Many plants are available to provide color in the fall

After this summer’s drought, many gardeners are thinking of what can be added to the landscape this fall to provide some much needed color. Whether you’re a beginner or an avid gardener, you’ve probably purchased fall mums in the past.

Mums are arriving at local garden centers daily and while they are attractive, other fall plant choices do exist. Here are a few other plants that can add a splash of color this fall:

Asters

(Aster spp.) are autumn-flowering, old-time favorites with blooms ranging from pale pink to deep purple. They’re in the same family as garden mums, so the blooms are similar. Unlike mums, however, asters are dependable and easy-to-care-for perennials.

Mexican bush sage

(Salvia leucantha) flowers in late summer and can keep blooming until frost. With silver-gray foliage, the plants can easily reach 3 feet or more in height. They’re topped by spectacular spikes of violet-purple and white.

Goldenrod

(Solidago) is a reliable, drought-tolerant perennial flower, and many species are native to the Southeast. Lemon-yellow to butter-yellow, nectar-bearing blooms appear in summer to fall on plants 2 to 5 feet tall (depending on the species and cultivar).

South American verbena

(Verbena bonariensis) is a drought-tolerant perennial. Once it’s blooming, it can reach 4 feet tall. Small, nectar-bearing, lavender blooms appear in summer through fall.

Sweet autumn clematis

(Clematis paniculata) is a spectacular sight when covered with pure white, fragrant flowers in late summer and early fall. Silvery, filigreed seed heads follow as an encore. This drought-resistant vine is a strong grower and needs a sturdy support.

Sedum

(Sedum spp.) species are drought-tolerant, fleshy plants with a wide range of habits, leaf shapes and colors. Many varieties bloom from late summer through fall in rich, deep pinks and magentas.

Purple heart

(Setcreasea pallida) has a spreading growth habit with deep purple foliage reaching about 1 foot tall. It has small, pink flowers. This drought-tolerant plant has become a staple for tough-as-nails foliage color. Purple heart is a tender perennial, but it’s hardy to zone 8. The top dies back at about 25 degrees Fahrenheit, but the roots are reportedly hardy to 15 degrees.

Cigar plant

(Cuphea micropetala) has 2-inch-long, tubular flowers in shades of red-orange, yellow and green. The flowers begin appearing in midsummer, and the plant is in full bloom in late summer to fall. It’s hardy to zone 8. As with purple heart, the top dies back at about 25 degrees, but the roots are said to be hardy down to 15.

Billy Skaggs