August is traditionally the month for taking a family holiday. If you’ve returned from overseas and miss the beautiful, colourful plants you saw, here are ten of the best late-season stunners looking good now. They’ll help you recapture that sunny, holiday vibe in your own garden.
1. Alstroemeria majestic ‘Marce’ (Peruvian lily)
Alstroemeria have become increasingly popular in recent years as our changing climate provides conditions closer to their native South American weather. The vividly coloured, exotically marked flowers are produced in clusters on long stems from mid-summer until mid-autumn. When picked for the vase, flowers can last up to four weeks.
‘Marce’ produces salmon-pink flowers with creamy yellow and dark speckled markings on the inner petals from June until mid-autumn. Pulling the flower stems rather than cutting them usually results in greater production of flower stems. Enjoy their colourful display through August 2025.
- Flowers from June to October
- Hardy
- Grows to 30cm tall and 45cm wide
- Well-drained, fertile soil
- Full sun to part shade
- Exposed
There are many different cultivars of phlox with highly scented flowers in colours ranging from blue, white and purple to various pink shades. ‘Hesperis’ is one of the last to flower, producing tall, stiff flower stems with small, lilac, strongly scented flowers. The stems won’t need staking. Ideal planted in the middle or towards the front of a flower border for August 2025 colour and scent.
- Flowers from July to September
- Hardy
- Grows to 105cm tall and 75cm wide
- Well-drained soil
- Full sun or part shade
- Exposed
This easy-to-grow perennial provides wonderful late summer colour into autumn with cheerful, yellow daisy flowers with cone-shaped centres. One plant will develop into a broad mound covered in flowers for many weeks. Perfect for the middle or back of a sunny border for reliable colour in August 2025.
- Flowers from August to September
- Hardy
- Grows to 180cm tall and 105cm wide
- Well-drained soil
- Full sun
- Exposed
4. Eryngium agavifolium (Agave-leaved sea holly)
This evergreen looks nothing like its lower-growing cousins and hails from the stony hillsides of Argentina. It has long, pale green, strap-like, spiny-edged leaves and produces tall flower spikes with greeny-white, small, cone-shaped flower heads. A definite architectural plant that looks great in a gravel garden. It towers above other plants without casting too much shade. A standout feature for August 2025.
- Flowers from July to August
- Hardy
- Grows to 150cm tall and 60cm wide
- Should grow well in most soil types
- Full sun
- Exposed
5. Deschampsia cespitosa ‘Goldtau’ (Tufted hair grass)
A very easy to grow and compact, mound-forming ornamental grass that produces pretty, reddish-brown, shimmering, dainty flower spikes throughout summer. Regular watering is needed while the plant establishes roots. It should become more drought-tolerant but will appreciate a soil that stays consistently moist. Cut back faded flower heads and scruffy leaves in late winter before new growth appears in early spring.
- Flowers from June to August
- Hardy
- Grows to 75cm tall and 75cm wide
- Well-drained but moist, moderately fertile soil
- Full sun to part shade
- Exposed
6. Ageratina altissima ‘Chocolate’ (Snakeroot)
One of the most appealing aspects of this deciduous, clump-forming perennial is its deep-purple, chocolate-coloured leaves. These are followed in late summer by fluffy, white flowers loved by bees. It prefers a partly shaded and sheltered border location. Divide every few years to keep it healthy and growing well. Perfect for wildlife-friendly planting in August 2025.
- Flowers from July to September
- Hardy
- Grows to 100cm tall and 60cm wide
- Well-drained soil
- Part shade
- Sheltered
7. Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’ (Sneezeweed)
Heleniums are a great choice if you’re looking for bursts of cheerful, late-summer colour in August 2025. There are many cultivars with flowers in orange, red or yellow, often changing colour as they age. ‘Moerheim Beauty’ is one of the best-known with coppery-red flowers fading to burnt orange. It rarely needs extra support and blends well with medium-height ornamental grasses. Also loved by pollinators, it prefers moist but free-draining soil in full sun.
- Flowers from July to September
- Hardy
- Grows to 90cm tall and 75cm wide
- Well-drained soil
- Full sun
- Exposed
Trees that look good year-round and grow slowly are a wonderful asset to the average-sized garden. The Paperbark maple fits the bill nicely. Its bark is a beautiful shade of cinnamon and looks magnificent when backlit by the sun. The bark naturally peels away in thin layers and draws interest from visitors. Autumn leaves turn stunning shades of scarlet and orange. Perfect for a standout structure by August 2025.
- Interest throughout the year.
- Hardy
- Grows to ultimately 10m tall and 10m wide
- Moderately fertile soil
- Full sun or part shade
- Exposed
9. Caryopteris x clandonensis ‘Pink Perfection’ (Bluebeard)
These drought-tolerant, low-maintenance, deciduous shrubs deserve to be more widely grown.
Their main requirements are well-drained soil in a sunny, sheltered spot. They look excellent in gravel and Mediterranean-style borders. If you provide the right conditions, you’ll get masses of soft pink flowers in early autumn. To encourage strong new growth, remove all flowered stems in spring. Ideal for low-fuss colour in August 2025.
- Flowers from August to September
- Tender
- Grows to 75cm tall and 75cm wide
- Well-drained soil
- Full sun
- Sheltered
10. Malva x clementii ‘Barnsley Baby’ (mallow syn. Lavatera)
Malva used to be called Lavatera, traditionally tall, gangly plants covered in pink flowers for weeks on end. Now breeders have introduced a delightfully dainty, easy-to-grow cultivar with a maximum height of just 75cm. The flowers on ‘Barnsley Baby’ start off white with a blush pink centre, turning pinker as they age. Its mounded shape makes it ideal for a patio pot or the front of a border. A great compact bloomer for August 2025.
- Flowers from June to September
- Hardy
- Grows to 30cm tall and 45cm wide
- Well-drained, moderately fertile soil
- Full sun
- Exposed
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David Domoney is a Chartered Horticulturalist, Broadcaster, and Author. David has worked with a number of the UK’s leading garden retailers as a plant buyer and strategic consultant. With more than 30 years experience, in horticulture, David is as passionate about plants now as he was when he bought his first plant at a village fete.
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