'Fireworks' Goldenrod
'Fireworks' goldenrod (Solidago rugosa) is an award-winning classic for almost any fall garden. It's a reliable, tough plant, and pollinators love it. Goldenrod can grow to a whopping 8 feet, making it an eye-catching autumn perennial in an open landscape. In addition, this fall-blooming perennial is deer-resistant and drought-tolerant. The best part is that it won't aggravate your allergies (goldenrod pollen often gets incorrectly blamed for your seasonal sniffles when the cause is pollen from ragweed that blooms simultaneously).
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil
Size: Up to 8 feet tall
Zones: 4-8
Buy It: Goldenrod Wildflower Seeds (from $7, Etsy)
'Adagio' Maiden Grass
Autumn is the time when many wispy ornamental grasses shine. Although there are wide varieties of maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis), one of the most popular for modern gardens is 'Adagio' because of its dwarf habit. It's also a sterile cultivar, so it won't reseed all over the garden and become invasive.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil
Size: Up to 5 feet tall
Zones: 5-9
'Standing Ovation' Little Bluestem
Little bluestem is a popular native warm-season grass that often flops over unless it's growing close together with other plants. But not 'Standing Ovation' little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), which will stay upright in the fall garden. Plus, it's deer-resistant and handles drought well.
Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil
Size: Up to 4 feet tall
Zones: 3-9
Buy It: 'Standing Ovation' Little Bluestem ($15, Spring Hill Nurseries)
Leadwort
Hardy plumbago is also called leadwort (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides). Its bright blue flowers provide an unexpected bit of color in the fall as the rest of the landscape fizzles. It's also a drought-tolerant groundcover that can fill in dry, bare spots in your landscape.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil
Size: Up to 12 inches tall
Zones: 5-9
Buy It: Hardy Blue Plumbago Chinese Leadwort ($142 for 25, Walmart)
Pitcher Sage
Pitcher sage (Salvia azurea) is a North American native that provides an alternative to Russian sage. This deer- and drought-resistant fall-blooming perennial attracts birds with its beautiful blue blooms. (Unlike other varieties of salvia, pitcher sage is not an herb meant to be eaten.)
Growing Conditions: Part sun and well-drained soil
Size: Up to 5 feet tall
Zones: 5-9
Buy It: May Night Sage (from $17, Eden Brothers)
'Lidakense' Sedum
Hardworking, drought-tolerant sedums come in various sizes, from upright perennials to groundcovering varieties like this one called 'Lidakense'. This low-growing succulent welcomes fall with small pink flowers contrasting beautifully with the blue-gray foliage with hints of purple.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil
Size: Up to 6 inches tall
Zones: 2-9
Buy It: 'Lidakense' Sedum ($9, Etsy)
'Honorine Jobert' Windflower
Windflowers (Anemone x hybrida) come in white, lavender, and pink shades. They have been popular perennials in American gardens for well over a century, and for good reason. They're easy to grow, even in shade, and bloom after many other plants have faded. 'Honorine Jobert' is an especially popular variety that will produce white flowers with yellow centers on long, thin stems that will dance in the breeze.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil
Size: Up to 3 feet tall
Zones: 4-8
Buy It: 'Honorine Jobert' Windflower ($9, Etsy)
Mexican Bush Sage
Hitting its peak bloom when cooler temperatures set in, Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha) produces numerous wands of beautiful pinkish-purple blooms. They'll attract an abundance of hummingbirds and butterflies.
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: Up to 3 feet tall
Zones: 7-10