As summer fades into fall, California gardens can still buzz with life when you plant the right flowers. Late-season pollinator plants provide essential food for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds preparing for winter.
Adding these colorful blooms helps support local wildlife while keeping your garden vibrant through autumn and beyond.
1. California Fuchsia (Epilobium canum)
Brilliant trumpet-shaped red flowers dangle from silvery foliage, creating a stunning contrast in late summer gardens. Hummingbirds simply can’t resist these nectar-rich blooms!
A true California native, this drought-tolerant perennial thrives in poor soil and requires minimal water once established. Its sprawling habit makes it perfect for hillsides and rock gardens.
2. Mexican Sage (Salvia leucantha)
Velvety purple flower spikes topped with white blossoms create a magical display from late summer through fall. The fuzzy texture and rich color make this sage a garden standout.
Growing up to 4 feet tall and wide, Mexican sage creates a dramatic backdrop for smaller plants. Butterflies and bees work these flowers constantly, moving methodically from bloom to bloom gathering nectar.
3. Autumn Joy Sedum (Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’)
Flat-topped flower clusters transform from pale pink to deep rusty red as fall progresses. Honeybees crowd these blooms, creating a constant gentle hum above the sturdy plants.
Succulent leaves store water, making this plant remarkably drought-resistant. The dried flower heads add winter interest and provide seeds for birds, extending the garden’s ecological value long after flowering ends.
4. Coyote Mint (Monardella villosa)
Lavender pom-pom flowers release a minty fragrance when brushed against or crushed. Native to California’s dry slopes, this compact perennial draws butterflies by the dozens.
Gray-green aromatic foliage forms a tidy mound beneath the blooms. Plant coyote mint along pathways where visitors can enjoy its refreshing scent, or tuck it into rock gardens where its drought tolerance shines.
5. Goldenrod (Solidago californica)
Sunny yellow plumes brighten fall gardens and attract a remarkable diversity of beneficial insects. Contrary to popular myth, goldenrod doesn’t cause hay fever – that’s ragweed!
California goldenrod spreads slowly through underground rhizomes, creating drifts of gold when planted in groups. Its late-season blooms provide critical nutrition for migrating monarch butterflies and native bees preparing for winter.
6. Cleveland Sage (Salvia clevelandii)
Whorls of intense blue-purple flowers rise above intensely aromatic gray foliage. The intoxicating fragrance has been described as a blend of sage, mint, and cedar – truly California’s signature scent.
Hummingbirds battle over these nectar-rich blooms while native bees collect both nectar and pollen. Cleveland sage thrives in hot, dry conditions and poor soil, making it perfect for challenging garden spots.
7. Buckwheat (Eriogonum species)
Cream-colored flower clusters gradually turn rusty orange as they age, creating a sunset effect throughout fall. California buckwheats support an astonishing variety of butterfly species, including rare blues and hairstreaks.
Compact growth habits make these natives perfect for borders and rock gardens. The dried seed heads provide winter interest and food for birds, making buckwheat a true four-season performer.
8. Blanket Flower (Gaillardia)
Daisy-like flowers in fiery red and yellow combinations bloom relentlessly from summer through fall. Each flower head contains hundreds of individual florets, providing abundant nectar for pollinators.
Blanket flower earned its name from the way it spreads to cover ground with colorful blooms. Tough and adaptable, these cheerful flowers thrive in hot, sunny locations and poor soil where other plants struggle.
9. Aster (Symphyotrichum chilense)
Masses of starry purple flowers with sunny yellow centers appear just when other plants are fading. California aster provides crucial late-season nectar for butterflies preparing for migration or winter dormancy.
Growing naturally in coastal areas and grasslands, this native adapts well to garden settings. Plant in drifts for maximum impact and pollinator appeal, watching as butterflies and bees gather for autumn’s last feast.
10. Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia)
White flower clusters in late spring mature into bright red berries that persist through winter. Also called California Holly, toyon’s berries attract cedar waxwings, robins, and other birds.
This evergreen shrub can grow into a small tree, reaching 8-15 feet tall. Native Americans used the berries for food and medicine, while early Hollywood filmmakers featured toyon-covered hillsides as a stand-in for European holly.
11. Narrowleaf Milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis)
Clusters of star-shaped white to pale pink flowers produce vital nectar for adult monarchs. More importantly, the foliage serves as the only food source for monarch caterpillars, making this plant essential for butterfly conservation.
Delicate seed pods split open in fall, releasing silky-haired seeds that float on the breeze. Plant narrowleaf milkweed in sunny spots away from high-traffic areas, as the plants can look ragged after caterpillars feast.
12. Manzanita (Arctostaphylos species)
Tiny bell-shaped pink flowers appear in winter, providing rare nectar for early-emerging bumblebees. The smooth cinnamon-colored bark and twisted branches create year-round sculptural interest.
Berries that follow the flowers attract birds and small mammals. California offers dozens of manzanita species ranging from ground covers to small trees, all featuring distinctive mahogany-colored bark and leathery evergreen leaves.