Fall window boxes need plants that can take cooler nights and shorter days without losing their color. The best combinations mix a few reliable cold-hardy bloomers with foliage plants for texture and a couple of harvest touches like mini pumpkins or gourds.
Here are 13 fall window box ideas, from classic mums to less expected choices like crotons and herbs, plus tips for keeping the whole box looking good into late autumn.
1. Colorful Mums
Chrysanthemums are the classic fall window box flower, with dense blooms in yellow, red, purple and white that hold up through cool weather and even light frost. Keep the plants in their nursery pots and tuck them close together in the box for a full look, filling gaps with moss or burlap.
You’ll need:
- Mums in nursery pots
- Moss or burlap for gaps
2. Ornamental Peppers
Glossy ornamental peppers in fiery red, yellow and purple add a different kind of color than flowers. They’re grown for looks, not eating, so keep them out of reach of curious kids and pets. Pair them with flowering kale or cabbage for contrast.
You’ll need:
- Ornamental pepper plants
- Flowering kale or cabbage
3. Violas and Pansies
Violas and pansies keep blooming as temperatures drop, tolerating light frost down into the 20s Fahrenheit. Deadhead spent blooms regularly to keep new flowers coming, and water at soil level rather than overhead to avoid petal rot.
You’ll need:
- Viola or pansy plants
- Watering can with a narrow spout
4. Heuchera (Coral Bells)
Heuchera brings striking foliage in deep purples, reds and greens, and it holds its color through cold weather better than most flowering plants. It handles partial shade well, which makes it useful for window boxes that don’t get full sun.
You’ll need:
- Heuchera plants
- Well-draining potting mix
5. Swiss Chard and Other Greens
Swiss chard’s rainbow-colored stems and glossy, textured leaves make it a surprisingly good filler plant for fall window boxes. Combine it with other cold-hardy greens like mustard or kale for a box that’s both ornamental and technically edible.
You’ll need:
- Swiss chard plants
- Companion greens like kale or mustard
6. Coleus
Coleus offers some of the widest color range of any filler plant, with leaves in burgundy, magenta, chartreuse and gold. It tolerates both sun and partial shade, but it isn’t frost-hardy, so plan on it as an early-fall filler rather than one that lasts through a hard freeze.
You’ll need:
- Coleus plants
7. Crotons
Crotons bring bold, multicolored foliage in red, yellow and green, and they thrive in bright, indirect light. They’re tropical plants, so bring them indoors before frost if you want to keep them through winter.
You’ll need:
- Croton plants
- A spot to overwinter them indoors
8. Succulents
Echeveria, crassula and sedum offer interesting form and texture with very little watering. Most tolerate mild frost, and trailing sedum works well cascading over the front edge of the box.
You’ll need:
- A mix of succulent varieties
- Fast-draining soil
9. Herbs
Basil, lemon thyme and rosemary bring fragrance and a practical harvest along with their ornamental value, and several herbs handle cooler fall temperatures well. Harvest regularly to keep the plants full and productive.
You’ll need:
- Hardy herb plants like thyme or rosemary
- Small scissors for harvesting
10. Mini Pumpkins and Gourds
Small pumpkins and ornamental gourds add bold shape and color without needing any care at all. Tuck a few into the front of the box at staggered heights among your plants, leaving enough space around each one for air circulation.
You’ll need:
- Mini pumpkins or gourds in varying sizes
11. Ornamental Grasses
Ornamental grasses add height, movement and texture that most flowers can’t match, swaying with every breeze near a window. Look for compact varieties suited to container growing, since a full-size clump can outgrow a window box quickly.
You’ll need:
- A compact ornamental grass variety
12. Ornamental Kale and Cabbage
Ornamental kale and cabbage form rosettes of ruffled purple, pink and cream leaves that actually get more colorful as temperatures drop, which makes them one of the best true cold-season fillers for a window box. They hold their look well into winter in many climates.
You’ll need:
- Ornamental kale or cabbage plants
13. Fall Twigs and Branches
A few upright branches, such as red or yellow twig dogwood, tucked into the back of the box add height and a pop of stem color once the leaves have dropped. They also give the arrangement structure that carries it into the bare weeks of late fall.
You’ll need:
- A few cut branches (dogwood or similar)
Tips for Fall Window Boxes That Last
- Check drainage first: window boxes dry out and fill up fast, so make sure yours has drainage holes before planting.
- Water at soil level: this keeps petals and foliage from rotting, especially on pansies and violas.
- Layer heights: a taller plant or two, mid-height fillers and a trailing plant at the front edge make the box look full from the street.
- Refresh as needed: swap out anything that fades or gets frost-damaged with a hardier plant like kale or pansies as the season goes on.
For more container ideas, see our window box planter ideas, outdoor fall planter ideas and fall mum planter ideas.