9 Delightful Perennials for Your Late-Summer Garden
9 Delightful Perennials for Your Late-Summer Garden
By Justin Hancock, Monrovia Horticultural Craftsman
Photographs courtesy of Monrovia
Labor Day may represent summer’s unofficial close, but our gardens don’t seem to notice. In many areas, early to mid-September still offer hot (and humid) conditions, with weeks before we start to feel autumn’s chill.
Now is a perfect opportunity to take advantage of the time and add late-summer perennials that will continue to beautify your landscape until fall arrives. Here are nine of our favorites.
Brakelights® Red Yucca offers spikes of red flowers all summer long in the garden. It attracts hummingbirds, resists deer, and tolerates drought— all while adding a dose of easy-care beauty to the sunny spaces in your garden. Hesperaloe parviflora 'Perpa', Zones 5-10.
Evolution™ Yellow Falls Coneflower fills your landscape with bright, sunny-yellow color all summer and into autumn. Its compact, strong stems hold its beautiful flowers without flopping in wind or rain. Perfect for wildlife, its fresh flowers bring butterflies in summer and its seeds attract songbirds in autumn and winter. Echinacea ‘Balevoelf’, Zones 4-9.
Mariachi™ Bandera Helenium adds flair to late-summer landscapes thanks to its stunning flowers. Each red petal is boldly tipped in golden-yellow. Enjoy its profusion of bee and butterfly-attracting blossoms nonstop from late summer through autumn. Helenium autumnale ‘Bandera’, Zones 3-9.
Triumph Aster completes the look of just about any late-summer garden thanks to its big, purple, daisy-like flowers. Starting earlier than most asters, it continues through late summer delighting gardeners, bees, and butterflies alike. Aster x alpellus ‘Triumph’, Zones 3-9.
Evolution™ Purple Crush Sedumis a garden delight that offers attractive flowers and foliage. It blooms in summer and early autumn with pink flowers that shine over its purple-hued blue-green foliage. Sedum ‘TNSEDEPC’, Zones 4-9.
Lacey Blue Russian Sageis a versatile garden performer you can use to enjoy color and texture in just about any sunny spot. More sturdy and compact than the species, you can enjoy it without fear of flopping—even in containers! Perovskia atriplicifolia 'Lisslitt', Zones 4-10.
Blonde Ambition Blue Grama Grass practically glows in the morning and evening light during late summer. A valuable garden addition, it brings golden color, fine texture, and a whimsical sense of movement to your space. Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’, Zones 4-9.
Dwarf Fountain Grass is a garden standby, and it’s no wonder why. Its textural leaves turn a rich russet color for autumn and are topped by fluffy plumes that practically beg to be touched. Plant this low-maintenance grass for late-season contrast against colorful perennials. Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’, Zones 4-11.
Overdam Feather Reed Grass delivers variegated leaf blades that give a refined look to the landscape, especially come fall when they take on rich gold tones. It is a must-have to complement other grasses, contrast with perennials, or make a statement in containers. Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Overdam’, Zones 4-9.
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If you think the flower show is over once summer fades … think again. Fall has its own cast of joyful and colorful characters. For an interesting article, click here .
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