Best flowers for autumn colour
Choosing the best flowers for autumn colour is tricky when there are so many to choose from. There is something very special about this time of year. As the seasons move from summer towards autumn and I call it ‘The Pause’.
There’s a short period, when for a handful of weeks, the heavy warmth of fragrance-filled air hangs over the garden like an invisible blanket of joy. The light is rich and soft, and shafts of evening sun highlight a myriad of insects, all busy in their activities, like cosmic dust all around us. The warmed earth reflects the heat back at us and being barefoot in the garden is a pleasure.
Hopefully, there is an abundance of food to harvest and an equally abundant flower garden to enjoy. Here is my selection of bright and show-stopping, colourful flowers for the garden in September and into autumn.
Japanese Anemone
Japanese anemone flowers are available in a range of colours from deep pink to white. And with single, semi-double or double forms. Height and spread depends on the variety, but you can expect the flowers to reach anything from 50cm to 150cm. They prefer moist soil that does not dry out easily and prefer partial shade, although they will tolerate full sun.
If they are happy with the location and moisture content of your garden, these clump forming perennials will spread readily. If space is limited, grow in a pot or be prepared to removed new clumps as they appear. I have never had to purchase Japanese Anemone as friends are always willing (and keen) to lift and give away wayward plants. Shown above is ‘Prinz Heinrich‘.
Dahlia
There are so many dahlia varieties to choose from, with differing flower forms and growth habits. I find choosing just one or two a difficult task. For a good bronze orange flower, try ‘Sylvia’ or ‘David Howard’. I have grown both in the last few years and been impressed with the size of the flowers, and their vase life.
Dahlias are relatively easy to grow. Buy tubers in spring and grow in pots until the risk of frost has passed. Then move to outside, either in pots or in the ground. Deadhead very regularly to ensure continued flower production. In milder areas, dahlias can be overwintered in the ground. But in areas of heavy rainfall, prolonged cold temperatures or waterlogged soil, lift, allow tubers to dry, and store in the greenhouse or shed.
Lobelia x speciosa ‘Starship Deep Rose’
What a joy this lobelia is! It’s a perennial that is often grown as an annual, but in milder areas it can be over-wintered without protection. Lobelia x speciosa ‘Starship Deep Rose’ is relatively unfussy about soil or planting position. But is unlikely to thrive in waterlogged.
It has mid to dark green leaves and almost black stems. During late summer and autumn the deep pink flowers appear on stems up 50-100cm tall.
Zinnia ‘Bennarys Giant Mixed’
I’ve heard that Zinnias are often considered to be beginner’s plants, but I didn’t have much success growing them until I grew Bennary’s Giant range. I choose a mixed colour selection for cut flowers for our house and the colours can zing! Sow seeds in spring with heat and grow on in a frost-free environment, plant out once all risk of frost has passed. Pinching out the growing tip will give a bushier plant with more flowers. They grow to 90cm height and 50cm spread. For plug plants, also known as starts, try Zinnia Giant ‘Zesty Mix’.
Tricyrtis hirta
For a shaded or partially shade spot in the garden, try a Japanese toad lily. The flower may not be bright, but it provides a ‘wow’ moment with the intricate detailing on the flowers. It grows to 100cm high and 50cm spread and is hardier than it looks. Tricyrtis hirta won’t thrive in sunny or dry positions, but give it a moist or damp, shady place and it will grow well. Cut back the stems as the plant dies away in the winter to reduce habitat for slugs.
Alstroemeria Inticancha ‘Paraiso’
This dwarf Peruvian lily packs a punch of colour. I saw this plant in a pot on a friend’s patio and liked the intensity of the colour and the speckled markings in each flower. This plant is one for the front of the border or to grow in pots, it reaches 30cm-40cm height and spread. Alstroemeria Inticancha ‘Paraiso’ prefers full sun and rich, moisture retentive, but free-draining soil and will thrive if given a weekly high-potassium feed during the flowering season. It requires protection over winter, move to a frost-free spot or the greenhouse. For a slightly more red colour, try ‘Summer Paradise River Valley‘.
Michaelmas daisies
No look at the best flowers for autumn colour would be complete without including asters. Whether you call them Michaelmas daisies or asters, these plants are good do-ers in the garden. They are easy-going plants and will thrive in full sun and partial shade. Because they flower later in the year, they are good companions for plants that flower early in the season.
Available in a range of colours, but for a strong statement in the border, try Symphyotrichum novae-angliae ‘Andenken an Alma Pötschke’. The magenta pink stands out against the foliage and year after year the plant spreads and offers a more striking display. Height 90cm -120cm and spread 120cm – 150cm. Propagate by division in spring and they also grow easily from cuttings.
Also try Aster Novi-belgii Mixed.
Geum ‘Mrs Bradshaw’
Here’s another plant that just keeps on giving! Geum ‘Mrs Bradsaw’ is a hardy and reliable plant that thrives in our climate. It is unfussy about soil or position, although it is unlikely grow well in dry shade. The leaves form a clump up to 50cm spread. The red semi-double flowers are held above the mound of leaves (height 60cm). Although it looks good without any support, providing some discreet support allows it to really shine.
For the best display of flowers and to give colour into autumn, deadhead very regularly, so that the flowers continue to bloom. I cut spent flower stalks and leaves that look very shabby to the ground. Over the last year, during the mild cooler months, it continued to produce flowers right through autumn and winter.
Rosa ‘Pure Poetry’
There are plenty of roses still producing blooms to choose from, and I suggest ‘Pure Poetry’. It has a rich, deep magenta pink flower and ‘dark green leaves that have good disease resistance. The plants have an upright habit, 100cm height and 50cm spread. I grow a pair of these on our rose arch and am struck by the richness of the petal colour. And in particular, the depth of colour just before the flowers open.
Malus sylvestris ‘Golden Hornet’
Malus sylvestris ‘Golden Hornet’ has pink tinged buds that open to white flowers in spring. During autumn this crab apple tree produces masses of yellow fruits, some with touches of red. If you can get to the ripened fruit before the birds or squirrels, crab apples make a tangy and tasty jelly. We use them to make crab apple and mint jelly.
Hips and haws
While looking at the best flowers for colour, it is also worth noting some of the fruits that contribute to a good display in autumn. Many of them can be used in the kitchen, but care is needed to identify which plants and the different parts, are edible.
Rosa Rugosa
Ideal to grow as a hedge, Rosa rugosa has a number of named varieties, but is most often seen in deep cerise or white. The fruits, called hips, are large and fleshy. Use to make rose hip syrup, wine or jelly.
Crataegus monogyna
Hawthorn produce a good display of white flowers in spring. It is often called May, but the rich reds of the fruits in autumn is often undervalued. The fruits, called haws, make a good jelly. Pick when dark red and soft, if you can get to them before the local squirrel and bird populations!
Thrifty tip
Join a local gardening group. They are great places to make new gardening friends and learn new skills, as well as swap seeds, cuttings and plants.
More information
The article, Best flowers for autumn colour, was written originally for Amateur Gardening magazine in autumn 2024. I have updated some of the specific varieties and images, I have added further plants to the list and I’ve included to help you find the suggested plants. For another themed idea for flowers in your garden, try a White garden, autumn flowers display.
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