In late summer, nature is in full bloom. With birds chirping and flowers in vibrant colors, August is a wonderful time of year to explore the outdoors.
Plant these 20 amazing flowers that bloom in August in a container or in your backyard. They create a wonderfully colorful display that is perfect for summer.
1. Aster
Asters are herbaceous perennial plants that bloom in different colors and sizes. The most popular aster flowers are purple with a bright yellow center.
With its dark green and dense foliage, asters create a stunning ground cover that is perfect for borders and flower pets.
This being said, you can also plant aster flowers together with other summer plants in a plant pot. They are also ideal cutting flowers to put in a vase.
2. Sunflowers
When we think of typical summer flowers, then one of the first plants that come to mind are sunflowers.
These pretty blooms are most popular in yellow but you can also find them in pale yellow and russet. They even come in different sizes, from dwarf sunflowers to giant varieties.
Sew sunflower seeds out in May and enjoy their blooms in July and August. You can even harvest the sunflower seeds for next year’s blooming season.
3. Allium
Alliums are perennials with large, round flower heads on strong stems. The globe-shape flowers also remind you of their connection to their onion and garlic relatives.
Known as onion flower, an allium plant blooms in white or purple. They can grow relatively tall, so alliums are best planted out in the back near a wall.
You can even use them as cutting flowers to create a unique summer bouquet that has a wonderfully sweet fragrance.
4. Lilies
Lilies come in so many varieties that you can pick a range of different colors to create a pretty display in your backyard.
From classic white and elegant blue to vibrant orange, lilies also make ideal cut flowers that last quite some time in a vase.
Just keep in mind that these flowers are toxic to pets, so it is best to plant them in a location where your furry friend can’t get to.
5. Alstroemeria
Also known as Peruvian lilie, alstroemeria is a colorful perennial that thrives in sunny borders. Make sure to give this plant a sheltered spot and it will flower all through summer.
From salmon to deep pink, alstroemeria plants come in a wide range of pastel colors that can give your yard a touch of elegance.
The sap of this plant can be unusually sticky, so it is best to wear gloves when you handle or cut it.
6. Anemone
Anemones cover a number of different species but they all have beautiful colors from August and September to the end of October.
Most anemone plants are almost one meter tall. They produce large, open flowers that can vary from deep pink to pure white.
These charming summer flowers thrive in a part-shaded or shaded location where the soil drains well. Once they are established, they can self-seed and spread quickly on their own.
7. Globe Thistle
The globe thistle has the normal bristly and spiky leaves of a thistle but a large globe-shaped flower head with individual flower clusters.
This beautiful plant looks similar to alliums but they come from a different family. Most globe thistle varieties are purple to purplish-blue.
As they are tall plants, you need to ensure that they have enough space to spread out. They grow best at the back of a border.
Thanks to their large flowers, globe thistles are ideal to attract pollinators, such as butterflies and bees, into your backyard.
8. Dahlia
Dahlias are popular yard flowers that bloom throughout the summer. Their stunning flower petals make them ideal as cut flowers.
Dahlia plants come in a huge range of shapes and colors, from yellow-pink and purple to deep red. Most dahlias also have two colors that contrast very well with other plants in your summer border.
9. Colchicum
While you would typically expect a crocus to grow in early spring, colchicum is also known as a fall crocus because it emerges in late August and flowers until October.
What makes colchicum crocuses so unique is that they have very little foliage and large flower petals. This means that you can enjoy the full glory of these stunning plants.
They are extremely easy to grow because they don’t require any special care. You can grow them in poor or rich soil, in shade or full sun. These crocuses thrive in various conditions.
10. Zinnias
Zinnias flowers are simply a wonderful way to add plenty of greenery and color to your backyard. You can plant them in a big plant pot or a large patch of your yard.
They grow up to a meter tall when they are in well-drained soil and a sunny location. Zinnias plants also make fantastic, long-lasting vase flowers.
11. Cyclamen
Cyclamen grow in clusters. With their dark green, veined foliage and the delicate flowers on thin stems, cyclamen flowers often carpet woodland floor or abandoned, shady spots.
This is a hardy fall species that is dormant for most of the summer but emerges in late August and September.
If you want to grow cyclamen plants in your yard for an attractive fall and winter display, then just plant them under established shrubs are trees where they have plenty of shelter and shade.
12. Cosmos
Cosmos plants have delicate thin stems with large, elegant flower heads. They make a perfect summer display in your plant pots or along the front of a border.
These charming plants flower surprisingly long. Just remove the dead heads and they produce pretty flowers until the first frost sets in.
13. Clematis
Clematis are beautiful climbing vines that create an incredible color selection. Some clematis varieties prefer shade, while others require sunshine.
You can even find varieties that grow in spring or fall. Whatever clematis species you choose, just ensure that you allow this perennial to climb up a fence, wall or trellis.
A good support means that your vine can grow as much as possible. You can also encourage reflowering by cutting it back significantly after the first flowering season.
14. Love-In-A-mist
Nigella damascena, also known as Love-in-a-mist, is an unusual summer flower. It self-seeds easily, so you just plant it once and watch it spread across your yard.
The spiky foliage with the elegant flower head makes nigella ideal for dried flower bouquets (if you’re looking for ways to dry your flowers, check out our guide to using silica gel).
15. Hesperantha
With its bold reds and pinks, hesperantha flowers can grow quite prolific during late fall. They continue flowering until the first frosts.
The sword-like foliage is evergreen, so you can enjoy it throughout the year. As hesperantha forms dense clumps, you can also use it for groundcover and along bare yard borders.
16. Tithonia
It isn’t hard to see why tithonia are also known as Mexican sunflowers. These half-hardy annuals have plenty of green foliage dotted with orange or red flowers.
Tithonia loves well-drained soil and plenty of full sun. This allows them to thrive in various spots across your yard attracting plenty of pollinating insects.
17. Sedum
Sedums come in a huge array of colors, shapes and sizes. They are ideal as ground-cover plants to create a brightly-colored rock yard.
Sedum are succulents that are made up of tiny individual flowers. They attract pollinators like butterflies and bees.
Over winter, their stems turn brown and die back to make room for new growth during the summer and fall.
18. Liriope
Also classed as ornamental grass, liriope doesn’t look interesting for most of the year but when its flowers emerge during the fall, then this plant becomes the star of your yard.
The small, round flowers of liriope look like berries attached to a thin stem. While this evergreen perennial isn’t very tall, it makes a fantastic border display in front of taller summer plants.
19. Coneflower
Most commonly known as echinacea, coneflower is a popular summer plant that attracts plenty of yard bees and butterflies.
You can find out in fields and abandoned patches of land but this pretty plant is also very easy to grow at home.
Just make sure that you have enough space for the large foliage. Coneflowers can grow relatively tall covering a lot of ground.
Echinacea is also considered a traditional healing plant ideal for cold and flu.
20. Geranium
Geraniums are some of the most popular summer plants. They are available in so many different hues and shades that you can create a fabulous display in container yards or hanging baskets.
Geranium flowers thrive in moist soil and plenty of sunshine. You can encourage new flower growth when you remove the old stems.
The dark foliage and vibrant flowers make a beautiful August flower collection in your yard.
Final Thoughts
There are so many amazing flowers that bloom in August. You can plant them in a container on your windowsill or directly out in your backyard to enjoy a stunning display all through summer and fall.
I love sharing my experiences with individuals in this community, and I enjoy sharing some of the best tips I have learned over the years caring for my own garden at home.
In my articles, you will find the best flowers, most fragrant flowers you can plant in your garden, how to care for your favorite plants, informative guides and how-tos so you can have the best backyard in town!
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