There are many water-wise plants that bloom in the fall in addition to some summer bloomers that continue into the fall.
For the extremely dry garden in late summer and fall:
鈥� native rabbitbrush shrub has outstanding golden-yellow bloom atop silver foliage
鈥� Russian sage (Perovskia) has silver foliage and blue flowers
鈥� tall sedum鈥檚 鈥楳atrona,鈥� 鈥楢utumn Joy鈥� and 鈥楤rilliant鈥� have pink to reddish flowers loved by bees. They have great foliage the rest of the growing season and add interest to the garden in winter
鈥� tasty garlic chives (white flowers).
Plants in the dry garden that bloom from June to frost without deadheading are:
鈥� Missouri evening primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa) 鈥� large yellow blooms
鈥� hardy ice plant (Delospermum cooperi) 鈥� a ground cover with fuchsia pink flowers
鈥� Walker鈥檚 Low catnip (Nepeta 鈥榃alker鈥檚 Low鈥�) 鈥� silver foliage and blue flowers.
Blanket flower (Gaillardia), a good cut flower, will repeat bloom if deadheaded.
Long blooming annuals include marigolds, sunflowers, verbena, gazania and portulaca.
Okanagan native flowers that bloom from June to frost are golden asters (Heterotheca villosa) and showy aster (Aster conspicuus).
The later is a vigorous spreader by seeds and roots so only use it in a wild garden or for erosion control.
Native Aster ericoides has starry white flowers in fall.
Fall blooming plants that need some supplemental water in the dry heat are:
鈥� blue leadwort (Ceratostigma plumbagnoides)
鈥� Japanese anemone (Anemone 鈥楻obustissima鈥�) 鈥損ink blooms, will grow in full sun or part shade. It grows vigorously, especially in rich soil or too
鈥� Blue mist spirea or bluebeard (Caryopteris 鈥楧ark Knight鈥�) is a five by five foot silvered leaved shrub. Its deep blue flowers are a pollinator magnet鈥攁s are most blue flowers.
Blue flowered Aster frikartii blooms continuously from July to frost without deadheading.
Three well-behaved yarrows that bloom in June and, if cut back, bloom again in fall are: Achillea 鈥楳oonshine鈥� (soft yellow), A. 鈥楾erra Cotta鈥� (salmon/terra cotta), and A. 鈥楶aprika鈥� (scarlet with yellow eye).
Rudbeckia 鈥楪oldsturm鈥� and Echinacea 鈥楳agnus鈥� bloom from June to September. The latter benefits from deadheading in summer.
Both have excellent winter structure and attractive seed heads that provide bird food.
Yellow 鈥楽tella d鈥橭ro鈥� daylily blooms from June into September.
Rugosa roses 鈥楬ansa鈥� and 鈥楴early Wild鈥� are profuse bloomers in late spring and fall as well as having some bloom through summer.
Long blooming annuals that have similar water needs are: osteospermum, petunias, cosmos, and calendula.
My favourite fall annuals are zinnias. They begin blooming in a multitude of vibrant colours in August and continue to frost. They鈥檙e an excellent cut flower.
Check the plant database at okanaganxeriscape.org for more information and pictures of these and other fall blooming plants as well as plants that have attractive fall foliage colours.
