Grow late-blooming beauties

There's more to the fall garden than mums. While they're the traditional sign of the beginning of the end of the gardening season, there are a surprising number of late-season perennials that are just beginning to show their autumn colors.

Most of these late bloomers are tall, statuesque plants that make a perfect backdrop for those classic mums and traditional autumn displays. Plus, these colorful late bloomers can give a last lift to beds and borders just when it seems there's nothing new left to see.

(Kirengeshoma palmata)

The prolific yellow flowers of this perennial dangle above maple-leaf shaped foliage. A subtle stunner, yellow wax bells grow in a clumping habit and range from 3 to 6 feet tall. Suited to part shade, it enhances a woodland garden as well as the back of the border.

(Actaea racemosa)

Previously known as cimicifuga, this architectural perennial has dark, almost black ferny foliage that combines well with warm autumn colors. The fragrant honey-scented flowers are white tinged with pale pink on tall spires. For tall plants (4 to 5 feet), look for Hillside Black Beauty or Black Negligee. For something shorter (about 3 feet), consider James Compton.

(Chelone lyonii)

Whether you think the flowers resemble turtleheads or snapdragon buds, you'll appreciate this reliable autumn bloomer. The flowers, which are a magnet for bumblebees, come in white, pink or the popular bright pink Hot Lips variety. In moist soils it will slowly naturalize, growing into stands with stiff, dark green foliage.

(Solidago)

This beautiful native often is maligned because it's mistaken for allergy-inducing ragweed. But this low-maintenance perennial with golden spikes is sought after in the garden, where it contrasts well with blues and purples, blends with other more autumnal colors and makes a great cut flower in bouquets. Goldenrod is suitable for borders as well as meadow plantings, where bees and butterflies flock to its blooms. Fireworks grows to 4 feet, but shorter varieties like Peter Pan or Goldkind fit smaller spaces.

(Lobelia siphilitica)

Also known as blue cardinal flower, this native wildflower grows best in moist to wet soils, making it a perfect addition to rain, bog or water gardens. Similar in habit to the red cardinal flower, but easier to grow, it has spikes of tubular blossoms on the violet side of blue. It grows in full sun to part shade, reaching an average of 3 feet. Deer won't browse this plant, but hummingbirds will visit its long-lasting blooms.

(Anemone x hybrida)

Japanese anemone looks fresh when the rest of the garden is fading. It grows in full sun to part shade with delicate blossoms that float above its foliage on wiry stems. Its casual growing habit lends itself to cottage gardens and meadow plantings, where its somewhat aggressive nature is better tolerated. Honorine Jobert has white flowers with a yellow center, Anemone tomentosa 'Robustissima' is one of the hardier pink varieties that blooms later in the season.

Helianthus is a show-stopping perennial sunflower with cheerful yellow flowers that bloom for weeks in the fall. It can grow up to 8 feet tall, lending a strong presence at the back of the border. This easy-growing native, which is tolerant of moist or dry soils, are a great late-season source of nectar for bees.

(Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)

One of the latest blooming flowers of fall, New England aster has a loose shrubby growth habit, which makes it a good candidate for wilder, meadow and prairie plantings. This native wildflower grows to around 4 feet tall in full sun to part shade in average to moist soils. It can colonize and become aggressive, so give it lots of room. The narrow purple flower petals grow like rays out from bright yellow centers, which often are covered in bees and butterflies.

Rhonda Fleming Hayes is a Minneapolis-based garden writer. She blogs at www.thegardenbuzz.com.