What flowers in October
The perennials, bulbs and shrubs in flower in October, which of them start this month, and how the dates move with your zone.
October is the last of the asters and the turn of the leaves; what still flowers now is worth its place twice over.
147 of the planner's plants are in flower at some point in October in zone 5, and 8 of them start this month. Autumn flowers keep much the same dates in every zone: they answer to the shortening days.
147 plants: 84 perennials, 11 bulbs, 17 grasses and 35 shrubs.
The dozen to start with
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Sasanqua camellia
8 ft · early October to mid December · starts early October
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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Japanese anemone
3 ft · mid August to early October · until early October
Graceful, simple flowers on tall stems that bring fresh colour to late summer and fall.
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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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Garden chrysanthemum
24 in · mid September to late October · until late October
The florist's mum: dense domes of daisies, pompoms or buttons in every autumn colour.
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Oleander
10 ft · mid June to early October · until early October
A large evergreen with narrow, leathery leaves and clusters of pink, red or white flowers from early summer to autumn.
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Canna
5 ft · early July to early October · until early October · host plant
Huge, paddle-shaped leaves, green, bronze or striped, topped with bright flowers in red, orange, yellow or pink from midsummer to frost.
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Tall verbena
5 ft · late June to mid October · until mid October
Small clusters of lavender-purple flowers on tall, wiry, almost leafless stems, from midsummer to frost.
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Panicle hydrangea 'Limelight'
7 ft · mid July to early October · until early October
Large, cone-shaped flower heads open soft lime green in midsummer, turn creamy white, and blush pink and burgundy in autumn.
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Blanket flower 'Arizona Sun'
12 in · mid June to early October · until early October
Large daisies of mahogany red, tipped with bright yellow, cover a compact mound from early summer until frost.
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Butterfly bush 'Blue Chip'
2½ ft · early July to early October · until early October
A knee-high butterfly bush that sets almost no seed.
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Switchgrass 'Northwind'
5½ ft · early August to early October · until early October · host plant
The most upright switchgrass: a narrow, rigid column of olive-blue leaves that never flops, turning gold in autumn and standing through winter.
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Dahlia
3½ ft · mid July to mid October · until mid October
Flowers in every colour but blue and in every form, from single daisies to dinner-plate doubles, from midsummer until frost.
A bed at its best in October
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 October 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 Sedum 'Lidakense' × 30, pink
- 2 Verbena 'Homestead Purple' × 4, purple
- 3 Tatarian aster 'Jindai' × 3, purple
- 4 Hybrid tea rose 'Peace' × 1, yellow
- 5 Smooth aster 'Bluebird' × 3, blue
- 6 Switchgrass 'Prairie Sky' × 3, tan
- 7 Oriental fountain grass 'Karley Rose' × 1, pink
- 8 Gaura 'Siskiyou Pink' × 3, pink
- 9 Saffron crocus × 5, purple
- 10 Meadow saffron × 12, white
- 11 Autumn crocus × 12, lavender
Planned as a cottage garden: 39 of the 48 plants (81%), bulbs aside, stand alone or in groups of no more than five, small enough for the kinds to mingle. Cool colours (pink, purple, blue and lavender) with yellow as the warm note, and tan and white to calm things between them. The bed is balanced: the left half carries 48% of the visual weight and the right half 52%.
The planner's own design check: 10 Excellent, 7 Good.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
All 147 plants
Show all 147, by where they go in a bed
Front of a bed 31
- Aster 'Wood's Purple' 16 in · early September to mid October · until mid October
- Autumn crocus 5 in · mid September to mid October · until mid October
- Autumn moor grass 16 in · mid August to early October · until early October
- Blanket flower 'Arizona Sun' 12 in · mid June to early October · until early October
- Blanket flower 'Goblin' 14 in · mid June to early October · until early October
- Blanket flower 'Mesa Yellow' 18 in · mid June to early October · until early October
- Calamint 16 in · mid July to early October · until early October
- Calamint 'Montrose White' 16 in · late June to mid October · until mid October
- California fuchsia 18 in · early August to mid October · until mid October
- Colchicum 'Waterlily' 6 in · mid September to mid October · until mid October
- Cranesbill 'Azure Rush' 16 in · early June to mid October · until mid October
- Cranesbill 'Rozanne' 18 in · early June to early October · until early October
- Goldenrod 'Golden Fleece' 18 in · late August to early October · until early October · host plant
- Groundcover rose 18 in · late May to mid October · until mid October
- Hardy cyclamen 5 in · late August to mid October · until mid October
- Heath aster 'Snow Flurry' 6 in · mid September to mid October · until mid October
- Himalayan fleeceflower 'Darjeeling Red' 10 in · mid July to early October · until early October
- Japanese onion 'Ozawa' 10 in · early October to early November · starts early October
- Leadwort 10 in · early August to early October · until early October
- Meadow saffron 6 in · mid September to mid October · until mid October
- Mexican fleabane 10 in · late May to mid October · until mid October
- October daphne 8 in · mid September to late October · until late October
- Pincushion flower 'Butterfly Blue' 16 in · mid May to early October · until early October
- Pincushion flower 'Pink Mist' 14 in · late May to early October · until early October
- Rain lily 8 in · mid August to early October · until early October
- Red spider lily 18 in · mid September to early October · until early October
- Saffron crocus 5 in · early October to early November · starts early October
- Sedum 'Frosty Morn' 18 in · late August to early October · until early October
- Sedum 'Lidakense' 4 in · late August to early October · until early October
- Showy stonecrop 'Neon' 20 in · late August to early October · until early October
- Verbena 'Homestead Purple' 10 in · mid May to early October · until early October
Middle of a bed 52
- Abelia 'Kaleidoscope' 2½ ft · mid June to early October · until early October
- Abelia 'Rose Creek' 3 ft · late June to early October · until early October
- Anemone 'Wild Swan' 20 in · late May to early October · until early October
- Aromatic aster 'October Skies' 20 in · mid September to late October · until late October
- Aromatic aster 'Raydon's Favorite' 3 ft · mid September to early November · until early November
- Autumn sage 2½ ft · mid May to mid October · until mid October
- Black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush' 24 in · mid July to early October · until early October
- Blue grama 'Blonde Ambition' 2½ ft · mid July to mid October · until mid October
- Blue mistflower 2½ ft · late August to mid October · until mid October
- Blue wood aster 3 ft · mid September to mid October · until mid October · host plant
- Blue-stemmed goldenrod 2½ ft · early September to mid October · until mid October · host plant
- Bottle gentian 20 in · late August to early October · until early October
- Butterfly bush 'Blue Chip' 2½ ft · early July to early October · until early October
- Calico aster 'Lady in Black' 3½ ft · mid September to mid October · until mid October
- Chrysanthemum 'Clara Curtis' 24 in · early August to early October · until early October
- Chrysanthemum 'Mary Stoker' 24 in · late August to mid October · until mid October
- Chrysanthemum 'Sheffield Pink' 2½ ft · late September to early November · until early November
- Dahlia 'Bishop of Llandaff' 3½ ft · mid July to mid October · until mid October
- Daphne 'Eternal Fragrance' 2½ ft · early May to early October · until early October
- Floribunda rose 3 ft · early June to early October · until early October
- Formosa toad lily 2½ ft · late August to mid October · until mid October
- Frikart's aster 'Monch' 2½ ft · mid July to early October · until early October
- Garden chrysanthemum 24 in · mid September to late October · until late October
- Gaura 'Siskiyou Pink' 2½ ft · mid June to early October · until early October · host plant
- Gloriosa daisy 'Indian Summer' 3 ft · early July to early October · until early October · host plant
- Hairy alumroot 'Autumn Bride' 24 in · late August to early October · until early October
- Hyssop 'Black Adder' 3 ft · late June to early October · until early October
- Hyssop 'Blue Boa' 3 ft · late June to early October · until early October
- Ironweed 'Iron Butterfly' 2½ ft · late August to early October · until early October
- Japanese anemone 3 ft · mid August to early October · until early October
- Japanese anemone 'September Charm' 3 ft · mid August to early October · until early October
- Leopard plant 24 in · early October to early November · starts early October
- Little bluestem 'The Blues' 3 ft · early August to early October · until early October · host plant
- Montauk daisy 3 ft · mid September to late October · until late October
- Mountain fleece 'Golden Arrow' 2½ ft · mid July to early October · until early October
- New England aster 'Purple Dome' 20 in · early September to mid October · until mid October · host plant
- New York aster 3 ft · late August to mid October · until mid October · host plant
- Oriental fountain grass 'Karley Rose' 3 ft · late June to early October · until early October
- Pink muhly grass 3 ft · mid September to early November · until early November
- Rose 'Flower Carpet Pink' 2½ ft · mid June to early October · until early October
- Rose 'Julia Child' 3 ft · mid June to early October · until early October
- Rose 'The Fairy' 2½ ft · late June to mid October · until mid October
- Salvia 'Hot Lips' 3 ft · late May to mid October · until mid October
- Sedum 'Autumn Fire' 24 in · mid August to mid October · until mid October
- Sedum 'Autumn Joy' 24 in · mid August to mid October · until mid October
- Sedum 'Matrona' 24 in · mid August to early October · until early October
- Sneezeweed 'Sahin's Early Flowerer' 3 ft · late June to early October · until early October
- Texas hummingbird mint 2½ ft · mid July to early October · until early October
- Toad lily 2½ ft · mid September to mid October · until mid October
- Wallflower 'Bowles's Mauve' 2½ ft · mid April to early October · until early October
- White snakeroot 3½ ft · late August to mid October · until mid October
- White wood aster 24 in · late August to early October · until early October · host plant
Back of a bed 64
- Anise sage 'Black and Blue' 4 ft · late June to mid October · until mid October
- Autumn monkshood 4 ft · mid September to mid October · until mid October
- Bitter switchgrass 'Dewey Blue' 4 ft · early August to early October · until early October · host plant
- Blue sage 4 ft · late August to mid October · until mid October
- Bog sage 5½ ft · late July to mid October · until mid October
- Boltonia 'Snowbank' 4 ft · early September to mid October · until mid October
- Brown-eyed Susan 4 ft · late July to early October · until early October · host plant
- Bugbane 'Brunette' 5 ft · early September to early October · until early October
- Bugbane 'Hillside Black Beauty' 5 ft · late August to early October · until early October
- Bush clover 5 ft · late August to early October · until early October
- Butterfly bush 'Miss Molly' 5 ft · early July to early October · until early October
- Canadian burnet 5 ft · mid August to early October · until early October
- Canna 5 ft · early July to early October · until early October · host plant
- Common witch hazel 15 ft · mid October to late November · starts mid October · host plant
- Dahlia 3½ ft · mid July to mid October · until mid October
- Dahlia 'Café au Lait' 4 ft · late July to mid October · until mid October
- Deer grass 4 ft · early August to early October · until early October
- English rose 4 ft · early June to early October · until early October
- English rose 'Gertrude Jekyll' 5 ft · mid June to early October · until early October
- English rose 'Graham Thomas' 5 ft · mid June to early October · until early October
- Feather reed grass 'Avalanche' 5 ft · mid June to early October · until early October
- Feather reed grass 'Karl Foerster' 5 ft · late June to early October · until early October
- Glossy abelia 5 ft · mid June to early October · until early October
- Goldenrod 'Fireworks' 3½ ft · late August to mid October · until mid October · host plant
- Hardy fuchsia 4 ft · late June to mid October · until mid October
- Hybrid tea rose 4 ft · early June to early October · until early October
- Hybrid tea rose 'Peace' 5 ft · mid June to early October · until early October
- Indian grass 6 ft · late August to early October · until early October
- Indian grass 'Sioux Blue' 6 ft · late August to mid October · until mid October
- Japanese anemone 'Honorine Jobert' 4 ft · late August to mid October · until mid October
- Japanese fatsia 6½ ft · mid October to late November · starts mid October
- Korean feather reed grass 4 ft · late August to mid October · until mid October
- Maximilian sunflower 8 ft · early September to mid October · until mid October · host plant
- Mexican bush sage 4 ft · early September to early November · until early November
- Mountain fleece 'Firetail' 3½ ft · early July to early October · until early October
- Muhly grass 'White Cloud' 4 ft · early October to early November · starts early October
- New England aster 4 ft · early September to mid October · until mid October · host plant
- New England aster 'Alma Pötschke' 3½ ft · late August to mid October · until mid October · host plant
- Oleander 10 ft · mid June to early October · until early October
- Panicle hydrangea 'Fire Light' 6½ ft · mid July to early October · until early October
- Panicle hydrangea 'Limelight' 7 ft · mid July to early October · until early October
- Panicle hydrangea 'Little Lime' 4 ft · mid July to early October · until early October
- Panicle hydrangea 'Pinky Winky' 7 ft · mid July to early October · until early October
- Panicle hydrangea 'Tardiva' 10 ft · mid August to mid October · until mid October
- Panicle hydrangea 'Vanilla Strawberry' 6½ ft · mid July to early October · until early October
- PeeGee hydrangea 13 ft · late July to early October · until early October
- Purple fountain grass 4 ft · late June to mid October · until mid October
- Rose 'Bonica' 4 ft · mid June to early October · until early October
- Rose 'Carefree Beauty' 5 ft · mid June to early October · until early October
- Rose 'Double Knock Out' 4 ft · late May to mid October · until mid October
- Rose 'Iceberg' 4 ft · mid June to early October · until early October
- Sasanqua camellia 8 ft · early October to mid December · starts early October
- Showy goldenrod 4 ft · late August to mid October · until mid October · host plant
- Shrub rose 'Knock Out' 4 ft · late May to mid October · until mid October
- Smooth aster 'Bluebird' 3½ ft · early September to mid October · until mid October · host plant
- Swamp sunflower 6½ ft · late September to late October · until late October · host plant
- Sweet olive 13 ft · mid September to mid November · until mid November
- Switchgrass 'Cloud Nine' 7 ft · early August to early October · until early October · host plant
- Switchgrass 'Northwind' 5½ ft · early August to early October · until early October · host plant
- Switchgrass 'Prairie Sky' 5 ft · early August to early October · until early October · host plant
- Tall verbena 5 ft · late June to mid October · until mid October
- Tatarian aster 'Jindai' 4 ft · early October to early November · starts early October
- White snakeroot 'Chocolate' 3½ ft · mid September to mid October · until mid October
- Willowleaf sunflower 'First Light' 4 ft · mid September to mid October · until mid October