What flowers in November
The perennials, bulbs and shrubs in flower in November, which of them start this month, and how the dates move with your zone.
November has the last few flowers and the first frosts, and a bed is judged by its seed heads, grasses and evergreens.
17 of the planner's plants are in flower at some point in November in zone 5, and 4 of them start this month. Autumn flowers keep much the same dates in every zone: they answer to the shortening days.
17 plants: 7 perennials, 1 bulb, 2 grasses and 7 shrubs.
The dozen to start with
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Pink muhly grass
3 ft · mid September to early November · until early November
In October a quiet mound of wiry, dark green leaves disappears under a billowing cloud of vivid pink that looks like cotton candy.
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Sasanqua camellia
8 ft · early October to mid December · until mid December
A camellia that flowers in autumn and early winter, with smaller leaves, a looser habit and masses of single or semi-double, lightly scented flowers.
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Leopard plant
24 in · early October to early November · until early November
Big, round, glossy, leathery leaves like lily pads on stalks, evergreen in mild climates, with yellow daisies in late autumn.
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Sweet olive
13 ft · mid September to mid November · until mid November
A large, dark evergreen whose tiny, almost hidden, creamy flowers have one of the finest scents in the garden, like ripe apricots, in autumn and again in spring.
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Mexican bush sage
4 ft · early September to early November · until early November
Long, arching wands of velvety purple calyces and white flowers pour out of a large grey-green mound in autumn.
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Japanese fatsia
6½ ft · mid October to late November · until late November
Huge, glossy, deeply lobed leaves like giant hands give a tropical look in shade.
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Saffron crocus
5 in · early October to early November · until early November
Lilac-purple flowers in October, each with three long, red threads that are the spice saffron.
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Common witch hazel
15 ft · mid October to late November · until late November · host plant
The last native shrub to flower: spidery, yellow, scented flowers open as its own golden leaves fall, in October and November.
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Aromatic aster 'Raydon's Favorite'
3 ft · mid September to early November · until early November
A billowing mound of small, scented leaves covered in lavender-blue daisies in October, long after most asters have finished.
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Christmas rose 'Jacob'
10 in · late November to late December · starts late November
Pure white, golden-centred flowers on short red stems over compact, dark green leaves.
A bed at its best in November
The planner was given only the plants on this page that suit zone 6 and full sun, and designed this 16 × 8 ft (4.9 × 2.4 m) bed from them when the page was made. It is a bed for November on purpose, so its design check marks it down for the rest of the year: a real border would add plants for the other seasons.
The plants
- 1 Japanese onion 'Ozawa' × 47, purple
- 2 Tatarian aster 'Jindai' × 4, purple
- 3 Muhly grass 'White Cloud' × 1, white
- 4 Chrysanthemum 'Sheffield Pink' × 4, pink
- 5 Aromatic aster 'Raydon's Favorite' × 1, blue
- 6 Saffron crocus × 12, purple
Planned as a cottage garden, but it does not yet read as one: 23 of the 57 plants (40%), bulbs aside, stand alone or in groups of no more than five, small enough for the kinds to mingle. Purple is the colour seen most, on 3 of the 6 kinds grown for their flowers. Japanese onion 'Ozawa' is planted in 11 places along the bed, which gives it rhythm. The Design check fails the flowering season, and says the style and room to grow needs revision.
The planner's own design check: 9 Excellent, 5 Good, 2 Needs revision, 1 Fail. Its weakest point is succession: Something is in flower for 8 weeks of the year, from mid September to early November, with no pause. Nothing flowers in spring and summer. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
All 17 plants
Front of a bed 3
- Christmas rose 'Jacob' 10 in · late November to late December · starts late November
- Japanese onion 'Ozawa' 10 in · early October to early November · until early November
- Saffron crocus 5 in · early October to early November · until early November
Middle of a bed 4
- Aromatic aster 'Raydon's Favorite' 3 ft · mid September to early November · until early November
- Chrysanthemum 'Sheffield Pink' 2½ ft · late September to early November · until early November
- Leopard plant 24 in · early October to early November · until early November
- Pink muhly grass 3 ft · mid September to early November · until early November
Back of a bed 10
- Bodnant viburnum 'Dawn' 10 ft · early November to late December · starts early November
- Common witch hazel 15 ft · mid October to late November · until late November · host plant
- Japanese fatsia 6½ ft · mid October to late November · until late November
- Mahonia 'Charity' 10 ft · early November to late December · starts early November
- Mahonia 'Soft Caress' 4 ft · early November to late December · starts early November
- Mexican bush sage 4 ft · early September to early November · until early November
- Muhly grass 'White Cloud' 4 ft · early October to early November · until early November
- Sasanqua camellia 8 ft · early October to mid December · until mid December
- Sweet olive 13 ft · mid September to mid November · until mid November
- Tatarian aster 'Jindai' 4 ft · early October to early November · until early November