Native to much of North America, these perennials (and a shrub) bloom late in the season and often persist until frost. Plant them throughout your landscape to extend the flower show, as well as provide food for the many pollinators still foraging until winter sets in.
1. New England Aster
New England aster has pink, blue, purple, or white flowers that are beautiful in a vase or garden. Butterflies and many other pollinators flock to these flowers.
2. Goldenrod
Autumn wouldn't be nearly as happy without goldenrod's yellow flowers brightening the landscape. Despite common misconception, goldenrod is not a source of seasonal allergies (the same time as blooming ragweed, the real culprit).
3. Perennial sunflower
Although most gardeners are familiar with the large-flowering annual sunflowers, each of the perennial species is beautiful. 'Lemon Queen', for example, produces beautiful creamy-yellow flowers in late summer and early fall.
4. Helenium
Part of a large group of native plants in the daisy family, heleniums offer cheerful yellow, orange or red flowers late in the season. Despite its common name, a sneeze won't make your allergies worse. It is so named because in the past the flowers were made into nasal poultices and used to stimulate sneezing to relieve congestion.
5. Tortoise head
A funny plant with a funny name, turtlehead gets its name because of the shape of its purple-pink flowers. Clusters of these unique flowers appear in August and continue until frost sets in. This perennial prefers moist soil, so it is a good choice near water gardens or in bog gardens.
6. Mexican bush sage
Dozens of plants in the sage family are native to North America, and Mexican bush sage is one of the tallest plants you can grow. It has low white stems, gray-green willow leaves and spikes of pinkish-purple flowers that attract hummingbirds. It is a perennial in warmer parts of the United States, but can be grown as an annual in colder areas where it is not hardy.
7. Anise Hyssop
This hardy, drought-tolerant perennial is beautiful for several months in the summer and fall. That's when the anise henna is covered in spikes of lavender-blue, licorice-scented flowers that pollinators love. It's also known as hummingbird mint because this mint family relative attracts so many of these winged visitors.
8. Witch hazel
Common witch hazel provides late-season color with both its spidery yellow, fragrant flowers and golden-yellow fall foliage. It's great for brightening up a shady garden when other plants are winding down for winter.
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