What Is a Good Flower to Plant for Fall in a New York Garden?

For fall color, choose the easy-to-grow New York aster.

While most annual and perennial flowers bloom repeatedly through spring and summer, there are some hardy choices that can add color to a New York garden. Extend your garden's season with fall-blooming flowers and colorful late-season foliage plants.

Perennial Flowers

New York Aster is a 24-inch native that produces purple, daisy-like flowers in the fall. For the back of the border, choose joe-pye weed, a 48-inch perennial that attracts butterflies with its purple fall blooms. The deep yellow flower spikes on fall-blooming goldenrod combine nicely with aster and joe-pye.

Mums

Mums are popular fall annuals. Plant mums in pots or directly in the ground for long-lasting fall color. Choose from a wide variety of colors, ranging from pure white to deep red.

Winter Interest

Red twig dogwood drops its leaves in the fall to reveal bright red stems and twigs. Winterberry, a native northeastern shrub, flowers in spring but produces masses of bright red berries in September. The berries attract birds and persist into winter.

References

• Cornell University Cooperative Extension: Annual Flowers for New York; E.F. Schaufler and R.G. Mower
• Brooklyn-Queens Land Trust: Perennial Flowers 101
• University of New Hampshire: Fall Blooming Perennials; Dr. Leonard Perry

Resources

• Cornell University: Plant Hardiness Zones
• Brooklyn Queens Land Trust: Perennials 101