Plants that bloom in October in Zone 5 with white flowers

Aster

The grand finale of the garden season. Essential for fall pollinators.

Butterfly Bush

Long, arching flower wands that butterflies absolutely lose their minds over.

Chrysanthemum

The fall icon. Mounds of color when everything else is fading.

Cosmos

Airy, dancing flowers on thread-thin stems. Effortless cottage garden charm.

Dahlia

Endless forms from dinner-plate to pompom. The obsession of flower farmers.

Fountain Grass

Arching, bottlebrush plumes that catch the light. Movement in the garden.

Impatiens

The shade annual champion. Flowers prolifically where nothing else will.

Japanese Anemone

Graceful, swaying blooms on tall stems. Elegant in partial shade.

Maiden Grass

Narrow arching foliage creates elegant vase shapes topped with coppery pink plumes in fall.

Miscanthus

Tall, graceful plumes that persist through winter. Living architecture.

Morning Glory

Fast-climbing vine with trumpets that open fresh every morning.

Morning Light Miscanthus

Fine white-edged foliage shimmers in morning light, then silver plumes arch above in fall.

Petunia

Cascading color for containers and beds. Blooms nonstop until frost.

Rose

The queen of the garden. Modern varieties are surprisingly low-maintenance.

Rose of Sharon

A cold-hardy hibiscus shrub (Hibiscus syriacus) with big tropical-looking blooms in lavender, pink, blue, white, or wine, opening late summer when most flowering shrubs are done.

Sweet Alyssum

Honey-scented carpet of tiny flowers. The best living edging plant.

Toad Lily

Orchid-like spotted flowers when everything else is done. A late-season shade garden gem.

Turtlehead

Snapdragon-like flowers shaped exactly like a turtle's head. Loves wet feet.

Zebra Grass

Horizontal yellow bands cross the blades in a pattern unique among ornamental grasses. Bold and architectural.

Zinnia

Easy-grow annual with electric colors. Cut-and-come-again champion.