Perfect Perennial Pairings for Fall Color in the Sun
Posted by Annie Algren on Aug 14th 2025
Perfect Perennial Pairings for Fall Color in the Sun
Fall offers a wonderful opportunity to showcase bold, colorful blooms that can stand out under the warm, golden sun. Choosing the right blooming perennials for the season can make all the difference in creating a garden that shines well into autumn. From deep purples and fiery oranges to sunny yellows and rich reds, let’s look at three prefect perennial pairings that will not only bring beautiful color but will also thrive in the warmth of the fall sun.
Black- Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
Attributes
An easy-care herbaceous perennial with long-lasting golden flowers with black centers above compact, mounded foliage.
Growth Habit
Clumping
Soil Type
Loam, Clay, Sand
Bloom Color
Yellow
Size
18-36” H x 18-36” W
Bloom Time
Late Summer to Fall
Use
Wonderful in sunny borders, pollinator gardens, rain gardens, and boulevard plantings
Maintenance
Remove spent flowers to encourage prolonged blooming
Benefits
Tolerates heat, humidity, drought, and salt, resistant to deer and rabbits, attracts pollinators, stabilizes soil, seed heads offer winter interest
Sedum (Stonecrop)
Attributes
Sedums have fleshy leaves and stems that store water, making them drought-tolerant
Growth Habit
Clumping
Soil Type
Loam
Bloom Color
Purple/ Pink/ Blue/ White/ Yellow
Size
range from 4" to 8" tall and can spread 12" to 24" wide, while taller varieties can reach 18 to 36 inches in height and width
Bloom Time
Late Summer to Fall
Use
Excellent for fall displays, sunny perennial beds, as ground covers, and pollinator gardens
Maintenance
Prune back in late fall or early spring
Benefits
Resistant to deer, attracts pollinators, dried flower heads offer winter interest
Hardy Hibiscus (Hibiscus)
Attributes
Zone-hardy herbaceous perennial hibiscus forms a shrubby mound of maple-like, dark green or purple foliage covered in large late season blooms
Growth Habit
Clumping
Soil Type
Loam, slightly acidic
Bloom Color
Pink/ Purple/ Red/ White
Size
4-6’ H x 4-6’ W
Bloom Time
Late Summer to Fall
Use
Great as a specimen plant, massed as a background planting, or planted in stream or pond margins
Maintenance
Requires consistently moist conditions and should be left standing through the winter
Benefits
Tolerates wet, resistant to deer and rabbits, attracts pollinators
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