name: Salvia greggii
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Type: Dry to medium, well-draining
- Soil pH: Neutral to slightly alkaline (6.5-7.8)
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 6 to 9
Though Autumn sage blooms spring, summer, and fall, the plant is best known for its dazzling autumn display. Native to Texas and Mexico, autumn sage tolerates heat and drought but also adapts to a variety of growing conditions. Flower color of wild plants is typically red, though variation exists across its range. Likewise, many cultivated varieties are available with blooms ranging from pale yellow to orange, fuchsia to purple, red-violet, burgundy, and white.
09 of 15
Hellebore
- Botanical Name: Helleborus spp. and cltvs.
- Sun Exposure: Partial to full shade; dappled sun
- Soil Type: Rich, medium, well-draining
- Soil pH: Mildly acidic to alkaline (6.0-8.0)
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
With evergreen foliage and winter blooms, hellebores are a staple of the winter garden. These easy-to-grow, shade-loving perennials produce thick, deeply lobed foliage in tidy mounds that carpet the ground all year. Hellebores are unique for flowering in mid to late winter, depending on species, bringing pink, white, or purple blooms to the winter garden.
10 of 15
Little Bluestem Grass
- Botanical Name: Schizachyrium scoparium
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Type: Average, dry to medium, well-draining
- Soil pH: Acidic to alkaline (5.0-8.4)
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
Ornamental grasses add texture and movement to perennial plantings, and few are as garden worthy as little bluestem. Native to a variety of habitats throughout the Eastern United States, little bluestem thrives in a range of planting sites, from rocky to clay soils and dry to moist conditions. The blue-green foliage takes on orange to burgundy hues in autumn, complemented by purple-bronze seed heads, both of which persist through the winter months.
11 of 15
Hardy Chrysanthemum
- Botanical Name: Chrysanthemum (Rubellum Group)
- Sun Exposure: Full to dappled sun
- Soil Type: Rich, medium, well-draining
- Soil pH: Slightly Acidic to Neutral (5.8-7.0)
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Chrysanthemum is a large genus in the Aster family with a long production history in the florist trade. Some varieties have been bred for cut flower production and are poorly suited to the garden. Those used for autumn décor are commonly treated as disposal annuals, though they are technically perennial. The most dependable mums to grow as garden perennials belong to the Rubellum Group, often called hardy chrysanthemum, hardy garden mum, or old-fashioned mum. Pinch plants back in spring or early summer to encourage denser branching and greater flower production.
12 of 15
Toad Lily
- Botanical Name: Tricyrtis hirta
- Sun Exposure: Full to partial shade, dappled sunlight
- Soil Type: Rich, moist, well-draining
- Soil pH: Acidic to neutral (5.6-7.5)
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
With speckled, orchid-like blooms glistening in jewel-tones, toad lilies are hidden gems of the shade garden. Plants often appear spindly in spring containers and are commonly passed over for showier specimens, but they are sure to charm once you plant them in the garden. Elongated foliage held on long arching stems is reminiscent of Solomon’s seal and tolerates deer browsing. Flowers open along the stems in late summer to fall, with dark purple spots set against a pale lavender to white backdrop.
13 of 15
Daylily
- Botanical Name: Hemerocallis hybrids
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Type: Average, medium, well-draining
- Soil pH: Slightly acidic to neutral (6.0-7.0)
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
No perennial garden is complete without daylilies. Their large blooms have long captured gardeners’ hearts. Fall is a great time to plant daylilies because plants have a long time to establish roots before blooming, often resulting in improved flowering the first season. While potted plants are commonly sold in spring, they may be harder to find in fall. For autumn planting, look for bare root plants available from catalogues and specialty growers.
14 of 15
Japanese Anemone
- Botanical Name: Anemone hybrids
- Sun Exposure: Part shade; dappled sunlight
- Soil Type: Rich, moist, well-draining
- Soil pH: Slightly acidic to mildly alkaline (6.0-8.0)
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
This vigorous late summer to fall bloomer looks lovely massed in woodland gardens and perennial borders. Large saucer-like blooms are held above the foliage on wiry stems where they sway in the wind, giving plants the common name windflower. Japanese anemones produce dense mounds of deeply toothed foliage that remain nearly evergreen in mild climates. Plants performs best in moist soils and partial shade to prevent drying out.
15 of 15
Eastern Camas
- Botanical Name: Camassia scilloides
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Type: Rich, moist, well-draining
- Soil pH: Acidic to neutral (
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
October is a great time to start planting spring-flowering bulbs in the Southern states. Most species of spring bulb come from the far reaches of the globe, but we do have a beautiful native option: Eastern camas. Also called wild hyacinth or Atlantic camas, this adaptable perennial produces spikes of up to twenty pale blue, pink, or white blooms that open sequentially from the bottom upward. While the western species of camas are more readily available (and more vibrantly colored), Eastern camas seeds and bulbs can be sourced through specialty growers.
