Favorite Fall Flowers and Plants

When it comes to enhancing your garden and outdoor planters throughout the autumn season, chrysanthemums, marigolds, and ornamental kale are not the only options. Why not add a few wildflowers to your mix of traditional fall plants, or create a special autumn garden area in which to display them? Here are some of our favorite fall flowers and plants that mirror the colors of the foliage and make stunning additions to autumn centerpieces and bouquets.

Purple Cornflower
Also a member of the Aster family, this flower resembles a ragged daisy, though it has a deep orange-red center and purple petals, and is very hearty. The purple contrasts nicely when arranged with the more common yellow and orange flowers of fall.

Goldenrod
Commonly considered a weed, this member of the Aster family of flowers is known for full blossoms in deep yellow colors. Goldenrod is typically found in open meadows and fields and can help attract pollinating bees, flies, wasps, and butterflies.

Witch Hazel
This popular ornamental flowering shrub is sometimes referred to as “Winterbloom,” due to the clusters of rich, yellow and orange-red flowers which blossom in fall and continue throughout the winter. Widely used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes, witch hazel astringent products are available today.

Cattails
These wetland plants reach heights from 3 to 10 feet tall and sport a brown, elongated flower, which is compact and has a velvety feel to it. Eventually, the cattail flower will puff open, releasing seeds to be dispersed by the wind. Cattails are eaten by wetland mammals such as muskrats, and birds use the seed hairs as nest lining.

For additional seasonal flair inside or outside the home, hollow out a medium-sized gourd or pumpkin and use it as a vase to display a combination of fall flowers.

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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