Plants that bloom in September in Zone 3 with red flowers

Annual Vinca

Glossy-leaved heat champion (botanically unrelated to true Vinca minor) that blooms through humidity that wilts everything else.

Big Bluestem

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

Bishop of Llandaff Dahlia

Brilliant scarlet semi-double blooms above near-black foliage. The contrast between leaf and flower is unmatched in the dahlia world.

Blanket Flower

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

Cardinal Flower

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

Celosia

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

Clematis

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

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.

Fire Light Hydrangea

Upright cones open pure white and transform to deep pomegranate red as the season ages. Strong stems that never need staking.

Garden Phlox

Billowing clusters of fragrant summer color. A butterfly magnet.

Gomphrena

Papery clover-shaped pom-poms on wiry stems. Drought-proof, deer-proof, and dries perfectly for winter arrangements.

Helenium

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

Impatiens

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

Karma Choc Dahlia

Velvety dark burgundy waterlily blooms that read almost black in low light. Strong stems built for the vase.

Little Quick Fire Hydrangea

Compact form of Quick Fire that blooms early on a container-sized plant. Same flame-toned color shift in a much smaller footprint.

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.

Pentas

Star-shaped flower clusters that hummingbirds and butterflies hit on every pass. Blooms nonstop in heat that stops impatiens cold.

Petunia

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

Portulaca

Succulent-leaved sun lover with silky rose-like blooms that thrives where pavement, rock, or sand defeats everything else.

Quick Fire Hydrangea

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

Red Hot Returns Daylily

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

Rose

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

Salvia

Vertical flower spikes that hummingbirds and bees cannot resist.

Scabiosa

Pincushion blooms on long wiry stems dance over fine foliage. Pollinator magnet that keeps producing if you keep cutting.

Scarlet Sage

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

Sedum

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

Snapdragon

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

Strawflower

Papery petals that already look like dried flowers when fresh. The original everlasting, hanging on long after every other bloom fades.

Sunflower

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

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.

Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangea

Cone blooms open creamy white, age to soft pink, then deepen to strawberry red while new white cones keep emerging above them.

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.