Colors for Fall & Winter Flowers

White Flowers for Shade Gardens

• Some white flowers for U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9 bloom in fall and winter and grow in full to partial shade. Toad-lily “Shirohotogisu” (Tricyrtis “Shriohotogisu”) displays small lily-like blossoms from late summer to mid-fall. Best appreciated up close, it grows 18 to 23 inches tall in full to partial shade. Christmas rose (Helleborus niger) bears cup-shape flowers, which sometimes exhibit a pink flush, all winter and into mid-spring. It resents being disturbed and grows 6 to 12 inches tall.

Evergreens with Purple Flowers

• Evergreens with purple flowers offer year-round interest. Shrubby wallflower “Bowles’ Mauve” (Erysimum “Bowles’ Mauve”) begets an abundance of fragrant flowers and grows 23 to 29 inches tall. It performs best in regions with mild winters in USDA zones 6 through 9. However, it does well in containers, which you bring inside for the winter in cold-winter climates. The blossoms of Algerian winter iris (Iris unguicularis) appear in late fall to late winter in USDA zones 8 through 9. Ideal for the Gulf States or the West Coast, it grows 12 to 18 inches tall.

Deep-Pink Flowers Amid Interesting Foliage

• Certain perennials let you enjoy deep-pink flowers amid interesting foliage in fall and winter. Variegated coneflower “Sparkler” (Echinacea purpurea “Sparkler”) puts out flowers with an orange-brown center cone from midsummer to mid-fall in USDA zones 4 through 9. Excellent in fresh or dried flower arrangements, it has variegated foliage and grows 27 to 29 inches tall. Hardy fall cyclemen (Cyclamen hederifolium) has deep-pink or white flowers from early fall into midwinter in USDA zones 5 through 9. It features grey-green leaves marked with purple and grows 4 to 6 inches tall.

Multiple Shades of Orange,Yellow and Red

• Warm up your landscape’s color scheme when the weather gets cool with flowers in multiple shades of orange, yellow and red. Gloriosa daisy “Chim Chiminee” (Rudbeckia hirta “Chim Chiminee”) flowers in midsummer to mid-fall in USDA zones 5 through 9. It grows 18 to 23 inches tall and puts out the most flowers when you remove the faded ones. Mature natal lilies (Clivia miniata) beget flowers from late fall, through the winter and into early spring in USDA zones 9 through 11. This evergreen grows 18 to 24 inches tall and makes a good houseplant in cooler climates.