Quick answer: 13 native Maine plants have a recorded bloom range that includes October.
13 species
- Balsam fir Abies balsamea · 6 states
- Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta · 44 states
- Blue mistflower Conoclinium coelestinum · 32 states
- Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis · 41 states
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · 43 states
- Great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica · 36 states
- Jerusalem artichoke Helianthus tuberosus · 26 states
- New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae · 29 states
- Partridgeberry Mitchella repens · 31 states
- Pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea · 38 states
- Scarlet beebalm Monarda didyma · 25 states
- Sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis · 26 states
- Witch-hazel Hamamelis virginiana · 33 states
October in a Maine native garden
October is a quieter month in Maine: 13 of the state's 125 native plants flower in October, compared with 74 at the April peak. That makes these plants valuable for keeping color, and food for pollinators, going outside the main season.
9 finish in October, including Black-eyed Susan, Cardinal flower and Cutleaf coneflower, so this is the last chance to see them in flower.
9 of them grow in full or partial sun and 8 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Black-eyed Susan and Partridgeberry to trees such as Balsam fir and Witch-hazel. For wildlife, 8 support pollinators, 9 provide food or cover for birds and 3 are caterpillar host plants.
All 13 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Black-eyed Susan: common listings for it are often a bred variety or a different species.
Good places to start
Verified wild-species listings that take sun and are widely native, so they are forgiving first plants.
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Jul-Oct
- Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms May-Oct
- Pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Jun-Oct