Unusual Fall Perennials for the Southern Plains

In Andy Brand ’s articleUnusual Fall Perennials , he discuss some out - of - the - loge plant picks for this striking time in the garden :

“ As we reluctantly accept the inevitable and start train our garden for winter , we can ease the transition by planting selections that provide colour and excitement at this time of yr . While many gardeners have traditionally turned to mums(Chrysanthemumspp . and cvs . , Zones 5–9 ) , goldenrods(Solidagospp . and cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) , and sedums(Hylotelephiumspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) to extend the horticulture season , many also farsighted for something unlike . ”

Below , you ’ll find fantastic perennials that are excellent , but have remained uncommon in fall gardens in theSouthern Plains . Looking for even more unexpected fall standouts ? verify to control out Andy ’s article .

1. Chocolate Daisy

Name:Berlandiera lyrata

Zones:4–10

Size:1 to 2 feet grandiloquent and wide of the mark

Conditions : Full sun to partial shade ; dry to moist , well - run out soil

Native Range : Colorado , Kansas , Oklahoma , Arizona , New Mexico , Texas , Mexico

This daisy is beloved for its spectacular coffee scent . Merely brushing up against the flowers can bring out the smell , and on hot summertime days you’re able to often smell it from a length . The blossom , upbeat yellow-bellied rays about 2 inch across , are throw on long stems grow from mounded or more or less sprawl clustering of gray - greenish foliation . Chocolate daisy blossom nearly class - round in quick weather condition , and most dependably between April and November . The seed heads that come after the flowers are also beautiful , and I can never stand firm putting one in my pocket for afterwards . I like to use this species in rock garden and other desiccate locations , as the plant life is very drought tolerant .

2. Frostweed

Name:Verbesina virginica

Zones:8–11

Size:3 to 6 foot tall and 3 feet wide-eyed

Conditions : fond to full ghost ; dry to moist , well - enfeeble stain

Native Range : Pennsylvania , west to Texas and south to Florida

frostwort makes a smashing passage plant life from wild woodland butt to more - manicure garden areas . Because it is tint loving , it is a bang-up understory flora ; in the wilderness I ordinarily see it growing in the shade of large oak . Frostweed grows rather tall and lanky with dark unripened leaves , and it produces clusters of white flowers in dip . While the leaf and blooming are sufficiently beautiful to justify including this species in your garden , frostweed also has a particular winter trick : With the first hard frost of wintertime the stem split up , anda delicate , ephemeral spiral of trash emerges . If you ’re lucky you may even witness the phenomenon double .

3. Western Ironweed

Name:Vernonia baldwinii

Zones:5–9

Size:3 to 5 feet tall and 3 metrical unit wide

condition : Full sun ; dry to moist ground

Native Range : Central United States

Tall and robust Western ironweed hold its own through our long , hot summers . It produces gorgeous purple - fuchsia blossoms that counterpoint perfectly with its dark foliage . you could expect it to expend the whole summer gaining peak and foliage muckle before bursting into peak in late summer and fall . While it is most commonly lean as growing 3 to 5 feet tall , I ’ve always had it meet or exceed the upper end of that height stove in my garden . It is definitely a plant that looks well in a grouping , and keep in mind that it may outgrow its original space through speedy base spreading . But who would ever need less of this beauty ?

4. Heartleaf Rosemallow

Name:Hibiscusmartianus

Zones:8–10

Size:1 to 3 feet improbable and wide

Conditions : Full sunshine to partial shade ; wry , well - drained(even jolting / gravelly ) land

Native Range : Texas , northern Mexico

This piddling native hibiscus from South Texas is a mantrap . The flowers are very gaudy , about 2 to 3 inches across and promising velvety red . Even in drought conditions the plantwill thrive and bloom , although it will remain belittled . The heart - shaped leafage are a silvery unripe ( a common foliage color found in desert plants ) . Heartleaf rosemallow will bloom most year - round as long as it is n’t subjected to a tough freeze . Because it is aboriginal to the very southern circumstances of our part , this strange perennial need to be planted in warmer microclimates within the garden and protect with mulch in more northern areas .

Karen Beaty is a forestry specialist for the WildlandConservation Division of Austin , Texas .

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Western Ironweed

Photo: Karen Beaty

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Chocolate Daisy

Photo: Bill Johnson

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