Flower Seeds to Sow in Fall by Zone
Which flower seeds to sow in fall in USDA zones 1 to 10, with dates for pansy, snapdragon, poppy, sweet pea, coneflower, and other hardy flowers.
Published by ThriveThyme
fall planting flowers sowing by zone
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The Short Answer
Fall sowing works for hardy flowers. Pansy and snapdragon go in from late summer to mid fall. Hardy perennials such as purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan, and columbine go in during September and October in zones 4 to 6. In cold zones, breadseed poppy is sown after the first frost so the seed waits in the soil until spring. Sweet peas are a fall crop only in zone 7 and warmer.
The dates below are ThriveThyme catalog windows built on each zone's average first frost. Look up yours on the first frost date page. If your frost comes earlier or later than the zone average, shift the dates by the same number of days. My Garden frost settings do this for you.
Fall Sowing Dates by Zone
"Hardy group" below means black-eyed Susan, purple coneflower, columbine, lupine, hollyhock, dianthus, and bachelor's button.
- Zones 1 and 2: breadseed poppy only. Sow September 15 to October 15 in zone 1 and September 25 to October 31 in zone 2, once the soil is cold.
- Zone 3: pansy and snapdragon August 15 to September 30. Breadseed poppy October 10 to November 15.
- Zone 4: pansy and snapdragon August 20 to October 1. Hardy group September 1 to 30. Breadseed poppy October 20 to November 30.
- Zone 5: pansy and snapdragon August 25 to October 10. Hardy group September 10 to October 10. Breadseed poppy November 1 to December 1.
- Zone 6: pansy and snapdragon September 1 to October 20. Hardy group September 15 to October 20. Breadseed poppy November 10 to December 1.
- Zone 7: sweet pea, pansy, and snapdragon September 10 to November 1. Hardy group September 20 to November 1. Breadseed poppy September 10 to November 30.
- Zone 8: sweet pea, pansy, and snapdragon September 20 to November 15. Hardy group October 1 to November 15. Breadseed poppy September 20 to November 30.
- Zone 9: zinnia, cosmos, and morning glory August 1 to September 15. Sweet pea, pansy, snapdragon, and breadseed poppy October 1 to December 1. Hardy group and nasturtium October 15 to December 1.
- Zone 10: zinnia, cosmos, and morning glory August 15 to October 1. Sweet pea, pansy, snapdragon, and breadseed poppy October 15 to December 15. Hardy group and nasturtium November 1 to December 15.
What Not to Sow in Fall
- Sweet peas in zones 1 to 6. Seedlings take light frost but not a hard winter. Sow in late winter or early spring. See when to plant sweet peas by zone.
- Poppies in August or early September in zones 1 to 6. Seedlings that come up before winter rarely make it. Wait until the soil is cold. See when to sow poppy seeds by zone.
- Nasturtium in zones 8 and colder. Frost kills it. Sow after your last spring frost.
- Marigold, sunflower, zinnia, cosmos, and morning glory in zones 8 and colder. They need warm soil and die at the first frost.
Tips for Fall-Sown Seed
- Poppy seed is tiny. Mix it with sand, scatter it, and cover it with no more than 1/8 inch of soil.
- Coneflower, black-eyed Susan, columbine, and lupine seed often waits until spring to sprout. Mark the bed so you do not weed out the seedlings.
- Pansy and snapdragon handle light frost. Cover young plants with row cover on hard freeze nights.
- Keep the seedbed moist until seedlings appear.
Next Steps
Open a flower page for spacing and care: pansy, snapdragon, breadseed poppy, sweet pea, purple coneflower, or browse all flower pages. For vegetables, use what to plant now.