October can mean many different things depending on your hardiness zone. Northern climates are expecting snow soon, middle zones are knee-deep in autumn, and southern states are enjoying a break from the summer heat.
So you will be happy to know that even in this peculiar month, gardeners in all growing zones will still have something to look forward to in your garden!
Plants That Flower In October
In autumn, not many trees and shrubs bloom as they need to flower early in the growing season and produce fruit or seeds by this time, which is more important for their life cycle and producing the next generation. But as always with mother nature, there are a few exceptions to the rule!
Trees That Bloom or Rebloom In October
- Autumn Blooming Cherry Trees can still be showing their second flush of blossoms
- Bubba Willow can still be flowering
- Camellia
- Citrus - some Citrus flowers at this time
- Fragrant Tea Olive
- Scarlet Bottlebrush
- Seven Son Flower Tree
- Marina Strawberry Tree & Dwarf Strawberry Tree
- Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
In addition to a couple of trees that are reblooming or gearing up to bloom this time of year, Evergreens are beginning to stand out in their steady greenery as their neighbors begin to transform into their fall hues.
Shrubs Flowering In October
- Abelia Bushes
- Azaleas - Encore® and Bloom-A-Thon®
- Bluebeard
- Bloomerang® Lilacs
- Butterfly Bushes if you’ve been deadheading
- Crape Myrtle
- Gardenia
- Hydrangea
- Potentilla can be still blooming
- Rose of Sharon
- Roses
- Spirea - if you’ve deadheaded many varieties in the summer they rebloom in the fall
Many modern shrubs easily keep flowering until frost shuts them down!
Perennials Still Blooming In October
Some plants are just getting started and are in full bloom in October while others are reblooming if you’ve been deadheading, or are reblooming now the weather has cooled.
- Asters
- Blanket Flower
- Coreopsis - if you have been deadheading
- Chrysanthemums - It's their time to shine!
- Dahlias - keep popping blossoms but it may be time to dig yours up in colder climates
- Goldenrod
- Japanese Anemone
- Obedient Plant - since they flower from the bottom up, many are still flowering now!
- Reblooming Bearded Iris
- Rudbeckia - as long as you’ve been deadheading
- Russian Sage
- Salvia - if you have kept deadheading throughout the season
- Sedum - Cushion Stonecrop like Autumn Joy are flowering in full force
- Sneezeweed
- Summer Jazz Fire Trumpet Tree
- Tall Garden Phlox can be reblooming still
- Turtlehead Plants
There’s still plenty of time to snip blossoms for bouquets and to feed migrating pollinators by including these perennials in your garden plan!
Bulb Plants Flowering In October
Spring-like flowers in the fall? Yes!
- Agapanthus
- Autumn Crocus
- Calla Lily
- Cyclamen
- Gladiolus murielae
- Nerine Lily
- Snowdrop Galanthus reginae-olgae flower in fall instead of spring
Seeing bulbs flowering and adding their burst of color to your garden beds and container gardens is a refreshing sight!
Plants With October Interest
In addition to plants that are decking themselves out in their fall wardrobe, these plants have showy fall interest in the way of seed pods, fruit/berries, and of course - that great fall color.
Maples, Serviceberry, and Sweet Gum have dramatic fall-colored leaves that are the most colorful plants to include.
Trees With Fall Interest
In addition to their showy fall foliage, these trees also have great seedpods or fruit!
- Catalpa - long bean-like seedpods
- Golden Rain Tree - showy lantern-shaped seed pods
- Kentucky Coffee Tree - large flat bean-like seed pods
- Kousa Dogwood - have showy red ball-shaped fruit
- Magnolia - can have showy seed pods with orange-red seeds
- Sweet Gum - unique spiky round seed pods
- Hawthorn - great fall foliage and red-orange berries now into winter
Shrubs With Fall Interest
Not just great for fall interest but the birds will benefit from these plants! For the best fall color in foliage, try Burning Bush, Fothergilla, and Aronia bushes!
- American Cranberrybush Viburnum
- American Persimmon - edible showy orange fruit
- Beautyberry bushes - Purple berries you can make into preserves or save for birds
- Buttonbush - showy seed pods
- Chokeberry - both red and black varieties have showy fall color and healthy fruit!
- Coralberry/Snowberry - dramatic bubble-like berries
- Cranberry Cotoneaster - showy berries
- Firethorn - showy red berries
- Hydrangea keep their dried blooms until winter
- Nandina can have showy red fruit in October
- Possomhaw Holly - female shrubs have red berries and gorgeous fall foliage
- Raspberry Bushes can still have showy edible fruit in October
- Redosier Dogwood - white berries
- Rugosa Roses - have showy red/orange Rosehips
- Sweetshrub - have showy seed capsules in the fall
- Viburnum - usually have showy berries
- Winterberry Holly - orange or red berries on female shrubs
These showy berries and seed capsules show off in the autumn landscape and can persist until the winter when the snow flies!
Perennials With October Interest
Many perennials have showy seedpods that can be left on the plant for fall and winter interest, bird food, and a place for beneficial insects, their cocoons, and eggs to hide.
- Autumn Blooming Alliums keep their seed heads showy
- Brilliance Autumn Fern
- Clematis have twisty pompom seed heads
- Coneflowers/Rudbeckia have their spikey domed seedheads
- Coral Bells - showy fall foliage and many are semi-to-fully evergreen in warm zones
- Fullers Teasel - spiky seed heads
- Ornamental Grass - many still have their dried seed heads that stand all winter
Leaving seed pods and seed heads up for the winter sculpts the snow and adds interest all fall and winter long in many cases!
Enjoy October With Flowers, Fruit & Showy Seedpods!
While October is the end of the growing season in many climates, and the start of cold temperatures in others, there are still many plants that put on a show in your landscape!
In addition to the many fall foliage trees and shrubs Nature Hills has available, these plants add fall and winter interest to your garden while feeding birds and pollinators in the last of the warm days of the year.
Happy Planting!
