What Blooms in August

Borage

Star-shaped electric blue flowers that bees go absolutely wild for. Self-sows freely.

Celosia

Flame-shaped or crested flowers in electric colors that dry beautifully. Heat lovers that thrive in summer.

Cleome

Spider-flower with whisker-like stamens and airy blooms. Tall, dramatic annual that self-sows freely.

Flowering Tobacco

Tubular flowers that release sweet fragrance at dusk. A cottage garden classic that attracts moths and hummingbirds.

Scarlet Sage

Electric red spikes that hummingbirds zero in on. Common bedding plant that earns its spot every year.

Bee Balm

Shaggy, crown-shaped flowers that hummingbirds fight over.

Black-Eyed Susan

Golden prairie workhorse that lights up late summer meadows.

Blanket Flower

Fiery bicolor pinwheels that bloom nonstop in the worst heat and soil.

Blue Grama Grass

Short clumping grass with distinctive eyebrow-shaped seed heads thrives in dry soils.

Cardinal Flower

Screaming scarlet spikes. The most vivid red in the native plant world.

Catmint

Billowy lavender-blue haze that blooms all season if you shear it back.

Clematis

The queen of flowering vines. Over 300 species, something for every spot.

Coneflower

Tough prairie native with long bloom season and medicinal history.

Cosmos

Airy, dancing flowers on thread-thin stems. Effortless cottage garden charm.

Dahlia

Endless forms from dinner-plate to pompom. The obsession of flower farmers.

Daylily

Virtually indestructible perennial with trumpet blooms in every warm hue.

Dianthus

Spicy-scented, fringed petals. One of the best edging plants there is.

Drift Rose

Groundcover rose that stays low and spreads wide. Tough, disease-resistant, and constantly in bloom.

Goldenrod

Wrongly blamed for allergies. A vital late-season pollinator magnet.

Honeysuckle

Tubular, nectar-rich flowers with a fragrance that defines summer evenings.

Impatiens

The shade annual champion. Flowers prolifically where nothing else will.

Liatris

Blazing star. Spikes that bloom unusually from top to bottom.

Marigold

Bulletproof color all season long. The workhorse of warm-toned borders.

Morning Glory

Fast-climbing vine with trumpets that open fresh every morning.

Pardon Me Daylily

Compact cranberry-red with a yellow-green throat and one of the best reblooming habits in the entire family.

Petunia

Cascading color for containers and beds. Blooms nonstop until frost.

Pickerelweed

Spikes of violet-blue flowers above glossy arrow-shaped leaves. Native pond and stream bank staple.

Rose

The queen of the garden. Modern varieties are surprisingly low-maintenance.

Salvia

Vertical flower spikes that hummingbirds and bees cannot resist.

Sedum

Succulent leaves, tough as nails. Ages to deep crimson in autumn.

Shasta Daisy

Classic white-and-gold daisies that look fresh from a meadow painting.

Snapdragon

Vertical flower spikes with squeeze-open blooms. Kids love them.

Stella de Oro Daylily

The most planted perennial in America. Compact, reblooming, and basically indestructible.

Sunflower

Pure joy on a stalk. Birds love the seeds, kids love the spectacle.

Sweet Alyssum

Honey-scented carpet of tiny flowers. The best living edging plant.

Switchgrass

Upright native grass with airy seed heads. Gold and red fall color.

Tickseed

Cheerful native daisy that blooms for months with almost no care.

Yarrow

Flat-topped clusters on ferny foliage. Thrives on neglect in poor soil.

Zinnia

Easy-grow annual with electric colors. Cut-and-come-again champion.

American Gold Rush Black-Eyed Susan

Narrow, fuzzy foliage resists the leaf spot that plagues Goldsturm. A worthy upgrade.

Annabelle Hydrangea

Enormous snowball blooms on a native species. Blooms on new wood, so prune hard in spring.

Autumn Joy Sedum

Broccoli-like heads open pink and age to copper-bronze. Four-season interest, zero maintenance.

Bela Lugosi Daylily

Deep, near-black purple with a small yellow-green throat, the darkest and most dramatic daylily you can grow.

Big Bluestem

The signature grass of the tallgrass prairie, turning copper-bronze in fall with distinctive turkey-foot seed heads.

Butterfly Milkweed

Vivid orange-red flat-topped clusters that monarchs and swallowtails cannot resist. Drought-proof once established.

Caradonna Salvia

Dark purple stems set this apart from every other salvia. Vertical, architectural, electric.

Cat's Meow Catmint

Tidy, dome-shaped habit that never flops open. Stays compact without shearing.

Chamomile

Tiny daisy flowers with apple-scented foliage. Brew into tea or let it naturalize between pavers.

Cheyenne Spirit Coneflower

A rainbow mix of coneflower colors from a single seed strain. Every plant is a surprise.

Chicago Apache Daylily

Scarlet red with a velvety texture. One of the best true red daylilies available.

Double Punch Coral Daylily

Fully double coral blooms like a small peony on a daylily, lush and completely unexpected.

Dragon's Blood Sedum

Creeping mat of burgundy-tinged foliage with starry red flowers. Turns deep red in fall.

False Sunflower

Cheerful golden-yellow daisies that bloom for months on a tough native perennial. The sunniest, most reliable workhorse in the border.

Globe Thistle

Perfectly spherical steel-blue globes on white stems that dry to perfection. Bees are absolutely obsessed.

Goldsturm Black-Eyed Susan

The gold standard rudbeckia. Uniform, floriferous, and utterly reliable in any soil.

Gooseneck Loosestrife

Gracefully arching white flower spikes that curve at the tips like a goose neck. Spreads vigorously in moist soil.

Happy Returns Daylily

Lemon-yellow rebloomer with light fragrance. A bit taller than Stella with softer color.

Hyperion Daylily

Tall, pale lemon-yellow, sweetly fragrant blooms on an heirloom variety that's been cherished since 1925.

Little Bluestem

Upright clumps turn coppery orange in fall and stand well through winter.

Mary Todd Daylily

Ruffled golden-yellow flowers with a lavender eye, large, showy, and sweetly fragrant in the summer border.

May Night Salvia

Perennial Plant of the Year. Dense indigo-violet spikes that rebloom if deadheaded.

Night Embers Daylily

Deep burgundy-red with a black eye and yellow throat, smoldering in the summer border.

Obedient Plant

Spikes of snapdragon-like flowers that can be pushed and stay where moved, earning a very literal common name.

Oriental Lily

Huge, intensely fragrant blooms in deep pink and white that perfume the entire garden. The lily that defines summer.

Pacific Bleeding Heart

Western native that blooms much longer than its eastern cousin. Ferny foliage all season.

Powwow Wild Berry Coneflower

Deep rose-purple petals and a bronzy cone on a compact reblooming plant that won't sprawl.

Prairie Dropseed

Fine-textured mounds send up airy fragrant flower sprays that persist into winter.

Purple de Oro Daylily

Deep purple-red blooms on a compact Stella-sized plant. Brings rich color to the front of the border.

Red Hot Returns Daylily

Brilliant red with a small yellow center, compact and one of the earliest daylilies to kick into rebloom.

Rosy Returns Daylily

Soft rose-pink blooms with a cream throat that keep coming from late spring to frost, absolutely tireless.

Sacred Lotus

Massive blooms rise above umbrella leaves in shallow water. Seedpods are as ornamental as the flowers.

Summersweet Clethra

Spikes of intensely sweet-scented white flowers in midsummer, one of the best fragrant natives for shady spots.

Thread-Leaf Coreopsis

Thread-fine foliage and masses of tiny yellow stars bloom for months with zero effort. A perennial you can actually neglect.

Trumpet Vine

Aggressive native vine with fiery trumpets. Hummingbird highway.

Vintage Wine Coneflower

Wine-purple petals that age to rose on a robust, well-branched plant. One of the most floriferous echinacea you can grow.

Walker's Low Catmint

Perennial Plant of the Year. Billowy lavender-blue spikes that rebloom hard after a shear.

Water Lily

Floating jewels that transform any pond. Pads provide shade for fish while flowers dazzle above.

White Swan Coneflower

Pure white drooping petals around a bronze-orange cone. Elegant and underused.

Wild Bergamot

The wild cousin of bee balm. Lavender puffs alive with pollinators. Tougher and more mildew-resistant.

Anise Hyssop

Lavender-blue spikes with licorice-scented foliage. A pollinator powerhouse that blooms for months.

Aster

The grand finale of the garden season. Essential for fall pollinators.

Astilbe

Feathery plumes that light up shady, moist spots like nothing else can.

August Moon Hosta

Glowing gold foliage all season, and one of the best hostas for brighter spots with some morning sun.

Blue Angel Hosta

Massive blue-gray leaves up to 18 inches long. One of the largest and most slug-resistant hostas.

Bobo Hydrangea

Dwarf paniculata smothered in blooms. Perfect front-of-border plant that needs almost no care.

Butterfly Bush

Long, arching flower wands that butterflies absolutely lose their minds over.

California Poppy

Golden cups that carpet hillsides across the state. Closes at night and on cloudy days.

Campanula

Open, nodding bells in clear blue on tall graceful stems. Self-sows into refined cottage garden drifts.

Compass Plant

Tall stems with large yellow daisies tower over deeply cut basal leaves that align north-south.

Coral Honeysuckle

Non-invasive native honeysuckle with brilliant coral-red tubular flowers that hummingbirds hover at for months.

Culver's Root

Tall tapering spires of tiny white flowers that bees mob. Vertical and elegant at the back of the border.

Don Juan Climbing Rose

Deep velvety red climber with classic rose fragrance. Repeats reliably on a strong, vigorous plant.

Double Knock Out Rose

Fuller, double-petaled version of the Knock Out. Same bulletproof performance with more petal count.

Empress Wu Hosta

The world's largest hosta. Individual leaves can exceed two feet. A bold statement in any shade garden.

Endless Summer Hydrangea

Reblooms on old and new wood, so you get flowers even after a harsh winter. Color shifts with soil pH.

Ernest Markham Clematis

Magenta-red flowers with brown anthers that bloom late when others have faded. A solid, underappreciated red clematis.

Fountain Grass

Arching, bottlebrush plumes that catch the light. Movement in the garden.

Frances Williams Hosta

Classic blue-green heart-shaped leaves with wide gold margins that make this one of the all-time great hostas.

Garden Phlox

Billowing clusters of fragrant summer color. A butterfly magnet.

Golden Tiara Hosta

Small, fast-spreading mound with chartreuse-gold margins and one of the easiest hostas you can grow.

Great Blue Lobelia

Intense blue flower spikes that hummingbirds and bumblebees fight over in late summer. The bolder, taller cousin of cardinal flower.

Guacamole Hosta

Chartreuse-gold leaves with dark green margins and sweetly fragrant white flowers that perfume the shade garden.

Hagley Hybrid Clematis

Soft shell-pink flowers with a hint of mauve that fade beautifully in part shade and bloom reliably all summer.

Halcyon Hosta

The bluest hosta you can grow. Thick, heavily textured leaves resist slugs better than most.

Hardy Hibiscus

Dinner-plate blooms up to 12 inches across on a native perennial that dies to the ground and returns bigger each year.

Helenium

Warm-toned daisy-like flowers with raised centers bloom as summer turns to fall. Loves moist soil.

Hosta

The undisputed queen of shade gardening. Foliage in every green and blue.

Hot Papaya Coneflower

Fiery double blooms like tiny orange dahlias on a coneflower. A showstopper that earns every bit of the hype.

Hydrangea

Massive mophead blooms that shift color with soil pH. Showstoppers.

Ice Plant

Neon-bright daisy flowers that shimmer in the sun over succulent foliage. Thrives in hot, dry rock gardens.

Incrediball Hydrangea

Annabelle's bigger sibling with stronger stems that don't flop. Blooms the size of basketballs.

Indian Grass

Golden-orange fall color and shimmering flower spikes make this tall prairie native one of autumn's best performers.

Joe-Pye Weed

Towering native with mauve domes that butterflies swarm in late summer.

June Hosta

Gold center streaked with blue-green margins. Color shifts through the season. A collector's favorite.

Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass

Strong vertical plumes emerge in early summer and persist as tawny stems through winter.

Knock Out Rose

The rose that changed everything. Disease-resistant, self-cleaning, and blooms nonstop from spring to frost.

Lavender

Fragrant silver-green mounds beloved by bees and humans alike.

Limelight Hydrangea

Cone-shaped blooms open chartreuse, mature to white, then blush pink in fall. Tough as nails.

Little Lime Hydrangea

Compact Limelight. Same color show in a smaller package perfect for borders and containers.

Luna Red Hibiscus

Compact variety with enormous crimson blooms that stays tidy enough for a large container.

Magnus Coneflower

The gold standard coneflower. Flat, non-drooping petals around a bold copper cone. Perennial Plant of the Year.

Mexican Hat

Distinctive sombrero-like flowers sway on wiry stems in summer prairies.

Northern Sea Oats

Flat seed heads dangle from arching stems and dance in the slightest wind. The best native grass for shade.

Northwind Switchgrass

Stiffly upright blue-green foliage that never flops. The most architectural switchgrass available.

Oregano

Tiny flowers are a pollinator magnet when allowed to bloom. Let a patch go to flower for the bees.

Patriot Hosta

Dark green leaves with crisp white margins. Classic variegated hosta that brightens shady spots.

Pinky Winky Hydrangea

Two-tone blooms with white tips and pink bases. Strong stems hold heavy flower heads upright.

Polish Spirit Clematis

Deep violet-purple flowers cover a vigorous plant from midsummer to fall. Prune hard each spring and stand back.

PowWow Wild Berry Coneflower

Compact, heavily branched, and smothered in deep rose-purple blooms. Reblooms without deadheading.

Prairie Dock

Huge basal leaves and tall stalks topped with yellow daisies give strong prairie structure.

Prairie Sky Switchgrass

The bluest foliage of any switchgrass, with airy pink seed clouds drifting above in late summer.

Purple Prairie Clover

Brushy purple flower spikes rise over fine foliage and feed prairie pollinators.

Quick Fire Hydrangea

Blooms a full month before other paniculatas. White cones age to deep rosy pink by fall.

Rose of Sharon

Tropical-looking hibiscus flowers on a cold-hardy shrub. Blooms late.

Russian Sage

Airy lavender clouds on silver stems. Thrives in heat and poor soil.

Sagae Hosta

Huge gray-blue leaves with creamy margins on a stately, vase-shaped plant that wins awards for good reason.

Scarlet Gilia

Tubular red trumpets on a wiry biennial that hummingbirds adore across the Mountain West. Blooms its second year, then self-sows.

Shenandoah Switchgrass

Compact selection that turns vivid burgundy-red in late summer earlier than any other switchgrass.

Showy Goldenrod

Upright spikes of bright yellow flowers feed late-season pollinators on dry prairies.

Sideoats Grama

Seed heads hang like tiny flags along one side of the stem on this graceful, drought-tolerant prairie native.

Speedwell

Tidy spikes of blue that add vertical punch to the front of the border.

Stained Glass Hosta

Glossy gold center with dark green margins, like light through a cathedral window.

Sum and Substance Hosta

Chartreuse giant that can take more sun than most hostas. Heart-shaped leaves grow enormous.

Sweet Autumn Clematis

Explosive late-summer bloom of thousands of tiny fragrant white flowers. Vigorous to a fault.

The President Clematis

Big, rich violet-blue flowers with silvery reverse petals rebloom through the season on a vigorous, reliable plant.

Tufted Hair Grass

Airy gold-green flower clouds hover above dark evergreen tufts. One of the few grasses that thrives in moist shade.

Turtlehead

Snapdragon-like flowers shaped exactly like a turtle's head. Loves wet feet.

Visions in Pink Astilbe

Compact and more drought-tolerant than most astilbes. Dense, rosy-pink plumes.

White Prairie Clover

Cylindrical white flower spikes with orange anthers on a delicate, drought-proof prairie native that feeds bees all summer.

Wide Brim Hosta

Blue-green leaves with wide creamy-white margins that age to a clean white, a standout performer in any shade garden.

Agastache

Licorice-scented foliage and tubular orange-pink flowers that hummingbirds and butterflies find irresistible. Thrives on neglect.

Bloom-a-Thon Azalea

Repeat-blooming azalea with waves of color spring through fall. Evergreen in mild climates.

Buttonbush

Weird and wonderful pincushion flowers like tiny white globes on a tough native that thrives in wet conditions.

Crocosmia

Arching sprays of fiery red-orange that hummingbirds go crazy for. Sword-like foliage adds structure.

Desert Marigold

Cheerful desert wildflower that blooms almost year-round in warm climates. Thrives on neglect.

Double Delight Rose

Creamy white petals blush to strawberry red at the edges. Knockout fragrance matches the looks.

Emily McKenzie Crocosmia

Bold orange blooms with red throats appear on graceful arching stems in late summer.

Feverfew

Clusters of small white daisies that bloom for weeks. Historic medicinal herb that self-sows readily.

Giant Coneflower

Towering stems with dramatically elongated cones rise above huge blue-green paddle leaves. An architectural native that commands attention.

Globe Artichoke

Bold silvery foliage and large thistle-like buds are both decorative and edible.

Graham Thomas Rose

Rich golden-yellow cups with an intense tea rose fragrance. David Austin's most famous creation.

Henryi Clematis

Large, pure white flowers with dark brown anthers rebloom in fall. Elegant, classic, and undeniably refined.

Hidcote Lavender

Compact and intensely dark purple. The standard against which all other lavenders are measured.

Indian Summer Rudbeckia

Massive 6-9 inch golden daisies on a short-lived plant. Bigger and bolder than perennial black-eyed susans.

Jackmanii Clematis

The classic large-flowered clematis since 1858. Deep violet-purple blooms cover the vine midsummer.

Japanese Anemone

Graceful, swaying blooms on tall stems. Elegant in partial shade.

Japanese Forest Grass

Arching variegated leaves form graceful cascades and brighten shady spots.

Japanese Painted Fern

Silver and burgundy fronds unlike any other fern. Foliage plant that earns its keep on color alone.

Ligularia

Bold, dinner-plate leaves with daisy-like flowers. Loves wet feet and will wilt dramatically if dry.

Monkshood

Deep indigo-blue hooded flowers on tall spikes in late summer. One of the few genuinely blue flowers that grows in shade.

Mountain Bluebell

Sky-blue bell flowers on tall arching stems along mountain streams. The showy western cousin of Virginia Bluebell.

Munstead Lavender

Earlier blooming and slightly softer purple than Hidcote. Gertrude Jekyll's favorite for a reason.

New Dawn Climbing Rose

The world's most popular climbing rose. Soft blush pink, sweetly fragrant, and remarkably vigorous.

Nikko Blue Hydrangea

The classic blue mophead. Rich, true blue in acidic soil. A cottage garden essential.

Ostrich Fern

Tall vase-shaped fronds that unfurl from fiddleheads in spring. Spreads to form dramatic colonies.

Phenomenal Lavender

Survives humidity and cold that kills other lavenders. Silver foliage stays tight and full.

Plumleaf Azalea

The only azalea that blooms in midsummer, with fiery orange-red flowers that light up the late-season shade garden.

Red Hot Poker

Torch-like spikes in fire-orange and yellow that hummingbirds zoom straight to. Bold and unforgettable.

Rose Mallow

Enormous pale pink blooms up to 12 inches across on a wetland-loving native. Grow near a pond and you'll never look back.

Sea Holly

Metallic blue bracts and cones turn the whole plant a vivid silvery-blue. Otherworldly and completely drought-proof.

Stokes Aster

Fringed, shaggy-petaled flowers in shades of cornflower blue that bloom for weeks on a tough Southern native.

Sundrop

Bright yellow cups that open in daylight on a cheerful, drought-tolerant native that spreads into informal drifts.

Swamp Milkweed

Soft mauve-pink clusters that monarch butterflies seek out for egg-laying. Thrives where it's consistently wet.

Tall Phlox David

Pure white fragrant phlox with the best mildew resistance in the species. A reliable, clean performer for the late-summer garden.

Tall Verbena

Wiry stems topped with purple clusters that butterflies can't resist. See-through plant for layering.

Chaste Tree

Long lavender-blue spikes cover this heat-loving shrub all summer. One of the few shrubs that actually blooms in August.

Crape Myrtle

The tree of the South. Months of crinkled blooms and gorgeous peeling bark.

Gardenia

Glossy evergreen foliage frames intensely fragrant white flowers from late spring into summer.

Jasmine

Intensely sweet-scented white stars. The scent of warm southern evenings.

Lantana

Multi-colored flower clusters that bloom relentlessly in brutal heat.

Masterwort

Intricate pincushion flowers surrounded by papery bracts in soft pinks and whites. Beloved by florists and shade gardeners alike.

Rozanne Geranium

Violet-blue saucer flowers on a sprawling mound that blooms from late spring until frost. The most awarded perennial geranium in history.

Tiger Lily

Spotted orange-yellow turk's cap blooms on tall stems. The fire-bright wildflower of Pacific Northwest meadows and open forests.

Tuberose

Tall summer spikes of waxy white blooms release powerful evening fragrance.

Turk's Cap

Nodding red hibiscus flowers that never fully open are pure hummingbird candy across the Gulf South.

Wax Begonia

Glossy leaves and nonstop flowers in sun or shade. One of the most reliable bedding plants anywhere.

Angel's Trumpet

Huge pendant trumpets release intense evening fragrance over a long warm-season bloom.

Bougainvillea

Explosive cascades of papery bracts. Covers walls and fences in color.

Calibrachoa

Mini petunias that bloom nonstop in hanging baskets. Dozens of color options and no deadheading needed.

California Fuchsia

Low mounds of gray foliage are covered in tubular red-orange flowers in late summer.

Hawaiian Hibiscus

Large tropical blooms in vivid colors appear repeatedly from spring through fall.

Mandevilla

Glossy vines are covered in showy trumpet flowers from early summer to frost in warm climates.

Meyer Lemon

Sweetly scented white blossoms appear intermittently year-round and set thin-skinned lemons.

Pelargonium

The classic window-box geranium. Ball-shaped flower clusters above scalloped leaves. Tough container staple.

Pink Dipladenia

Bushy form with glossy foliage and abundant pink trumpets suited to pots and borders.

Purple Fountain Grass

Burgundy foliage topped with fuzzy rose-colored plumes. Stunning in containers where it's treated as an annual in cold climates.

Bird of Paradise

Sculptural, crane-like flowers in orange and blue. Unmistakable.

Coleus

Grown for kaleidoscopic foliage, not flowers. Pinch blooms to keep energy in the leaves.

Pink Plumeria

Clusters of pink, sweetly scented blooms cover this classic tropical tree in summer.

Plumeria

Intoxicatingly fragrant tropical blooms. The flower of Hawaiian leis.

White Plumeria

Highly fragrant white flowers with yellow centers appear in clusters on succulent branches.