25 Annual & Perennial Flower Seeds to Sow in Fall (Printable List)

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If you live in a cold climate, there are plenty of annual and perennial flower seeds you can sow in the fall garden. Later, as winter turns to spring, the seeds germinate and new growth begins. It is a simple way to start new plants. I have provided a printable list for you to choose seeds for your garden.

For more, hop over to the Fall Garden Checklist for helpful tips and reminders.

Purple and white columbine flower in the garden.

Flowers For Fall Sowing

Sowing flower seeds in fall is as easy as it gets. By choosing seeds that self-sow at this time year and need the cold of winter to germinate in spring, also known as vernalization, we’re just imitating what nature does naturally.

Choose Flowers Suited to Your Region
25 Flower Seeds To Sow In Fall
Fall Seed Shop
Sowing Tips
Resources
- Free Printable Fall Seed List

Choose Flowers Suited To Your Region

There is no one-plant-suits-all in gardening.

With each growing zone and climate, there are plants that thrive, and others that do not, either because they are too tender or aggressive.

Tender plants (when we attempt to grow them as perennials) demand too of our time and resources to help them along, and the aggressive ones invade, hogging natural resources.

You’ll know you have the right plants for a sustainable garden when they tolerate your growing conditions, benefit local wildlife, and require minimal or no care.

Know Your Zone & Get Local Advice

The first step is to know your gardening zone (for plant hardiness) and learn which plants are best for your growing conditions and climate. Invasive species (plants and animals) are huge problem these days and it is critical that gardeners are making safe choices that benefit the environment.

Find your plant hardiness zone:
United States Hardiness Zones and Canada Hardiness Zones

Growing zones are usually displayed on plant packages, seed packets, and tags to assist your buying decisions.

There are so many plants gardeners later deeply regret planting. Learn from their mistakes by doing your homework before planting or sowing. Never assume because a plant is sold at a local garden nursery that it is harmless to the environment. Plenty of invasive species are sold every day.

Plant Beneficial Plants

Fall in love! Once you know what is safe and beneficial to plant, explore your options, look over your neighbor’s garden—the one with awesome beauty and plenty of pollinators flitting about— and choose what you love.

For me, I love having a lot of wild things in my garden—insects, birds, bees, mammals, pollinators, things pollinators eat, and so on. The whole circle of life. So, I focus on the plants that attract, feed, and house them, in a cottage-style design. For me, that means creatively disheveled, densely-planted garden, with lots of colour, texture, and variety.

Got a Patio or Balcony?

You can sow seeds in containers just as you would in the ground, using good potting mix. When first frost is imminent, add some straw, burlap or other insulation on the surface of the soil to prevent the seeds from freezing or store the container in a cold (not below zero) garage until late early spring.

25 Flower Seeds To Sow in Fall

This list suggests annual and perennial seeds you can sow in fall, before the ground freezes, for spring and summer germination and (best of all) flowers. Lots of plants naturally self-sow this way.

These flowers are annuals and perennials, depending on where you live. In Canada and the United States, what’s perennial in the south can be too tender for the north. And, some of our northern favorites, can’t handle the southern heat.

There are far more options than I’ve listed here but this is a good start.

I’ve listed everything below and you can save the list for future reference.

You can see examples of the recommended seeds here on Botanical Interests in case you cannot find them through a local seed source.

I’ve listed general hardiness zones for each species but there are always exceptions with different hybrids and cultivars, so check your seed packets.

Some of the plants on the list, like delphiniums, which originate in a mountain climate, benefit from a cold winter chilling period, which assists the spring germination process.

Fall Seed Shop

BUY SEEDS HERE | Botanical Interests (US Shipping only)

Sowing Tips

This method of fall seed sowing is really just an imitation of what nature does at the end of the summer growing season. Flowers turn to seed, seeds fall to the ground, and some germinate. In a cold climate with a true winter, germination is simply delayed until the warm weather returns.

Choose seeds suited to your growing zone and conditions, making sure none are invasive species in your area.
Read your seed packets for best timing for seed sowing, and provide the best soil and growing conditions possible.
If there are special instructions on the seed packet, follow them!
Some seeds with tougher shells benefit from scarification (scratching the surface before sowing) or pre-soaking for better germination rates.
Mark where you sow with winter-durable tags or markers.
It is incredibly easy to mistake freshly germinating seeds for unwanted weeds, or stomp on tiny seedlings in the spring garden. Mark your spots!
When I need a permanent plant ID tag, this is the plant labeling system I like.

Want reliable plant information? These are some of my go-to plant databases for identifying plants, growing tips, invasive species news, and more.