“We don't always think of pink as a fall color, but when New Jersey gardener Stacy Ling's pink spring and summer annuals just kept going well into autumn, those pink flowers created the most…”
Leucothoe cordata
Pink Flowers Can Look Right at Home in Fall
We don't always think of pink as a fall color, but when New Jersey gardener Stacy Ling's pink spring and summer annuals just kept going well into autumn, those pink flowers created the most delightful picture against all those late-season yellows, oranges, and reds.
It all started when she found herself with way more zinnia and snapdragon seedlings than she'd planned for one spring. Rather than let them go to waste, she tucked the extras into an empty spot on top of a retaining wall near the front of her family's new home.
The zinnias turned out to be perfect for that spot — they attracted bees and butterflies all summer long and just kept blooming beautifully right up until the first frost. The snapdragons were the real surprise, though. Despite a scorching, dry summer, they performed consistently through the whole growing season. They took a little breather during the worst of the heat but bounced right back for autumn, pairing their soft pale pink blooms with the deeper magentas of celosia that had popped up on its own from the soil's seed bank. And here's the best part: those pink hues didn't clash with the autumn colors at all — they actually worked beautifully together.
"I wasn't thinking pink for fall," Stacy admits. "I definitely wasn't expecting those snapdragons to keep going like that. But I think the pink worked really well" against the warm-hued fall foliage of the deciduous trees and shrubs in the background. The property's mature evergreens also made a gorgeous neutral backdrop for this part of the garden.
Now, zinnias and snapdragons can hang on deep into autumn, but they're still annuals — they only last one growing season and you'll need to replant if you want that show again. The good news is there are shrubs and perennials that can give you more permanent pink flowers in fall.
On the shrub front, many panicle hydrangeas age to a lovely pink, like Limelight Prime. And if you're in a zone where they're hardy, a fall-blooming camellia like Just Chill Red Tip can deliver fresh pink flowers right before winter sets in.
Among perennials, the aptly named 'Pink Pearl' agastache will keep blooming into autumn if you deadhead it in summer, while Tiny Tortuga turtlehead and fall anemones like Curtain Call Pink naturally kick off their bloom cycle right when fall arrives.
