What's in bloom?

One of the goals of pollinator gardening is to have continuous blooms from early spring through late fall. Because many gardens focus on summer blooms, providing resources in early spring and late fall is particularly important for our neighborhood ecosystems. In this section, we will profile plants in bloom at various points during the year in our suburban Maryland pollinator garden to give you an idea of what plants you can use to extend your bloom time and expand your garden’s color palette. (For other ideas, see the flowering times tool that we link to on the home page.)

October 15, 2020

Helenium Autumnale

Sneezeweed
Sneezeweed blooms from summer into fall and is a pollinator powerhouse. It is easy to propagate from seed, and spreads easily but not too aggressively through re-seeding. Despite the name, it has heavy pollen carried by insects, not wind, and does not make you sneeze!

 

Physostegia virginiana

Obedient Plant
Obedient plant is happiest in full sun. It will grow and flower in the shadier areas, but may require staking, as it can get leggy and flop. Obedient plant can spread aggressively via rhizomes.

 

Doellingeria umbellata

Flat-Topped Aster
Flat-topped Aster is an early blooming and well-behaved (i.e. not too aggressive) member of the Aster family. It flowers from late summer into fall and can spread by both rhizomes and seed.

 

Aster oblongifolius

Aromatic Aster
Aromatic aster is the latest blooming aster in our garden, making it a valuable resource for pollinators in late fall. It's a lovely addition to the garden, with a bushy, mounding form and profuse blooms.

 

Rudbeckia triloba

Brown-Eyed Susans
The cheery blooms of brown-eyed susans add color to the garden from summer into early fall. Easily grown from seed, the plants thrive in full sun but tolerate a wide range of other conditions. Brown-eyed susans can spread very aggressively by seed, so some gardeners dead-head them, but I like to leave the seedheads for birds and aggressively thin them out in the spring. They transplant easily, so you can share with neighbors!

 

Aster divaricatus

White Wood Aster
In late summer, white wood aster explodes into small starry white daisies. White wood aster thrives, and flowers, in shady spots, and will also tolerate dry soil, making it a versatile option for some tough garden spots. It will self-seed prolifically, however, so either dead-heading or aggressive weeding may be necessary to keep it in its place.

 

Lonicera sempervirens

Coral Honeysuckle
Coral honeysuckle is a twining vine whose red blooms attract hummingbirds. It climbs readily, but may require pruning and some training to direct its climb. Although not fragrant like its invasive cousin, it flowers profusely in the spring to early summer, and intermittently all year long.

 

Solidago spp.

Goldenrod Species
Together with the Aster family, the many species of the Goldenrod family provide color and pollinator support late into the fall. I failed to label this species (which I got at Earth Sangha's Wild Plant Nursery), but I enjoy its display every fall and will one day sit down to ID it.

 

Gentiana andrewsii

Bottle Gentian
I love to stake out the unusual, closed blooms of the Bottle gentians in late summer to catch sight of fat bumblebees struggling to gain entry. These plants tolerate some shade but may need staking if you want to keep them from sprawling.

 

Helianthus grosseserratus

Sawtooth Sunflower
One of my favorite color combinations in late fall features the golden yellow blooms of sawtooth sunflowers alongside the red berries of the Red Chokeberry shrub (Aronia arbutifolia). The sawtooth sunflower is not for the timid, however; in its second year it topped 10 feet tall in our suburban garden.

 

Aster novae-angliae

New England Aster
New England asters are tough and adaptable to a variety of conditions, with a long bloom time. While generally purple or violet, New England asters can also be pink-ish and, occasionally, white (in the prior photo of the Sawtooth Sunflower, our white New England Aster is peeking out in the lower right). These asters spread aggressively by seed, so you will have lots to share with neighbors! Cutting back in June will help keep them from getting leggy.

 

Eupatorium coelestinum

Blue Mistflower
Mistflower forms a compact mound that spreads by rhizomes and produces clusters of little blue-purple pompoms in fall. A favorite among pollinators, its tendency to spread makes it great for naturalized gardens. It is said to be unpalatable to deer.