A Superb Fall Trio

Plant Combinations, Flowerbeds Ideas, Fall Borders

Garden ideas, Landscaping ideas, Fall borders, Fall plant mix, Fall garden ideas, Aster 'October Skies', Kniphofia Percy's Pride, Red hot poker, Torch Lily, Verbena Bonariensis, Purpletop Vervain

Radiating in the fall garden with their erect golden spikes, Red Hot Pokers (Kniphofia) offer a soft and warm contrast to the purple clouds of Tall Verbena (Verbena bonariensis) and the profuse sky blue Aromatic Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium). Drought tolerant, this combination is fairly easy to re-create. A great way of coloring your garden in fall!

A perfect idea for sandy soils!

Garden Information

Hardiness	7 - 8
Heat Zones	7 - 8
Climate Zones	4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Exposure	Full Sun
Season of Interest	Summer (Mid, Late), Fall
Maintenance	Average
Water Needs	Average
Soil Type	Sand
Soil pH	Acid, Neutral
Soil Drainage	Well-Drained
Characteristics	Cut Flowers, Showy
Tolerance	Drought
Attracts	Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Landscaping Ideas	Beds And Borders
Garden Styles	Informal and Cottage, Prairie and Meadow, Traditional Garden

Plants In This Garden

Kniphofia 'Percy's Pride' (Red Hot Poker)

Elegant, Kniphofia ‘Percy’s Pride’ features large, densely packed spikes of creamy primrose flowers opening from pale green buds from mid-summer to fall. Native to South Africa, this eye-catching plant provides weeks of soft color and flatters every other color in the garden, whether hot or cool.

Hardiness	6 - 9
Plant type	Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Summer (Mid, Late), Fall
Height	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)
Spread	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)
Maintenance	Average
Soil Type	Loam, Sand
Soil Ph	Acid, Neutral
Soil Drainage	Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics	Showy
Tolerance	Drought, Deer, Salt, Rabbit
Attracts	Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Bees

Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'October Skies' (Aromatic Aster)

Low-growing, but extremely showy, Symphyotrichum oblongifolium ‘October Skies’ (Aromatic Aster) is a compact perennial forming a mound of radiant color from late summer to fall with its profuse, rich sky-blue daisy-like flowers adorned with deep yellow centers.

Hardiness	3 - 8
Plant type	Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Summer (Late), Fall
Height	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)
Spread	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)
Maintenance	Average
Soil Type	Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Ph	Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage	Well-Drained
Characteristics	Fragrant, Showy
Tolerance	Drought, Salt, Dry Soil, Rocky Soil, Clay Soil
Attracts	Birds, Butterflies

Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)

Winner of the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society, Verbena bonariensis is a tall and slender-stemmed perennial that displays rich lilac flowers in tight clusters atop long stems that sway gracefully in the summer breeze. They rise well above rosettes of lance-shaped, dark green leaves that hug the ground. A superior nectar plant, hummingbirds and butterflies love it, and so will you!

Hardiness	7 - 11
Plant type	Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall
Height	3' - 6' (90cm - 180cm)
Spread	1' - 3' (30cm - 90cm)
Maintenance	Low
Soil Type	Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Ph	Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage	Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics	Cut Flowers, Plant of Merit, Showy
Tolerance	Drought, Deer, Rabbit
Attracts	Butterflies, Hummingbirds

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Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker) Aster Verbena

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Alternative Plants to Consider

Aster novae-angliae ‘Purple Dome’ (New England Aster)

Kniphofia rooperi (Red Hot Poker)

Learn About These Genera

Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker)

While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.