Bloom calendar

Plants for Zone 4 That Bloom in October

106 plants in the BloomsEye library that are hardy in USDA hardiness zone 4 and typically flower in October, such as Toad Lily, Aster and Autumn Crocus. Each entry lists its bloom times, hardiness zones, and sun needs.

Showing 1 to 60 of 106 plants

How this list is made

Derived from each plant's bloom months and USDA hardiness zones, as stored in the BloomsEye library, which was written with AI assistance. Of these 106 plants, 89 have been checked against outside sources (9 fully verified); the rest have not been checked yet, and each plant's own page says which. The cards are AI-generated illustrations. Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.

The flowers of October in zone 4

Every plant on this page is in flower in October. These are the ones with the shortest seasons around it, ranked by how much of each plant's flowering falls in September, October and November: a plant that opens and finishes here sits ahead of one that flowers from spring to frost, and ties go to the plants this site's guides name most often.

Album
Colchicum autumnale 'Album'
Full sunZones 4–96 inModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Alma Pötschke
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'Alma Pötschke'
Full sunZones 4–83 ftModerate
Amber Flower Carpet Rose
Rosa 'Noa97400a'
Full sunZones 4–82.5 ftModerate
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Full sunZones 3–82 ftLow
Aster
Symphyotrichum
Full sunZones 3–83 ftModerate
Autumn Bride Coral Bells
Heuchera villosa 'Autumn Bride'
Part shadeZones 3–83 ftModerate
Autumn Crocus
Colchicum
Full sunZones 4–96 inModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Autumn Damask Rose
Rosa damascena var. semperflorens
Full sunZones 4–95 ftModerate
Autumn Fire
Hylotelephium 'Autumn Fire'
Full sunZones 3–91.5 ftLow
Autumn Joy Sedum
Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude'
Full sunZones 3–91.5 ftLow
Autumn Sun Coneflower
Rudbeckia nitida 'Autumn Sun'
Full sunZones 4–94 ftModerate
Believer Purple Aster
Symphyotrichum 'Yobeliever'
Full sunZones 3–812 inModerate
Berry Heavy
Ilex verticillata 'Spravy'
Full sunZones 3–98 ftHigh
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Berry Poppins
Ilex verticillata 'FarrowBPop'
Full sunZones 3–94 ftHigh
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia
Full sunZones 3–92.5 ftLow
Blackfoot Daisy
Melampodium leucanthum
Full sunZones 4–1112 inLow
Blanc Double de Coubert Rose
Rosa 'Blanc Double de Coubert'
Full sunZones 4–95.5 ftModerate
Bloomerang Purpink Reblooming Lilac
Syringa pubescens 'SMNSPTP'
Full sunZones 3–74 ftModerate
Blue Jean Baby Russian Sage
Salvia yangii 'Blue Jean Baby'
Full sunZones 4–82.5 ftLow
Blue Wood Aster
Symphyotrichum cordifolium
Part shadeZones 3–83 ftModerate
Blue-Stemmed Goldenrod
Solidago caesia
Part shadeZones 4–82.5 ftModerate
Bonica
Rosa 'Meidomonac'
Full sunZones 4–93.5 ftModerate
Brilliant Sedum
Hylotelephium spectabile 'Brilliant'
Full sunZones 3–91.5 ftLow
Brown-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia triloba
Full sunZones 4–83.5 ftModerate
Brunette Bugbane
Actaea simplex (Atropurpurea Group) 'Brunette'
Part shadeZones 3–85 ftModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Campfire Rose
Rosa 'CA 29'
Full sunZones 3–73 ftModerate
Catwalk Queen
Nepeta × faassenii 'Catwalk Queen'
Full sunZones 3–812 inLow
Chick Charms Powdered Pastry Hens and Chicks
Sempervivum 'Powdered Pastry'
Full sunZones 3–84 inLow
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
Full sunZones 4–101.5 ftLow
Cinnamon Hearts Rose
Rosa 'Vlr13003'
Full sunZones 3–92.5 ftModerate
Clara Curtis
Chrysanthemum 'Clara Curtis'
Full sunZones 3–92.5 ftModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Cloudburst Phlox
Phlox 'Cloudburst'
Full sunZones 4–82.5 ftModerate
Common Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
Full sunZones 3–82 ftModerate
Common Sneezeweed
Helenium autumnale
Full sunZones 3–84 ftHigh
Common Witch Hazel
Hamamelis virginiana
Full sunZones 3–817 ftModerate
Deam's Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii
Full sunZones 4–92.5 ftModerate
Denim 'n Lace Russian Sage
Salvia yangii 'Denim 'n Lace'
Full sunZones 4–92.5 ftLow
Dotted Blazing Star
Liatris punctata
Full sunZones 3–91.5 ftLow
Double Coded Raspberry Beret Coneflower
Echinacea 'Raspberry Beret'
Full sunZones 4–81.5 ftModerate
Dragon Baby Hardy Hydrangea
Hydrangea paniculata 'Hylv17522'
Part shadeZones 3–83 ftModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Drift Rose
Rosa 'Meijocos'
Full sunZones 4–111.5 ftModerate
Easy Elegance Kashmir Rose
Rosa 'Baimir'
Full sunZones 4–93.5 ftModerate
Easy Elegance My Girl Shrub Rose
Rosa 'Baigirl'
Full sunZones 4–94 ftModerate
Easy Elegance Oscar Peterson Rose
Rosa 'Aac333'
Full sunZones 3–83 ftModerate
Easy Elegance Paint the Town Rose
Rosa 'Baitown'
Full sunZones 4–92.5 ftModerate
Eustacia Vye
Rosa 'Ausegdon'
Full sunZones 4–114 ftModerate
Fireworks Goldenrod
Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks'
Full sunZones 4–83.5 ftModerate
Flame Grass
Miscanthus sinensis var. purpurascens
Full sunZones 4–94.5 ftLow
Frosty Morn
Hylotelephium 'Frosty Morn'
Full sunZones 3–91.5 ftLow
Goldenrod
Solidago
Full sunZones 3–93 ftLow
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Part shadeZones 4–92.5 ftHigh
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Great Burnet
Sanguisorba officinalis
Full sunZones 4–83 ftModerate
Heavy Metal
Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal'
Full sunZones 4–95 ftLow
Japanese Anemone
Anemone hupehensis
Part shadeZones 4–83 ftModerate
Kickin' Carmine Red
Symphyotrichum 'Kickin Carmine Red'
Full sunZones 4–81.5 ftModerate
Knock Out Rose
Rosa 'Knock Out'
Full sunZones 4–103.5 ftModerate
Lilac Wonder
Colchicum 'Lilac Wonder'
Full sunZones 4–88 inModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Mary Stoker
Chrysanthemum 'Mary Stoker'
Full sunZones 3–92.5 ftModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Matrona
Hylotelephium 'Matrona'
Full sunZones 3–92 ftLow
Mountain Fleece
Bistorta amplexicaulis
Full sunZones 4–73.5 ftModerate

October bloom in zone 4 by flower color

A plant that comes in more than one color is counted under each. The picks rank the same way as the flowers above, so each color names the plants whose season sits closest to October.

White

16 plants

  • Album

    Colchicum autumnale 'Album' · September to October

  • Snow Flurry

    Symphyotrichum ericoides 'Snow Flurry' · September to October

  • White Wood Aster

    Eurybia divaricata · August to October

Yellow

19 plants

Orange

9 plants

Red

23 plants

  • Winterberry

    Ilex verticillata · October to December

  • Autumn Fire

    Hylotelephium 'Autumn Fire' · August to October

  • Shenandoah

    Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah' · August to October

Pink

41 plants

  • Alma Pötschke

    Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'Alma Pötschke' · September to October

  • Waterlily

    Colchicum 'Waterlily' · September to October

  • Switchgrass

    Panicum virgatum · August to October

Purple

32 plants

Blue

15 plants

October bloom in zone 4 for shade

10 of these 106 plants will flower in less than a full day of sun.

Part shade

10 plants

October bloom in zone 4 by height

Mature height, in the three bands a border is planted in. Anything over 10 ft is structure rather than a border plant, and a climber is sized by whatever it is growing up, so both sit this out.

Front of the border

under 12 in

8 plants

Middle of the border

12 in to 3 ft

56 plants

Back of the border

3 ft and up

39 plants

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