Bloom calendar

Plants for Zone 5 That Bloom in October

223 plants in the BloomsEye library that are hardy in USDA hardiness zone 5 and typically flower in October, such as Toad Lily, Garden Mum and Aster. Each entry lists its bloom times, hardiness zones, and sun needs.

Showing 1 to 60 of 223 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 223 plants, 179 have been checked against outside sources (12 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 5

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.

Abraham Darby
Rosa 'Auscot'
Full sunZones 5–105 ftModerate
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
Angel Face
Rosa 'Angel Face'
Full sunZones 5–93.5 ftModerate
Apple Blossom Flower Carpet Rose
Rosa 'Noamel'
Full sunZones 5–82 ftModerate
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Full sunZones 3–82 ftLow
Aster
Symphyotrichum
Full sunZones 3–83 ftModerate
At Last Rose
Rosa 'Horcogjil'
Full sunZones 5–92.5 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 Gold Narrow-Leaved Sunflower
Helianthus salicifolius 'Autumn Gold'
Full sunZones 5–92 ftModerate
Autumn Joy Sedum
Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude'
Full sunZones 3–91.5 ftLow
Autumn Moor Grass
Sesleria autumnalis
Full sunZones 5–81.5 ftLow
Autumn Sun Coneflower
Rudbeckia nitida 'Autumn Sun'
Full sunZones 4–94 ftModerate
Azure Rush Geranium
Geranium 'Azure Rush'
Part sunZones 5–81.5 ftModerate
Bathsheba Rose
Rosa 'Auschimbley'
Full sunZones 5–114 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 Fortune Agastache
Agastache 'Blue Fortune'
Full sunZones 5–103 ftModerate
Blue Girl
Rosa 'Korgi'
Full sunZones 5–104 ftModerate
Blue Jean Baby Russian Sage
Salvia yangii 'Blue Jean Baby'
Full sunZones 4–82.5 ftLow
Blue Mistflower
Conoclinium coelestinum
Part shadeZones 5–102 ftModerate
Blue Wood Aster
Symphyotrichum cordifolium
Part shadeZones 3–83 ftModerate
Blue-Stemmed Goldenrod
Solidago caesia
Part shadeZones 4–82.5 ftModerate
Blushing Knock Out Rose
Rosa 'Radyod'
Full sunZones 5–83.5 ftModerate
Bolero
Rosa 'Meidelweis'
Full sunZones 5–93.5 ftModerate
Bonica
Rosa 'Meidomonac'
Full sunZones 4–93.5 ftModerate
Boscobel
Rosa 'Auscousin'
Full sunZones 5–104 ftModerate
Brilliant Sedum
Hylotelephium spectabile 'Brilliant'
Full sunZones 3–91.5 ftLow
Bronze Mum
Chrysanthemum 'Bronze'
Full sunZones 5–92 ftModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
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
Burgundy Mum
Chrysanthemum 'Burgundy'
Full sunZones 5–92 ftModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Campfire Rose
Rosa 'CA 29'
Full sunZones 3–73 ftModerate
Carding Mill
Rosa 'Auswest'
Full sunZones 5–104 ftModerate
Catwalk Queen
Nepeta × faassenii 'Catwalk Queen'
Full sunZones 3–812 inLow
Cécile Brünner
Rosa 'Cécile Brünner'
Full sunZones 5–103 ftModerate
Charlotte
Rosa 'Auspoly'
Full sunZones 5–103.5 ftModerate
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
Chrysalis Pink Butterfly Bush
Buddleia 'Balchryink'
Full sunZones 5–92 ftModerate
Chrysalis Steel Blue Butterfly Bush
Buddleia 'Balchryeel'
Full sunZones 5–92 ftModerate
Cinnamon Hearts Rose
Rosa 'Vlr13003'
Full sunZones 3–92.5 ftModerate
Claire Austin
Rosa 'Ausprior'
Full sunZones 5–105 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
Color Cocktail Rose
Rosa 'Meilowmye'
Full sunZones 5–92.5 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
Coral Flower Carpet Rose
Rosa 'Noala'
Full sunZones 5–82.5 ftModerate
Coral Knock Out Rose
Rosa 'Radral'
Full sunZones 5–84.5 ftModerate

October bloom in zone 5 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

31 plants

  • Album

    Colchicum autumnale 'Album' · September to October

  • Snow Flurry

    Symphyotrichum ericoides 'Snow Flurry' · September to October

  • White Mum

    Chrysanthemum 'White' · September to November

Yellow

40 plants

Orange

36 plants

  • Bronze Mum

    Chrysanthemum 'Bronze' · September to November

  • Gracillimus

    Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus' · September to October

  • Winter Gold

    Ilex verticillata 'Winter Gold' · October to December

Red

40 plants

  • Burgundy Mum

    Chrysanthemum 'Burgundy' · September to November

  • Winterberry

    Ilex verticillata · October to December

  • Autumn Fire

    Hylotelephium 'Autumn Fire' · August to October

Pink

95 plants

Purple

46 plants

  • Purple Dome

    Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'Purple Dome' · September to October

  • Lilac Wonder

    Colchicum 'Lilac Wonder' · September to October

  • Lavender Mum

    Chrysanthemum 'Lavender' · September to November

Blue

20 plants

October bloom in zone 5 for shade

20 of these 223 plants will flower in less than a full day of sun.

Part shade

14 plants

October bloom in zone 5 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

9 plants

Middle of the border

12 in to 3 ft

95 plants

Back of the border

3 ft and up

114 plants

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