Watching the trees change color is one of the chief pleasures of fall, but few people consider what hardy perennials can add to scenery. An added benefit is that they are pretty easy to tuck in, where a tree may not fit.
On this edition of Talk of Iowa, Denny Shrock, Master Gardener Coordinator at Iowa State University, discusses some of his favorite suggestions and he provides an extensive list of beautiful October bloomers as well as perennials with outstanding fall foliage colors.
Host Charity Nebbe also speaks with Iowa State University Extension horticulturist Richard Jauron as he and Shrock answer listener questions.
Denny Shrock's list of perennial flowers for Fall color:
October Bloomers
Allium thunbergii ‘Ozawa’; Ozawa ornamental onion
Anemone hupehensis japonica; Japanese anemone, windflower
Calamintha nepeta; lesser calamint
Catananche caerulea; Cupid’s dart
Centranthus ruber; Red valerian, Jupiter’s beard
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides; plumbago
Coreopsis Big Bang ‘Red Shift’; tickseed
Dicentra ‘Luxuriant’; fringed bleeding heart
Gaillardia aristata; blanket flower
Geranium Rozanne ‘Gerwat’; cranesbill
Glandularia (Verbena) canadensis; rose verbena, rose mock vervain
Lavandula angustifolia; English lavender
Nepeta faassenii; catmint
Platycodon grandiflora ‘Scentimental Blue’; balloon flower
Salvia nemorosa ‘Pusztaflamme’ Plumosa; plumose sage
Scabiosa columbaria ‘Butterfly Blue’; pincushion flower
Sedum ‘Blue Pearl’; hardy stonecrop
Stokesia laevis ‘Peachies Pick’; Stokes aster
Tricyrtis hirta; Japanese toad lily
Zauschneria californica latifolia; Arizona wild fuchsia, California fuchsia, hardy hummingbird trumpet, willowherb
Perennials with Fall Foliage Color
Amsonia hubrichtii; Hubricht’s amsonia, bluestar, Arkansas amsonia
Bergenia cordifolia; pigsqueak, bergenia
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides; plumbago
Euphorbia polychroma; cushion spurge
Geranium wlassovianum; Wlassov’s cranesbill
Miscanthus ‘Purpurascens’; purple flame grass, eulalia grass
Monarda bradburiana; eastern beebalm
Mukdenia rossii ‘Karasuba’ Crimson Fans; mukdenia
Oenothera fruticosa ‘Fyrverkeri’ Fireworks; sundrops, narrowleaf evening primrose
Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’; beardtongue
Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’; Angelina stonecrop
