The 8 Most Colorful Fall-Blooming Flowers in Maryland

With fall quickly approaching, you may wonder what flowers should grace your autumn flowerbeds this coming season. From deep purple to fiery red, a range of color options ensure your garden will be well dressed for mild afternoons and chilly evenings. The best time to plant fall flowers is late August, as long as it’s not too hot. Check out these eight picks for the most colorful fall-blooming flowers in Maryland, including when to plant them for the best blooms.    

1. Mums

Chrysanthemums, or mums for short, are gorgeous flowering plants native to East Asia and Northeast Europe. Countless varieties and cultivars exist for this showy flower, which comes in many colors, from burnt orange and mauve to baby pink and lime green. And depending on the variety, mums can bloom in late summer, early fall, or late fall. You should plant mums in the spring if you want to see them bloom during autumn. Planting early enough allows them to put down roots and soak up abundant sunshine before blooming profusely in the chilly fall atmosphere. 

2. Aster

Composing roughly 170 species, aster is a perennial flowering plant native to Eurasia. These plants produce disk-shaped or ray flowers, with white, blue, pink, or purple flowers. Asters are a favorite fall-blooming flower due to their attractiveness to monarch butterflies, which stop to feast during their fall migration. If you want your aster flowers to bloom by fall, be sure to plant them in the spring. However, you can also purchase them already in bloom during fall and plant them, so they come back the next season.

3. Dahlias

These bushy tuberous perennials are native to Mexico and Central America, where they are related to mums, daisies, and sunflowers. Dahlias have a row of petals around a contrasting center, and they come in many color varieties, such as white, red, purple, and yellow. The best time to plant dahlias in Maryland is around Mother’s Day at the end of May. The threat of frost has diminished, and they will have abundant sunshine until they bloom in the fall. 

4. Goldenrod

The goldenrod is a common name for many flowering plant species in the sunflower family. And most grow wild in meadows, savannahs, and prairies. True to their name, goldenrods feature clusters of golden yellow flowers, and they typically bloom from mid-August to early October. You can plant them in the fall if you want them in the spring, or you can let them take root in the spring so they’re ready by fall.   

5. Black-Eyed Susan

With a daisy-like flower head and dark brown center, black-eyed Susans are memorable and easily identifiable flowers. They have also been the official Maryland state flower since 1918 and are native to Eastern and Central North America. While black-eyed Susans begin opening in early summer, they can keep blooming until the first fall frost. For the best fall blooms, you should aim to plant them no later than May in Maryland. 

6. Joe Pye Weed

This sweet-scented and low-maintenance plant is an herbaceous perennial native to Central and Eastern North America, reaching as far north as Canada and as far south as Florida. Joe Pye weeds produce clusters of tiny pinkish-purple flowers, which typically bloom from mid-summer to early fall. This plant is native to Maryland and blooms best during the fall when planted in spring after the threat of frost has passed. 

7. Pansies

Cultivated by hybridization, pansies are colorful and cheerful flowers with signature upturned faces. Their unique face-like patterns combined with bright purple, pink, and yellow colors make them a favorite in spring gardens. But strong pansy varieties can bloom in the fall and even in the winter. You can either plant seeds in September or October or late summer for fall and winter flowering. 

8. Snapdragon

Dragon flowers, also known as snapdragons, are annual or perennial plants popular for their ability to instantly cheer up borders and containers. They come in both pastel shades and bright colors, with lance-shaped flowers and dark green leaves. Snapdragons do best when they bloom in the spring or chilly fall weather. But in many locations, these flowers can repeat bloom from spring through fall. You can plant your snapdragon outside when there hasn’t been a frost for at least two weeks in Maryland.

A Recap of the 8 Most Colorful Fall-Blooming Flowers in Maryland

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