32 stunning autumn flowers that'll bring instant colour to your garden

Petunias will typically produce blooms until the first frost. They're generally easy to care for, and they're great for bringing a pop of colour to your front-door autumn display.

Also known as vervain, this vibrant autumn flower often has an extended growing period. While it typically stops producing blooms early in the season, some species can grow well into September and October.

Thanks to their beautiful burgundy colour, amaranth plants make for wonderful additions to your autumn garden (though they come in many other hues, too). They will only bloom until the first frost and are stunning in autumnal bouquets.

Also known as blue mist, this flowering shrub typically blooms through September. Pale blue flowers cover the plant during summer and early autumn, and once the flowers turn to seed, the birds feast on them. For the best blooms, plant this shrub in full sun.

Also known as echinacea, coneflowers are wildflowers beloved by pollinators, like butterflies and bees, and even songbirds. They're quite durable and can thrive in moist or dry soil.

While these may look like a tropical, heat-loving bloom, canna lilies actually thrive from late August into autumn. Just be sure to place them in a sunny spot.

With a name meaning "nemesis," this flower sounds much more menacing than it is. These annuals thrive in sandy soil and often remain in bloom until the first frost.

With more than 300 varieties, roses are some of the most versatile flowering shrubs out there. This annual will continue to bloom into late autumn, so pick a hue that contrasts nicely with the colour of the changing foliage.

Also called cockscomb for its resemblance to a rooster's feathers, this flower has vibrant, feather-like blooms in warm tones of pink, red and burgundy.

Sweet alyssum has dainty pink or white flowers that look beautiful tumbling over the edges of containers or spilling over walls. Despite its delicate appearance, it's reasonably hardy and will tolerate a light frost.

Also called blue-eyed daisies, African daisies are known for their stunning petal gradient. The white, pink, yellow, red and purple flowers often have blue or purple centres.

This clump-forming perennial will add a bit of brightness and sunshine to any garden. They're easy to grow and are a great source of late-season nectar for bees and butterflies.

These perennials kick into high gear when everything else in the garden is beginning to fade. They come in shades of blue, lavender, pink and purple and start blooming around the same time that chrysanthemums do.

While not technically a flower, fountain grass wonderfully complements most autumn blooms. The tall, stately spikes add texture and interest and function as filler plants to the bouquet of your garden.

These bright yellow flowers with brown or black button centres are ideal for autumn gardens. Black-eyed Susans usually bloom from mid-summer to mid-autumn for months of reliable colour. There are annual and perennial types, so read the plant tag or description so you know what you're buying.

These fast-growing shrubs are beautiful in every season. Some boast dark purple foliage. Beautyberry flowers in spring or summer, and the pretty purple berries appear in autumn and last into winter.

Grown primarily for its colourful foliage, heuchera, also called coral bells, is a cold-tolerant perennial that comes in every shade of the rainbow, from deep burgundy to lime green. The stunning, frilly leaves add pops of colour to your garden long after your other annuals have faded.

Helenium was once used as snuff, earning its nickname sneezeweed. This flower comes in deeply saturated shades of red, orange and yellow, and blooms from late summer to autumn. Place it at the back of borders for late-season colour and to attract butterflies, who adore this plant.