Keep the color going in your fall garden with a combination of summer- and late-blooming annuals and perennials.
Butterfly Magnet
Known for its sweet scent, joepye weed blooms from midsummer until frost. Typical height is five to six feet tall. Pinch in early summer to grow a shorter, bushier plant. Plant in full sun to partial shade, in a location sheltered from wind. USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 10
Super-Easy Annual
You may love zinnias for their non-stop blooming all summer, but they’re also a great choice for the late summer to early fall garden. Until first frost, this popular annual continues to serve as a nectar source for butterflies. Mildew and leaf spots are often an enemy of zinnias, but not for ‘Double Zahara Cherry’. Its double blooms attract bees and butterflies. Like all zinnias, ‘Zahara’ is heat tolerant and sun-loving. Winter hardy to USDA Hardiness Zones 10 to 11
Heat Tolerant
Depending on the cultivar, fringed blossoms in yellow, red or orange appear mid to late summer and into early fall on the drought-tolerant, sun-loving blanket flower. Plant in full sun in well-drained soil. Must deadhead regularly. Attracts butterflies. USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 10 (Pictured: ‘Mesa Yellow’)
Another Easy Annual
The white, yellow, red or orange blooms of marigolds linger until frost. Available in a range of sizes from a few inches to a few feet, marigolds love full sun. (Pictured: ‘Moonsong Deep Orange’}
Mexican sunflower
The Mexican sunflower can produce a explosion of late-season color as long as hot weather continues into early fall. Vibrant orange or red daisy-like flowers bloom on thick stems amid leaves covered in bristly fuzz. Stems can reach up to 6 feet tall and need shelter from strong winds. Plant in a hot, dry area in full sun and well-drained, fertile soil. Heat and drought resistant. Excellent for attracting butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.