Bloom calendar

Plants for Zone 3 That Bloom in October

53 plants in the BloomsEye library that are hardy in USDA hardiness zone 3 and typically flower in October, such as Aster, Mary Stoker and Winterberry. Each entry lists its bloom times, hardiness zones, and sun needs.

53 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 53 plants, 46 have been checked against outside sources (2 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 3

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.

Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Full sunZones 3–82 ftLow
Aster
Symphyotrichum
Full sunZones 3–83 ftModerate
Autumn Bride Coral Bells
Heuchera villosa 'Autumn Bride'
Part shadeZones 3–83 ftModerate
Autumn Fire
Hylotelephium 'Autumn Fire'
Full sunZones 3–91.5 ftLow
Autumn Joy Sedum
Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude'
Full sunZones 3–91.5 ftLow
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
Bigleaf Aster
Eurybia macrophylla
Part shadeZones 3–83 ftModerate
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia
Full sunZones 3–92.5 ftLow
Bloomerang Purpink Reblooming Lilac
Syringa pubescens 'SMNSPTP'
Full sunZones 3–74 ftModerate
Blue Wood Aster
Symphyotrichum cordifolium
Part shadeZones 3–83 ftModerate
Brilliant Sedum
Hylotelephium spectabile 'Brilliant'
Full sunZones 3–91.5 ftLow
Brunette Bugbane
Actaea simplex (Atropurpurea Group) 'Brunette'
Part shadeZones 3–85 ftModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Campfire Rose
Rosa 'CA 29'
Full sunZones 3–73 ftModerate
Catwalk Queen
Nepeta × faassenii 'Catwalk Queen'
Full sunZones 3–812 inLow
Chick Charms Powdered Pastry Hens and Chicks
Sempervivum 'Powdered Pastry'
Full sunZones 3–84 inLow
Cinnamon Hearts Rose
Rosa 'Vlr13003'
Full sunZones 3–92.5 ftModerate
Clara Curtis
Chrysanthemum 'Clara Curtis'
Full sunZones 3–92.5 ftModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
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
Dotted Blazing Star
Liatris punctata
Full sunZones 3–91.5 ftLow
Dragon Baby Hardy Hydrangea
Hydrangea paniculata 'Hylv17522'
Part shadeZones 3–83 ftModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Easy Elegance Oscar Peterson Rose
Rosa 'Aac333'
Full sunZones 3–83 ftModerate
Frosty Morn
Hylotelephium 'Frosty Morn'
Full sunZones 3–91.5 ftLow
Georgia Aster
Symphyotrichum georgianum
Full sunZones 3–92.5 ftModerate
Goldenrod
Solidago
Full sunZones 3–93 ftLow
Mary Stoker
Chrysanthemum 'Mary Stoker'
Full sunZones 3–92.5 ftModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Matrona
Hylotelephium 'Matrona'
Full sunZones 3–92 ftLow
Mr. Goodbud
Hylotelephium 'Mr. Goodbud'
Full sunZones 3–91.5 ftLow
Neon Sedum
Hylotelephium spectabile 'Neon'
Full sunZones 3–91.5 ftLow
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Full sunZones 3–84 ftModerate
New England Aster 'Barr's Pink'
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'Barr's Pink'
Full sunZones 3–83.5 ftModerate
New England Aster 'Harrington's Pink'
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'Harrington's Pink'
Full sunZones 3–84 ftModerate
October Skies
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'October Skies'
Full sunZones 3–81.5 ftLow
Orange Coneflower
Echinacea 'Harvest Moon'
Full sunZones 3–82.5 ftModerate
Perennial Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia fulgida
Full sunZones 3–92.5 ftModerate
Prairie Dropseed Grass
Sporobolus heterolepis
Full sunZones 3–92.5 ftLow
Purple Dome
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'Purple Dome'
Full sunZones 3–82 ftModerate
Raydon's Favorite
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'Raydon's Favorite'
Full sunZones 3–82.5 ftLow
Red Sprite
Ilex verticillata 'Red Sprite'
Full sunZones 3–93.5 ftHigh
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Rough Blazing Star
Liatris aspera
Full sunZones 3–82.5 ftModerate
Seaside Goldenrod
Solidago sempervirens
Full sunZones 3–84.5 ftModerate
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Full sunZones 3–84 ftModerate
Sky Blue Aster
Symphyotrichum oolentangiense
Full sunZones 3–83 ftModerate
Snow Flurry
Symphyotrichum ericoides 'Snow Flurry'
Full sunZones 3–88 inLow
Thunderhead
Hylotelephium 'Thunderhead'
Full sunZones 3–92 ftLow
White Turtlehead
Chelone glabra
Part shadeZones 3–83 ftHigh
White Wood Aster
Eurybia divaricata
Part shadeZones 3–82 ftModerate
Winter Gold
Ilex verticillata 'Winter Gold'
Full sunZones 3–96.5 ftHigh
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Winter Red
Ilex verticillata 'Winter Red'
Full sunZones 3–98 ftHigh
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
Full sunZones 3–96.5 ftHigh
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats

October bloom in zone 3 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

8 plants

Yellow

12 plants

Red

14 plants

Pink

19 plants

Purple

17 plants

Blue

8 plants

October bloom in zone 3 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.

Middle of the border

12 in to 3 ft

36 plants

Back of the border

3 ft and up

14 plants

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