17 Colorful October Flowers And Plants With Beautiful Autumn Blooms, Buds, Or Leaves!
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Most flower gardens begin to fade during October. But by incorporating these 17 carefully selected plants, you can create a vibrant autumn landscape filled with color and interest. This collection of dazzling fall-blooming varieties, featuring beautiful flowers and colorful foliage, will inspire your gardening throughout the cozy autumn season.
Join me as we explore these stunning autumn bloomers in detail!
Sound good?
Then let’s continue!
17 Colorful October Flowers And Plants With Beautiful Fall Blooms
The following 17 plants will add spirit and color to your autumn garden, even late into October (and even November or later.)
1. Chrysanthemums
Fancy folk call them chrysanthemums. But we call them mums. Either way, these lovely October blooms are the cheerleaders of the fall garden, bringing pom-pom-shaped bursts of color when most other flowers have called it quits for the season. In October, these show-offs are at their peak, with blooms so densely packed they look like they’re trying to keep each other warm.
- USDA Growing Zone: 5 to 9.
- Plant Height: 1 to 3 feet.
- Fall Bloom Schedule: September to November.
- Flower Color: Yellow, white, purple, red, bronze, pink.
Did you know that chrysanthemum tea is popular in many Asian countries? It can help warm you up like a cozy autumn sweater!
2. Asters
Asters are as reliable as your grandmother’s apple pie recipe. They appear every fall with starry blooms in pink, purple, bluish, and white shades. These hardy fall perennials are the life of the October garden party, attracting butterflies and bees looking for one last dance before winter.
- USDA Growing Zone: 3 to 8.
- Plant Height: 1 to 6 feet, depending on the variety.
- Fall Bloom Schedule: September to November.
- Flower Color: Pink, purple, blue, white.
Here’s a fun fact. Ancient Greeks believed burning aster leaves would drive away evil serpents and spirits. It might work. However, I recommend enjoying their beauty instead of starting garden bonfires!
3. Pansies
Pansies are the tough cookies of the flower world, thriving when temperatures drop, and other blooms call it quits. Their cheerful, flowery faces grin at you through October frosts as if to say, “Is that all you’ve got, winter?“
- USDA Growing Zone: 6 to 9.
- Plant Height: 6 to 9 inches.
- Fall Bloom Schedule: September to November.
- Flower Color: Purple, blue, yellow, white, red, orange.
These colorful little optimists are proof that good things come in small packages. They brighten up the October garden when everything else is thinking about hibernating.
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4. Alstroemeria
Alstroemeria, or Peruvian lilies, are the overachievers of the fall flower festival, blooming from summer right through October. These colorful beauties are like that friend who always brings extra goodies to the Halloween party – generous with their blooms and lasting forever in bouquets.
- USDA Growing Zone: 7 to 10.
- Plant Height: 1 to 3 feet.
- Fall Bloom Schedule: August to October.
- Flower Color: Pink, orange, yellow, white, red, purple.
Their twisted leaves are a unique quirk, as if they’re doing yoga poses to stay limber for the coming winter.
5. Sedum
Sedums are the succulents that decided to become flowers, with their thick, juicy leaves that laugh in the face of drought. By October, their flat-topped flower clusters have typically aged to a rich russet, making them the copper-penny queens of the autumn garden.
- USDA Growing Zone: 3 to 10.
- Plant Height: 6 inches to 2 feet.
- Fall Bloom Schedule: September to October.
- Flower Color: Pink, red, white.
These low-maintenance champions are perfect for gardeners who follow Ruth Stout’s plant-it-and-forget-it approach.
6. Cyclamen
Cyclamen sport lovely upswept petals resembling tiny shooting stars. They bloom late, often starting in October, so they almost look like they showed up belatedly to the garden party. Even though they’re fashionably late, they’re always welcome. Their heart-shaped leaves add a touch of romance to the cooling autumn air.
- USDA Growing Zone: 5 to 9.
- Plant Height: 4 to 6 inches.
- Fall Bloom Schedule: October to December.
- Flower Color: Pink, red, white, lavender.
These shy beauties prefer to nod their heads downward as if they’re too modest to show off their stunning colors – though believe me, they have plenty to brag about!
Read More – 18 Unusual And Eerie Plants With Black Flowers! Perfect For A Spooky October Garden!
7. Ornamental Kale
Who says vegetables can’t be show-stoppers? Ornamental kale struts its colorful stuff in October with leaves that look tie-dyed by nature. As temperatures drop, their colors intensify, as if trying to one-up the changing tree leaves.
- USDA Growing Zone: 2 to 11.
- Plant Height: 12 to 18 inches.
- Fall Bloom Schedule: Leaves change color in cool temperatures. October to November works well.
- Flower Color: Purple, pink, white (foliage).
These edible ornamentals are the garden’s way of saying, “Who needs flowers when you can have fabulous foliage?”
8. Ornamental Cabbage
Here’s the sophisticated cousin of ornamental kale. These beauties prove that cabbages don’t have to stay hidden within the vegetable patch. Their ruffly, colorful leaves add a touch of intrigue to October gardens, like nature’s version of a couture ballgown.
- USDA Growing Zone: 2 to 11.
- Plant Height: 12 to 18 inches.
- Fall Bloom Schedule: Vibrant colors in cool temperatures. October to November.
- Flower Color: White, pink, purple (foliage).
While regular cabbages are content to be soup ingredients, these fashionistas prefer to be the star of ornamental shows!
9. Fall Phlox
When you think the garden party is winding down, fall phlox busts through the door with clusters of pink, purple, or white blooms. Their sweet fragrance is nature’s version of an autumn air freshener. They can also attract butterflies or pollinators looking for one last sip before winter.
- USDA Growing Zone: 4 to 8.
- Plant Height: 2 to 3 feet.
- Fall Bloom Schedule: September to October.
- Flower Color: Pink, purple, white.
These tall, elegant beauties are like the dessert course of the garden – saving the best for last!
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10. Fall Crocus
Not to be confused with their spring cousins, fall crocuses are the procrastinators of the bulb world, often waiting until late September or October to make their appearance. Their delicate, cup-shaped blooms seem to say, “Better late than never!“
- USDA Growing Zone: 4 to 8.
- Plant Height: 3 to 6 inches.
- Fall Bloom Schedule: September to November.
- Flower Color: Purple, pink, white.
These precious little gems prove that good things come to those who wait – even if the wait is until late fall.
11. Colchicum * (Highly Toxic)
Often mistaken for crocuses having a late start to spring, colchicums are autumn’s answer to “Why should spring have all the fun?” These naked ladies (yes, that’s one of their nicknames!) pop up without any leaves as if they forgot to get dressed before coming to the fall celebration.
- USDA Growing Zone: 4 to 8.
- Plant Height: 4 to 6 inches.
- Fall Bloom Schedule: September to November.
- Flower Color: Pink, purple, white.
These plants are beautiful and mesmerizing. But the plant parts are also highly toxic! Never handle them. And don’t let curious pets, livestock, or family members near them!
12. Violas
Violates are like the diminutive cousins of pansies. They’re smaller but equally vital to the autumn garden’s performance. Their delicate, heart-shaped blooms peek out from October’s fading foliage, proving that you don’t need to be big to be brave in the face of approaching winter.
- USDA Growing Zone: 3 to 8.
- Plant Height: 4 to 6 inches.
- Fall Bloom Schedule: October to May.
- Flower Color: Purple, yellow, blue, white.
These tiny treasures are perfect for gardeners who believe good things come in small packages!
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13. Goldenrod
Goldenrod gets a bad rap as an allergy trigger, but this sunny superstar and their bright yellow blooms are innocent! (It often blooms alongside ragweed, which we find much worse for allergies.) These native wildflowers are also pollinator magnets and tough as nails.
- USDA Growing Zone: 3 to 9.
- Plant Height: 2 to 5 feet.
- Fall Bloom Schedule: September to October.
- Flower Color: Yellow, gold.
Think of them as the garden’s natural fireworks display, with no matches required!
14. Montanoa
Also known as tree marigolds, these towering beauties are the basketball players of the October garden, often reaching heights of 6 feet or more. Their clusters of daisy-like white flowers appear just when you think the growing season is over, like an encore performance at a classical orchestra you thought was finished.
- USDA Growing Zone: 8 to 10.
- Plant Height: 6 to 8 feet.
- Fall Bloom Schedule: October to November.
- Flower Color: White.
They’re living proof that sometimes the best surprises come late in the season!
15. Anemone
Japanese anemones are the elegant ballerinas of the fall garden. Their delicate blooms dance on tall, graceful stems throughout October. Their simple grace adds a touch of refinement to the autumn landscape, like a garden’s version of a chic, antique painting.
- USDA Growing Zone: 4 to 8.
- Plant Height: 2 to 4 feet.
- Fall Bloom Schedule: September to October.
- Flower Color: Pink, white, purple.
These long-blooming beauties prove that sometimes less is more, even in a season known for its flashy colors.
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16. Montauk Daisies (Fall Daisies)
When most flowers are packing in for the season, Montauk daisies are just getting started. These lovely flowers hail from Japan but have naturalized in New York. They can survive light frosts, usually lasting until a hard overnight frost finishes them.
- USDA Growing Zone: 5 to 9.
- Plant Height: 2 to 3 feet.
- Fall Bloom Schedule: August To First Frost (Usually October Or November).
- Flower Color: White.
Montauk daisies have lovely, fragrant buds that are always a pleasant surprise, blooming when you least expect them.
17. Helenium * (Some Are Mildly Toxic)
Don’t let the nickname sneezeweed fool you! These vibrant bloomers won’t make you reach for the tissues. Helenium brings a fiery red, orange, and yellow display to the October garden, like a sunset that decided to stick around at ground level.
- USDA Growing Zone: 3 to 8.
- Plant Height: 3 to 5 feet.
- Fall Bloom Schedule: September to October.
- Flower Color: Red, orange, yellow, copper.
Their daisy-like flowers with mounded centers give them a whimsical, almost Dr. Seuss-like appearance that’s sure to bring a smile to any gardener’s face.
A Note on Plant Safety
While these autumn beauties bring color and joy to our gardens, it’s essential to be aware of plant safety, especially if you have children or pets. Some October-blooming flowers can be toxic if ingested or cause skin irritation.
- Colchicum is highly poisonous. Only handle it with extreme care!
- Chrysanthemums, cyclamen, and anemones can cause stomach upset if ingested.
- Some varieties of helenium plants can be toxic to humans and animals.
- Many ornamental plants can cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals.
Don’t let our toxicity notice scare you away from enjoying these spectacular fall bloomers! But take basic precautions, like wearing gloves and keeping plants out of reach of curious kids and pets. That way, you can safely enjoy all the colorful magic these autumn flowers bring to your garden.
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Conclusion
Our epic list of October flowers proves the garden’s grand finale can be just as spectacular as its summer peak! From the towering Montanoa to the petite Violas, these autumn bloomers ensure your garden remains a colorful masterpiece well into the fall season.
What about you? Are you ready to extend your garden?
- Do you have any flowers still blooming in your yard this late in the season?
- What’s your favorite October flower on our list?
- Do you have any flowering October perennials?
- Do you have bees in your yard this late in the year?
- What other crops do you grow in late fall?
Thanks for reading.
Have a great day!