Plants and shrubs flowering in November
Despite the lateness of the year and short days, there are still plenty of flowering plants and shrubs in the garden.
Below are a few ideas if you want to lift the November gloom in your garden. Once we get the first frosts and move into the colder weather, grasses look fantastic frosted, especially if backlit with sun; images to show the effect. Also, see shrubs and plants with autumn and winter interest.
It gets harder to write the pages about plants in flower each month. Because the seasons are not predictable. At the foot of the page are two plants in flower, which is definitely unusual. Not a second flush as such, blooming again.
Lots of our garden shrubs are full of colourful berries at this time of year, a big draw for garden birds.
Colchicum, the Autumn Crocus
Colchicum, the autumn flowering crocus, is not in fact a crocus, but looks very much like one. It starts to flowering in October/November and has lovely mauve flowers on leafless stems. Ideal for naturalising in grass and woodland areas.Growing tips
Long Flowering
Fuchsia
Unless autumn is really cold, Fuchsia will continue to flower until the frosts. This is one flowering in my garden in November, looking bright and cheerful.
Roses and Dahlias will also flower until frost bites.
Clematis
"winter beauty"
Some of the winter flowering Clematis are starting to bloom in November. Illustrated is C. 'Winter Beauty' and top right is C. cirrhosa 'freckles' both slightly tender but do well in a sheltered position.
Winter flowering Jasmine
This is Jasminum nudiflorum, common name winter flowering jasmine. It has pretty yellow flowers and is in bloom from October through the winter. To thrive and flower well, it needs to be in a sheltered, sunny spot and to be pruned regularly to stop it from sprawling. Growing tips.
Holly
Common Holly, Ilex aquifolium is native to the UK and starts to get its berries in late autumn through the winter. Very popular with thrushes and blackbirds, you need both sexes of shrub to get berries.
Ivy
This is Hedera helix, our native ivy. It is excellent for wildlife. It not only blooms late in the year, supplying food when it's scarce, but it is also estimated to offer support for 50 different types of wildlife (source British Wildlife Trust).
Cyclamen hederifolium
This is the hardy form of C. hederifolium which flowers for weeks throughout late autumn and winter.
A really versatile little plant, not only is it shade tolerant, it will grow in dry shade.
How to grow Cyclamen hederifolium.
Available on line at Suttons (affiliate link)
Fatsia Japonica
Fatsia japonica is an evergreen, fully hardy shrub, which has many clusters of white flowers in October and November.
It is popular because it is a grow anywhere shrub, in sun, partial shade and shade also on any soils. It is often planted in challenging corners of the garden which are shade or dry shade. It can get quite large, up to 2.5-4m over maturity of around 15-20 years.
Unusal Plants flowering in November
Aubretia
I took this image in November 2025, of aubretia in flower. This is unusual; previously the earliest I had captured Aubretia in flower was very early February. I wonder what this plant will do in spring. It is a perennial.
Hollyhocks
Hollyhocks are summer-flowering biennials. The show is usually over by now, and often the plants are succumbing to rust. Here we have healthy plants and leaves, with full flowers.