Late Summer Perennials

White Perennials

• Eurybia divaricarta "Eastern Star" is a white wood aster cultivar growing to 18 inches in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Plant Hardiness zones 3 through 8. Its flowers are white with yellow centers, resembling daisies but flourishing in the shade. "Eastern Star" blooms during August and September, attracting butterflies and suitable for cottage and woodland gardens. Giant fleece flower (Persicaria polymorpha) tolerates drought, but also grows in damp locations. It begins blooming in May, but continues into late in the summer. The white flowers on this 5-foot perennial are fluffy-looking. Appropriate for USDA zones 5 through 9, white fleece flower is a candidate for the rear of perennial flowerbeds.

Red Perennials

• When other perennials begin to fade, the red flowers of the Hibiscus "Lord Baltimore" continue blooming, usually well into September and sometimes beyond. "Lord Baltimore" stands 5 feet high, produces a crimson-red flower up to 10 inches in diameter and does best in full sun. This hardy hibiscus for USDA zones 5 through 9 generates a flower that only lasts one day, but it keeps producing them through the summer. Hemerocallis "Ruby Throat" is a daylily featuring mid to late summer flowers. The red blooms possess a green-yellow center and are cold hardy to USDA zone 3. They grow to 34 inches tall and are not a favorite of any rabbits that may threaten other plants on your property, notes Perennial Resource.

Purple Perennials

• "Fatal Attraction" is a purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) small enough for use in the front of a perennial border, growing to 24 inches. Blooming through September, this cultivar differs from most coneflowers in that its rays grow in an upright manner, rather than drooping. The plant tolerates heat, humidity and drought in zones 3 through 8. The New York aster (Aster novi-belgii) does not bloom until September in zones 4 through 8. Purple flower heads with yellow middles highlight this aster, which grows to 24 inches. Powdery mildew, a whitish film covering the leaves, is a common problem with New York asters if you plant them too close together, cutting off air circulation.

Yellow Perennials

• Container plants and members of your perennial borders are two scenarios for Chrysanthemum "Jessica." This flower blooms in September and stays in flower until frost occurs. Suitable for USDA zones 5 through 9, Jessica is bright yellow and produces plenty of flowers. Early summer through the beginning of fall is the bloom period for "Galaxy," a type of coreopsis for zones 5 through 9. "Galaxy" has attractive foliage, but deer usually leave the leaves alone. The yellow flowers on this foot-tall perennial are suitable for cut-flower arrangements.