The 9 Very Best Flowers To Plant On A Balcony For Fall Color

Summer may be over, but that doesn't mean the colorful blooms have to be, too. Adding plants that flower and bloom in the fall to your balcony allows you to make the most of your space and keep it bright and beautiful, even when other plants have turned in for the winter. From the classic autumnal blooms of chrysanthemums to the bold spikes of snapdragons, there are many fall flowering plants that do well in containers, hanging baskets, and pots, making them perfect for your balcony. 

When selecting plants for fall color, consider where your balcony is and what you want from your flowers. There are both annuals and perennials suitable for a fall balcony, and the type of flower you pick depends on your preferences. Annuals do tend to flower for a longer period of time. However, perennials come back every year, which means less planning, buying, and gardening. Have a think about the amount of sunlight your balcony gets, too. Certain flowers need a lot of sun, whereas others will thrive in the shade. Picking suitable plants will allow your balcony to be full of color as the seasons change.

With thousands of cultivars and colors to choose from, there will be a crysanthemum (Chrysanthemum spp.) perfect for you and your balcony. They do well in containers, blooming profusely throughout the fall months. Suitable to grow in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9, garden mums prefer full sun. If you bring crysanthemums to your balcony, ensure that you are planting them in a container with well-drained soil. Enrich the soil with organic matter and apply a slow-release fertilizer when planting. Deadhead your mums over the season to help them put on more blooms. 

Tough and cold hardy, pansies (Viola x wittrockiana) are a brilliant option for bringing color to your fall balcony. These beautiful blooms are usually grown as annuals and should be planted out once the hot weather is over. Pansies look great growing in container gardens and hanging baskets, thriving in well-drained soil in partial shade. Add some organic matter to the soil when you plant them, and ensure you keep the soil moist as the pansies grow and bloom. Deadhead your pansies regularly to keep them flowering and looking good throughout fall. 

Signet marigolds (Tagetes tenuifolia) are a smaller variety of the flower, making them perfect for containers on a balcony. With beautiful orange, red, and yellow blooms, signet marigolds have stunning fall colors that last throughout the season. They need full sun and prefer well-drained soil. When planting your signet marigolds, give them a general-purpose fertilizer to help them establish themselves and put on new growth. Watch out for overwatering, as these flowers can suffer when too wet but can deal with being slightly dry. Deadhead them regularly to prolong their blooms. 

With its compact, bushy habit, purple verbena (Verbena rigida) is perfect for growing in containers. It is a low-maintenance plant that produces striking purple clusters of flowers from summer until late fall. Suitable to grow as a perennial in zones 7 to 10 and as an annual in colder regions, purple verbena prefers full sunshine and needs well-drained soil. Like most verbena varieties, purple verbena tolerates heat and drought well, making it perfect for sunny spots and warmer climates. Plant purple verbena in well-drained soil in full sun.

'Autumn Joy' sedum (Hylotelephium spectabile 'Autumn Joy') is an extremely popular sedum variety that you can grow in containers on your balcony for fall flowers. Autumn Joy blooms in September and October, producing beautiful clumps of bright pink flowers. This perennial prefers well-drained or gravelly soils and can suffer in overly rich or moist locations. It grows best in full sun, but can be happy with some afternoon shade. 'Autumn Joy' doesn't need too much maintenance once it has settled in. However, you may want to give it a spring prune to maintain its shape. 

Although these annuals are happy blooming in the spring and summer, you can sow calendula (Calendula officinalis) in early summer for a fall display. Calendulas prefer well-drained soil and full sun, but can be grown in partial shade in particularly warm climates. If your calendulas look a bit rough at the start of fall, the summer heat may have affected them. You can help them rejuvenate themselves and produce more flowers by cutting them back a little. These annuals will usually produce their iconic, bright yellow blooms right up until the first heavy frost. 

Japanese anemones (Anemone hupehensis) are fall blooming perennials that produce stunning, delicate flowers in shades of pink, purple, and white. You can grow Japanese anemones in zones 4 to 8, with these flowers doing well in moist, fertile soils. They prefer partial shade and shelter from wind and intense weather. Japanese anemones can burn in very warm and sunny conditions and may suffer if their soil dries out, so keep an eye on the container they are in and ensure you are watering them when necessary. 

If you are looking for a heat and drought tolerant annual this fall, moss rose (Portulaca grandiflora) may be perfect for you. As these flowers have a trailing, spreading habit, they look great in hanging baskets and containers on a balcony. Moss roses bloom right up until the first frost, decorating your balcony with beautiful blooms of red, pink, orange, and yellow. You need to plant moss roses in full sunshine in well-drained soil. As a self-seeding flower, they may go into other pots where available, but deadheading will reduce this and promote new flowers.

Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) are an easy-to-grow annual that produces bold, bright blooms in the spring, summer, and fall. They are a great option for a fall container plant that can thrive on balconies. Snapdragons can be grown in full sun or partial shade, preferring moist, rich soil. It may be helpful to amend the soil with organic matter before planting them. There is a range of varieties of snapdragon you can add to your balcony, from trailing types that look perfect in hanging baskets to tall ones that add a touch of drama.