12 Beautiful Potted Flower Alternatives to Buy This Fall Instead of Mums

Although many people associate chrysanthemums with fall, they aren’t the only flower that blooms beautifully during this season. If you’re looking to add color to your garden in autumn, you don’t have to settle for just planting chrysanthemums. There are also great options for those of us who live in small spaces. Follow along to discover 12 beautiful potted flower alternatives to buy this fall instead of chrysanthemums.

1. Daisies

The first flower on our list is the daisy. It’s a simple, but well-known flower that can bloom well into fall depending on the environment and variety. The word daisy can refer to many different flowering plants. They vary in shape, size, and color. One of the most commonly planted daisy species is the common daisy, also known by its scientific name, Bellis perennis.

Daisies have large bright blooms that last up to a few weeks. They are excellent plants to grow in containers. Daisies in containers may need more water than those in the ground as some containers dry out faster than others. For your best chance of long-lasting blooms and many flowers, it’s best to repot (transplant) your daisy plant as it grows into a larger container. The roots need to stretch. 

2. Coral Bells

Another excellent potted flower alternative to chrysanthemums is coral bells. These lovely plants start blooming in late spring and may continue producing flowers into fall. They can be grown in the ground or in pots. Coral bells though need deep containers with a lot of space. You can use ceramic or decorative concrete pots to hold your coral bells. These plants require drainage holes at the bottom of your pot and well-draining soil. They also need at least 4 to 6 hours of sunlight. Some varieties though require 8 hours of direct sunlight. Coral bells aren’t just praised for their long and tall flowers, but also their colorful and large leaves. The flower clusters are generally white or pink, and the leaves can be any color from dark green, to vivid red, and purple-black.

3. Asters

Asters are daisy-like flowers within the same family. They are fall favorites for many, especially those looking to purchase potted flower alternatives. Technically, aster is a genus of hundreds of cultivars of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Most species are native to Eurasia.

The best part about growing asters isn’t their vibrant blooms, but their ease. They are one of the easiest flowering plants to care for in small spaces. You can either purchase already mature aster flowers in garden stores or plant your own. If you’re going to plant asters, you’ll need to start the seeds 4 to 6 weeks before the expected last frost indoors. If you don’t have enough warmth or sunlight in your home, you can use an LED grow light. Outside, aster flowers grow best in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 8.

4. Petunias

Instead of purchasing a chrysanthemum plant this year, why not brighten your place with a petunia plant? Petunias vary a lot in appearance, which makes them such excellent flowers. You can get creative with the variety and placement. Petunias grow in different environments. You can grow them inside or outside depending on the temperature. Petunias grow best in USDA hardiness zones 9 to 11.

Like aster, petunia is a genus of many flowering species of plants. Petunias mainly originate in South America, although are found throughout the world. A popular petunia species is the large white petunia, although some petunia flowers are multi-colored, red, pink, yellow, and purple.

5. Dahlias

Dahlias are also excellent potted flower alternatives to buy this fall instead of chrysanthemums. While there is nothing wrong with purchasing and growing chrysanthemums, dahlias are just as large and showy. Actually, both chrysanthemums and dahlias have a lot in common. They are often confused with one another.

Like most flowers on our list, dahlia is a genus of flowering plants. This genus is native to Mexico and Central America. The flowers are popular in many gardens for their size and showiness. Although best grown in warmer climates, dahlias can be grown as an annual in places that experience cold winters. These perennial plants with tuberous roots bloom in later summer and early fall. They are generally scent-free.