Plants that bloom in September in Zone 7 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.

Boscobel Rose

Tight salmon-pink rosettes with a strong myrrh fragrance on an upright, well-shaped plant. Holds form better than most English roses.

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.

Cheyenne Spirit Coneflower

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

Chrysanthemum

The fall icon. Mounds of color when everything else is fading.

Cinco de Mayo Rose

Smoky lavender-rust blooms with copper undertones unlike any other rose. Modern fragrance, modern disease resistance, and a color you will not find anywhere else.

Clematis

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

Coral Honeysuckle

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

Cosmos

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

Crape Myrtle

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

Dahlia

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

Don Juan Climbing Rose

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

Double Delight Rose

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

Double Knock Out Rose

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

Drift Rose

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

Emily McKenzie Crocosmia

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

Ernest Markham Clematis

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

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.

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.

Hot Papaya Coneflower

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

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.

Knock Out Rose

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

Lantana

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

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.

Luna Red Hibiscus

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

Marigold

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

Mexican Hat

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

Miscanthus

Tall, graceful plumes that persist through winter. Living architecture.

Mister Lincoln Rose

Deep dark red hybrid tea blooms with an intense damask fragrance on long stems. The benchmark for classic red roses since 1964.

Morning Glory

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

Munstead Wood Rose

Deep velvety crimson cups with an old-rose fragrance that fills the garden. Petals age to plum-purple before falling.

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.

Shenandoah Switchgrass

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

Snapdragon

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

Strawberry Sundae Hydrangea

Compact paniculata cones open creamy white, blush pink in summer, then deepen to strawberry red as fall arrives.

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.

Trumpet Vine

Aggressive native vine with fiery trumpets. Hummingbird highway.

Turk's Cap

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

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.