Fall annuals add welcome color to flower gardens when many summer blooms are spent. Fall flowers like pansies and mums are easy to pop into your garden once temperatures begin to drop. Not to mention, many varieties can last all season long and bloom in beautiful autumnal colors like orange, red, and yellow. Ahead, we’re sharing the best fall annuals that experts say will fill your garden for color from fall to frost.
Chrysanthemums
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Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum morifolium) are the ultimate fall flower, and you’ve probably seen them appear in many gardens. “We favor smaller mums in 4 inch to 8 inch containers to keep them from appearing too overbearing or old-fashioned,” says Laura Janney, gardening expert and founder of The Inspired Garden. She says to look for mums that are just starting to open for about six weeks of vibrant color. “For shaded spots, choose mums already in full bloom.”
- Zones: 4 to 9
- Size: 1 to 3 feet tall x 1 to 2 ft. wide
- Care requirements: Full sun; moist, well-draining soil
Ornamental Cabbage
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Consider this ornamental cabbage (Brassica oleracea) as decorative foliage instead of a vegetable. “Varieties like ‘Color Up Purple’ offer unique texture and color to a fall garden,” Janney says. “With their soft yet sturdy, waxy leaves and compact, rounded growth, ornamental cabbages stand out among fall annuals.” Plus, they are incredibly cold-tolerant, sometimes surviving through winter and into the spring.
- Zones: 2 to 11
- Size: 2 to 18 inches tall and wide
- Care requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil
Pansies
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Known for their many jewel tones, pansies (Viola tricolor L.) come in an array of colors. “Exceptionally cold-tolerant, they can often last until the following spring,” says Janney. “Plant them in clusters of three to five for maximum impact,” she says.
- Zones: 4 to 10
- Size: 6 to 12 inches tall x 9 to 12 inches wide
- Care requirements: Full to part sun; loamy, well-draining soil
Marigolds
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Marigolds (Tagetes) add rich colors and textures to the garden. “Hardy and fragrant, we prefer smaller varieties with flat, distinct petals over pom-pom styles,” says Janney. “Our top choice is ‘Fireball,’ known for its deep, rich red hue and fine, feathery foliage that adds an interesting contrast to other autumn annuals.” Marigolds love full sun and are deer resistant.
- Zones: 2 to 11
- Size: 4 to 48 inches tall x 6 to 24 inches wide
- Care requirements: Full sun; moist, well-draining soil
Celosia
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Celosia has fuzzy-textured blooms in bold tones. “Its unique shape offers a playful contrast to softer, rounder flowers,” says Janney. “We particularly love shades of magenta and red, though you can also find them in yellow and orange.” As the blooms fade, they take on the appearance of ornamental grass plumes.
- Zones: 3 to 11
- Size: 6 to 36 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wide
- Care requirements: Full sun; moist, well-draining soil
Black-Eyed Susans
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Coming in yellow, orange, and red, black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia) are a fall favorite. “While it is technically a perennial, it can be quite invasive, so we prefer to treat it as an annual,” says Janney. The plant has big flowers and fuzzy leaves and loves being in the sun. It’s also deer resistant. “Keep it blooming all season long by deadheading spent flowers.”
- Zones: 3 to 9
- Size: 2 to 3 feet tall x 1 to 2 feet wide
- Care requirements: Full sun; moist, well-draining soil
Violas
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Violas (Viola) bloom through winter and into spring. According to Meredith Bishop, sustainable cut-flower grower and floral designer at Bloom and Bounty, “This makes them a great choice for a bloom bridge, a flower that can make a seasonal transition with ease.” Violas have short stems that prop upward toward the sun and offer a range of colors. “If starting from seed, start in mid-summer, giving the plants plenty of time to grow and acclimate to the outdoors before the fall show begins.”
- Zones: 3 to 8
- Size: 4 to 10 inches tall by 4 to 10 inches wide
- Care requirements: Full to partial sun; moist, well-draining soil
Snapdragons
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Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) are a wonderful annual bloom. “Depending on variety, they can be one of the first flowers to bloom in the spring and last flowers to bloom in the fall,” says Bishop. “Snapdragon blooms grow along tall spikes which look fabulous planted in the back of a bed.” Her favorites are the Rocket series of snapdragons, a mix that includes cheery shades of pink, salmon, red, yellow, and white.
- Zones: 4 to 11
- Size: 6 to 48 inches tall x 6 to 12 inches wide
- Care requirements: Full to partial sun; moist, well-draining soil
Dahlias
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Since colder zones cannot support dahlias in the ground year-round, for many this is an annual. “While they will bloom beginning mid-summer, dahlias don’t crank up production until the temperatures drop in the fall,” says Bishop. “And they produce abundantly until the first fall frost.” Dahlias come in a seemingly endless variety of shapes, colors, heights, and bloom head sizes, so pick the dahlia most right for your garden. Deadhead the flowers regularly to keep the blooms coming all fall.
- Zones: 8 to 10
- Size: 1 to 6 feet tall x 1 to 3 feet wide
- Care requirements: Full sun; loamy, well-draining soil
Sunflowers
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Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are the perfect fall flower thanks to their big blooms of gold. “For a long-blooming garden variety, I like to choose heritage seeds, which are open-pollinated and will bloom through fall until the first frost,” says Bishop. “These produce multiple blooms per stem, and if you keep them deadheaded they’ll give you cheerful flowers for a long time.” But be sure to leave some flower heads to die back naturally, as native birds love sunflower seeds.
- Zones: 2 to 11
- Size: 3 to 10 feet tall x 1.5 to 3 feet wide
- Care requirements: Full sun; moist, well-draining soil
Strawflowers
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Popular for their long growing season, strawflowers (Xerochrysum bracteatum) are great for fall. “Strawflowers look like daisies but have a papery texture which makes them one of the best choices for a dried flower for fall wreaths and arrangements,” says Bishop. The flowers are commonly on the taller side and look great in the back of a fall garden. “Like celosia, they will bloom from mid-summer to the very end of the fall growing season.”
- Zones: 8 to 11
- Size: 2 to 3 feet tall x 6 to 18 inches wide
- Care requirements: Full to partial sun; well-draining soil
African Daisies
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African daisies (Osteospermum) come in many different hues. These include autumn colors like pink, purple, and orange. They boast flat petals and look great in containers, or along pathways.
- Zones: 10 to 11
- Size: 1 to 3 feet tall x 1 to 2 feet wide
- Care requirements: Full sun; moist, well-draining soil
Asters
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Asters (Symphyotrichum) create clusters of small, daisy-like blooms in purple and pink. Although asters are perennials, Janney says she likes to remove them from her gardens after the fall season, as they can become quite large and take over precious garden space. Asters thrive in full sun and are deer resistant.
- Zones: 3 to 8
- Size: 1 to 6 feet tall x 1 to 4 feet wide
- Care requirements: Full sun; loamy, well-draining soil
Floss Flowers
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An annual in most zones, these frilly flowers offer visual interest to any garden. While floss flowers (Ageratum) come in many colors, the flower is one of the few true-blue flowers, which is the most sought after of all the hues.
- Zones: 10 to 11
- Size: 4 to 36 inches tall x 6 inches wide
- Care requirements: Full to partial sun; moist, well-draining soil
Petunias
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A beautiful flower for fall, petunias offer trumpet-shaped blooms in almost every color. Add them to containers, hanging baskets, or flower beds to create a pop of interest to your garden.
- Zones: 10 to 11
- Size: 6 to 24 inches tall x 6 to 36 inches wide
- Care requirements: Full sun; moist, well-draining soil
