Best Fall Porch Plants

Autumn plants for porches and doorways can be more than just mums. There are countless autumn blooms out there that make perfect fall porch plants, and just as many ways to display them. Whether you have a grand porch, a small step, or a covered entryway, you can make any entrance to your home a beautiful, welcoming statement with just a few great fall plantings and simple ideas on how to arrange and display them. Here are some tips and ideas to help you enhance your curb appeal just in time for the fall season!

5 Best Fall Porch Plants

Chrysanthemums (Mums)

Mums come in a variety of colors, including rust, magenta, white, and yellow, and look great when a combination of two or more is grouped together and/or balanced off with ornamental kale.

Marigolds

These sunny and hardy annuals are sometimes variegated and have different bloom sizes, plus they are the perfect colors for fall, orange and yellow.

Sunflowers

Sunflowers come in amazing varieties and sizes and can be purchased potted in the fall. These look very cheery alone and when grouped with other fall flowers.

SEE MORE: How to Grow Sunflowers 

Ornamental Kale

Deep purple with green hues and interesting texture, kale is a “must-have” accent plant for outdoor fall arrangements.

Potted Ornamental Grasses

Ornamental grasses add height and movement to flower displays when the wind blows, as well as a touch of whimsy.

How to Choose the Best Fall Porch Plants

Pay close attention to sun exposure. The first step in choosing the best fall porch plants is to look at how much sunlight your porch, stoop, or doorstep receives, and choose plants accordingly. Mums are a traditional fall favorite and do well in sun or shade. They look great alone, but can really make a statement when used as an anchor plant and paired with other autumn flowers.

How to Display Fall Porch Plants

When displaying fall plants, why not use apple and potato baskets, old wooden boxes, hollowed-out pumpkins, or galvanized buckets as plant pots? Or, make openings in a small bale of hay and insert plant pots in the holes using the hay as an anchor. One simple way to disguise an ordinary plant pot is to wrap burlap around the pot or container and secure it with twine or a gingham ribbon for an instant fall feel.

Don’t forget to have a little fun and add seasonal flair to your container gardens by adding a bunch of cornstalks, vines of Bittersweet, a small scarecrow, or a basket of colorful gourds beside your plants.

Fall Porch Plants Maintenance Tips

• Check the soil of the plants daily to see if they need water. Soil should be damp to the touch, not soaking wet or muddy, and not dry, sandy, or crumbly.
• Turn pots every few days so all sides of the plant get equal sun exposure.
• Deadhead as needed to keep the flowers looking healthy.
• On evenings when a frost is expected, cover the plants with a blanket to avoid freezing and remove the blanket in the morning when the temperature has risen.

Which fall porch plants are your favorites?

This post was first published in 2016 and has been updated. 

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Shelley Wigglesworth

Shelley (Fleming) Wigglesworth is an award-winning freelance journalist from Maine and a certified Maine Master Gardener who writes gardening articles on a regular basis for NewEngland.com. Her work can be found in the following publications: The Village Magazine, York County Coast Star, Yankee Magazine (online), National Fisherman Magazine, Commercial Fisheries News, Points East Magazine, Coastal Angler Magazine and The Maine Lobstermen's Association's "Landings."

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