27 Fall Flowers for Eye-Catching Container Gardens This Season

Chrysanthemum

Arguably the most sought-after fall flower, mums are perfect for an autumn garden. These perennials need around 16 weeks to bloom into their lively colors that align with the season and are very easy to take care of.

Make sure your potted mum stays in a sunny area and is well hydrated by watering every other day or 1 inch a week. To make your potted mums appear extra festive, style them on your front porch with a pumpkin or small bale of hay.

• Name: Chrysanthemum morifolium
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 9
• Flower Color: White, yellow, pink, orange, red, burgundy, cream, lavender
• Light: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Well-drained soil

Goldenrod

The yellowish golden hues of goldenrods make them excellent choices for a fall garden—plus, they’re nearly effortless to maintain. These fluffy perennials start to bloom during the latter part of the season after soaking in full sun and are very resistant to disease and drought.

These vertical-growing blooms add volume to your garden and are stunning to pair with other flowers that stay relatively lower to the ground.

• Name: Solidago
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 2 to 8
• Flower Color: Yellow
• Light: Full to partial sun
• Soil Needs: Average, well-drained soil

Snapdragons

Though snapdragons begin blossoming in the late spring, they carry on throughout the fall and are resilient to the cooler weather, especially when they’re pruned in the summer heat. These vibrant blooms add a lot of life to your garden for a brightening effect perfect for autumn.

• Name: Antirrhinum majus
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 7 to 11
• Flower Color: Orange, red, white, and yellow
• Light: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Neutral, well-drained

Sneezeweeds

After planting in the spring, sneezeweeds start to make their appearance 1 to 2 months later in mid-summer to early fall. Their colors are reminiscent of the traditional fall color palette, making them excellent for seasonal gardens to get your landscape festive for the season.

These perennials are fairly easy to maintain and require being planted in moist soil and in full sun for the majority of the day.

• Name: Asteraceae
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
• Flower Color: Yellow, orange, and deep red
• Light: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained

Coral Bells

Coral bells are among the favorite fall flowers for pots and container gardens, as their muted appearance fits the seasonal color palette perfectly. These perennials are the easiest to care for since they’re extremely resilient and near impossible to kill.

Since they’re a big fan of shade, you don’t have to worry about sunlight scorching the leaves. If you’re looking to fill empty space in your flower bed and add more volume to your garden, plant some coral bells for the fullness you’re after.

• Name: Heuchera cultivars
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8
• Flower Color: Red, white, coral, pink
• Light: Full sun to partial sun
• Soil Needs: Moist, slightly acidic, well-drained

Veravain

Not only does this perennial make us think of our favorite fall comfort show (Vampire Diaries, anyone?), but its pale purple color adds a nice softness to the traditional bolder colors of the season.

These dainty blooms are fast-growing and will start to bloom by late summer to arrive just in time for your fall garden. Remember to keep your vervain plants in full sun for at least 6 hours a day and to keep the soil moist but not overly soggy.

• Name: Verbena lasiostachys
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8
• Flower Color: Pale purple
• Light: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Moderately moist, slightly acidic, well-drained

Pansies

Pansies are a classic garden staple that makes excellent fall flowers for pots. Though they bloom in the spring, these perennials can be planted for a fall garden once the temperatures have lowered, since they do not hold up well in the summer heat.

With the mix of color options, you’ll find the right garden accent to accommodate the rest of your fall garden for a colorful scene. These blooms are slower to grow than others and should be planted between 10 to 12 weeks before the last expected frost date to give them enough time to mature.

• Name: Viola × wittrockiana
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 6 to 10
• Flower Color: Yellow, red, mahogany, blue, purple, mauve, pink, orange, and white
• Light: Full to partial sun
• Soil Needs: Fertile, well-drained

Marigold

New to gardening? Then you’ll love having marigolds in your fall garden. These perennials are fast-growing and low on maintenance so they’re the perfect introduction to gardening for the season.

Not to mention, their gorgeous golden, copper, and orange shades give us all the fall feels for an arrangement that gets your home ready for autumn in a refreshing way.

• Name: Tagetes
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 2 to 11
• Flower Color: Orange, yellow, red, gold, copper, or white
• Light: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Loamy, well-drained

Salvia

Purple, one of the overlooked fall colors, shines perfectly through these vertical salvias in your autumnal flowerbed. Salvias are fast-growing and easy to maintain, but must be planted after the last frost or freeze.

While they start the blooming process during the summer since they much prefer the warmer weather, they reach between 5 to 6 feet at full maturity.

• Name: Salvia yangii
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 10
• Flower Color: Blue, red, purple, orange, pink, yellow, white, and green
• Light: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Slightly acidic, well-drained

Coleus

Coleus plants are unique fall flowers for pots and containers since they resemble leaves. They add a nice contrast to the vibrant blooms of your other fall flowers, though coleus plants are colorful, too.

These perennials are fast growing as they need about 6 to 8 weeks to mature after being sown before the last frost. As you maintain these plants in your fall flowerbed, remember to keep their soil moist and loose.

• Name: Coleus scutellarioides
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 10 to 11
• Flower Color: Apricot, red, yellow, pink, rose, purple, orange, green, chartreuse
• Light: Partial sun
• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained

Zinnia

The bright and peppy shades of zinnias deserve a spotlight in your fall flower garden to contrast the deeper hues of the season. They love the early cool fall temperatures and are fast-growing—it only takes around two months for their vibrant blooms to show, and the best part is that they’re low maintenance. Just remember to water them once or twice a week and place them in direct sunlight.

• Name: Zinnia violacea
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 10
• Flower Color: Red, yellow, orange, pink, lavender, and white
• Light: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Well-drained

Black-Eyed Susan

Very similar to the sunflower, Black-eyed Susans have the perfect flower aesthetic for this time of year. They make gorgeous fall flowers for pots and outdoor gardens but require a little bit of maintenance.

These perennials will need regular deadheading to ensure they bloom nicely throughout the season and need rich, consistently moist soil. But trust us, the work is worth it to have these lively flowers in your autumnal garden.

• Name: Rudbeckia hirta
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8
• Flower Color: Yellow and brown
• Light: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained

Dahlia

Like zinnias, dahlias produce beautiful, vibrant blooms for the fall season. These perennials love the fall weather since the cooler nights and warmer days are the perfect temperatures for these flowers to deepen their hues as they blossom.

One important care tip to remember when planting dahlias is that they require consistent watering—ideally, being deeply watered once or twice a week and placed in direct sunlight.

• Name: Dahlia pinnata
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 8 to 10
• Flower Color: Red, pink, orange, yellow, purple, white
• Light: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Loamy, well-drained

Begonia

When it comes to ease in plant maintenance, it doesn’t get easier than with begonias. Not only are these flowers vibrant in appearance, but they’re self-cleaning. Meaning, that they fall off themselves so no deadheading is required. Their fast growth lasts from early summer to late fall.

• Name: Begonia cacullata
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 9 to 10
• Flower Color: White, red, pink, yellow, purple, orange
• Light: Partial sun
• Soil Needs: Well-drained

Dianthus

Though dianthus flowers tend to bloom in the early spring and throughout summer, they are known to rebloom and make an appearance in the fall time to add sweetness to your flowerbed. Not only are they low in maintenance, but they produce a subtle clove-scented fragrance that couldn’t align more with the season.

• Name: Dianthus spp.
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9
• Flower Color: White, lilac, pink, red
• Light: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained

Sweet Alyssum

The lightness in color (especially white) of sweet alyssums is very welcoming and appreciated in fall flowerbeds that may contain deeper shades from mums or sneezeweeds. These perennials are not a fan of the scorching summer heat but much prefer the coolness of autumn, which is why they make their reappearance after blooming in the early spring.

Sweet alyssums are low maintenance and don’t need much attention other than keeping the soil moist and well-drained, plus giving the blooms a little bit of sun before tucking back into the shade.

• Name: Lobularia maritima
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 to 9
• Flower Color: White, pink, and purple
• Light: Full to partial sun
• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained

Million Bells

Related to petunias, this smaller version is a must for fall flower pots. Though they prefer the warmer summer weather, Million Bells can tolerate the cooler fall temperature and fill out your container nicely for an abundance of blooms that have a trailing feature that adds texture to your garden. These perennials are fast-growing and low-maintenance.

• Name: Calibrachoa
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 9 to 11
• Flower Color: Violet, blue, pink, red, magenta, yellow, bronze, white
• Light: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Rich, well-drained

Asters

Asters are taller plants that can reach up to 6 feet tall, making them an excellent choice for fall container plants. Their violet shades are reminiscent of the season’s color scheme that stick around for the duration of the season since they have a later plant time around late summer or early fall.

• Name: Aster spp.
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9
• Flower Color: Violet, blue, and yellow
• Light: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Medium, well-drained

Toad Lily

A speckle of color (literally) to your fall container garden this season with the help of toad lilies. These perennials grow vertically and add nice color to your flower bed with their reddish-purple spots that create a spotted effect. Toad lilies are low in maintenance and really depend on consistent watering and sunlight to grow beautifully.

• Name: Tricyrtis
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 9
• Flower Color: White with reddish-purple spots
• Light: Partial to full sun
• Soil Needs: Rich, moist, slightly acidic, well-drained

Cock’s Comb

Cock’s comb perennials bloom from the summer throughout the fall and add richness to your garden. Their deep red color complements other blooms you may have, like sweet alyssums. Since these plants first start blooming in the summer, they like warmer temperatures and should be planted in direct sunlight for when temperatures drop in the fall.

• Name: Celosia cristata
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 9 to 12
• Flower Color: Red, pink, orange, yellow, white
• Light: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Loamy, moist, well-drained

Violet

Violets mainly bloom during the spring, but some of their species fit right in with the fall season. Though these plants are typically grown indoors as a houseplant, African violets can be planted outdoors. If you do put them use them outdoors, it’s important to not put them in direct sunlight and should be kept moist with warm water.

• Name: Viola
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9
• Flower Color: Blue, orange, pink, purple, red, yellow, and white
• Light: Partial shade
• Soil Needs: Well-drained

Petunia

Enliven your fall flowerbed with petunias. These fast-growing perennials are easy to maintain and require plenty of sunlight and water for them to continue growing tall and bright. To promote even healthier growth of these stunning flowers, fertilize regularly to enrich their soil.

• Name: Petunia × atkinsiana
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 9 to 11
• Flower Color: Pink, purple, white, red, and yellow
• Light: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Well-drained

Coneflower

Similar to the black-eyed Susans, coneflowers have distinct vibrant petals with a warming center full of texture. Planting these as fall flowers for pots and container gardens is an excellent choice to add bright and bold color to your arrangement.

Coneflowers are very fast growing and only take between three to four weeks to start producing blooms. They’re also easy to care for and not a favorite for deer (a bonus if you live in a wooded area with lots of wildlife).

• Name: Echinacea purpurea
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 9
• Flower Color: Purple and pink
• Light: Full to partial sun
• Soil Needs: Loamy, well-drained

Japanese Anemone

These stunning dainty blooms add elegance to your fall flowerbed and are a breeze when it comes to maintenance. Not only are they effortless to care for, but they’re also fast-growing and start to sprout rapidly after settling into their pot. Just like Million Bells, Japanese Anemones branch out to cover an area and fill bare spots in your flowerbed.

• Name: Eriocapitella x hybrida
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8
• Flower Color: White, pink, purple, and lavender
• Light: Full to partial sun
• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained

Hydrangea

Hydrangeas are another classic garden flower that makes beautiful additions to autumn gardens. These flower heads produce gorgeous colors that liven your garden and require little upkeep—just regular water and pruning to keep these shrubs in shape.

• Name: Hydrangea spp.
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 to 9
• Flower Color: White, blue, pink, red, purple, green
• Light: Full to partial sun
• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained

Stonecrop

One of the most resilient flowers you can plant for fall is stonecrops. This plant variety is perfect for beginning gardeners as they are very low in maintenance. These perennials bloom from mid-summer to late fall and add the perfect balance of flowers and succulents for a lively garden. Enjoy the colorful petals they bloom mixed with the earthy stems for a contrast in color.

• Name: Sedum
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 11
• Flower Color: White, yellow, pink, and red
• Light: Full to partial sun
• Soil Needs: Neutral, well-drained

Autumn Crocus

Is there any better option for fall flowers than one with the season in its name? The autumn crocus is a must for your seasonal planting since it thrives in the fall weather and adds a soft contrast to other bolder colors of this time of year.

Though they are beautiful to look at, it’s extremely important to plant and handle these perennials with caution. Autumn crocuses are poisonous to humans and animals, so not only should you keep young children away, but you should steer your pets away from this portion of your flowerbed for safety purposes.

• Name: Colchicum autumnale
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 to 9
• Flower Color: Light pink-purple
• Light: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil Needs: Loamy, well-drained