What to Plant in November: A Fall Planting Guide for Zones 8–10

“If you garden in Zones 8 through 10, November is the best month of the year to plant trees, shrubs, and perennials. The soil does not freeze, so roots keep growing all winter while the top of the plant rests. Plant camellias and hollies in the South, native trees and shrubs in Texas, wildflower seed in the desert, and California natives at the start of the rains.”

Most fall gardening advice is written for places where the ground is about to freeze. If you live in Atlanta, Houston, Tampa, Phoenix, or San Diego, that advice tells you to put the garden to bed at the exact moment your best planting window opens. Soil is still warm from summer. The air is finally cool enough that new plants are not fighting heat. And in much of the West, the rain is about to start doing the watering for you.

Here is what to plant now, organized by region.

First, Find Your Zone

USDA hardiness zones are based on average winter low temperatures. This guide covers Zones 8 through 10 — roughly the Gulf Coast, most of Texas, the Southeast below the mountains, the low desert of Arizona and Nevada, and coastal and inland California. If you are not sure of your zone, BloomYard looks it up from your zip code when you set up your garden.

Why Fall Is Planting Season in Warm Zones

Clemson Cooperative Extension calls fall the best time to plant woody shrubs and trees in the South, for two reasons. The soil does not freeze, so roots can keep growing into the surrounding ground. And because leaf and flower growth stops for the winter, the plant puts its energy into roots. A shrub planted in November goes into its first summer with a root system several months ahead of one planted in April — and that head start is what gets it through the first July heat.

The Southeast and Gulf Coast: Shrubs, Trees, and Camellias

From the Carolinas to Louisiana and into North and Central Florida, this is the moment to add the permanent structure of the garden.

• —Camellias: UF/IFAS recommends planting camellias from late fall through very early spring, roughly November to February. Sasanquas are blooming in garden centers right now, so you can choose the exact flower you want. Give them part shade, shelter from cold winter wind, and acidic soil — a pH between 5.0 and 6.5.
• —Native shrubs: oakleaf hydrangea for big white summer flowers and burgundy fall color; Virginia sweetspire 'Little Henry' for fragrant spring spires and red fall leaves; dwarf yaupon holly for a tidy evergreen edge.
• —Small trees: Eastern redbud for magenta flowers on bare branches in early spring, and southern magnolia where you have room for a large evergreen.
• —Fall perennials: asters and sedum 'Autumn Joy' are in bloom now. Plant them while you can see the color, and they will come back larger next year.

Water new shrubs and trees deeply at planting and every week or two through winter when it does not rain. Mulch two to three inches deep, keeping it a few inches away from the trunk.

Texas: Fall Is for Planting

Texas gardeners have a saying, repeated by AgriLife Extension agents and Master Gardeners across the state: fall is for planting. The Dallas County Master Gardeners call fall the absolute best time to plant a tree, because roots settle into warm soil and adapt over winter, ahead of anything bought in spring.

• —Trees: Texas redbud and Mexican plum for spring flowers in smaller yards; bur oak, live oak, and chinquapin oak for long-lived shade.
• —Shrubs: dwarf yaupon holly, oakleaf hydrangea for a shady corner, and 'Little Henry' sweetspire.
• —Perennials: asters and fall sedums, planted while they are in flower.
• —Wildflower seed: Texas AgriLife recommends sowing wildflowers, including bluebonnets, in September, October, or early November so seedlings can establish before winter. In North Texas, aim for the earlier end. If you have not sown yet, do it this week.

For bluebonnets, choose full sun and good drainage. Rough up bare soil, scatter the seed, and press it in — do not bury it completely. Keep the soil from drying out while seedlings emerge. They form low rosettes that sit quietly through winter, then flower in March and April.

The Desert Southwest: Your Main Planting Season

In Phoenix, Tucson, and Las Vegas, fall is the most important planting season of the year — new plants get months to root in before summer. University of Arizona Extension's November guide for Pima County calls this a good month to plant trees, shrubs, ground covers, and vines before the first frost.

• —Wildflower seed, sown early in the month: California poppy, Mexican gold poppy, desert bluebells, desert marigold, and tidy tips. Choose a sunny spot and keep the soil moist until seeds germinate.
• —Perennials: gaura and angelita daisy, both long-blooming and tough in desert heat.
• —Spring bulbs: bearded iris and daffodils.
• —Wait on frost-tender plants — palms, hibiscus, bougainvillea — until spring. They establish better in warm soil.

California: Plant Natives at the Start of the Rains

The UC Master Gardeners call fall, at the beginning of the rainy season, the very best time to plant California natives. Winter rain does the work of establishing roots, so plants are ready to get through a dry summer on little or no irrigation. Planting can continue into very early spring, but success drops once the rains end.

• —Ceanothus (California lilac): clouds of blue flowers in early spring and a magnet for native bees.
• —Cleveland sage and other native salvias: silver-gray foliage, purple flower whorls, and a scent you will notice every time you brush past.
• —California fuchsia: tubular scarlet flowers in late summer and fall, when hummingbirds need them most.
• —Douglas iris: a tidy clump with spring flowers in purple, cream, and lavender. Good for part shade under oaks.
• —California poppy seed: scatter it now on bare, sunny ground.

Water new plants during dry spells in their first winter. Once established, many natives do worse with extra summer water, not better. Mulch with bark or leaf litter, keeping it a few inches away from the base of each plant.

Spring Bulbs in Warm Zones: Chill First, Plant Later

Tulips and hyacinths need a cold period to bloom well, and Gulf South winters do not provide it. The LSU AgCenter recommends refrigerating tulip and hyacinth bulbs for six to eight weeks, then planting in late December or early January, about five inches deep, in a sunny, well-drained spot. If you buy bulbs this week, they go in the crisper drawer now and in the ground around New Year's.

Keep chilling bulbs away from apples and other ripening fruit. Fruit gives off ethylene gas, which can damage the flower bud inside the bulb. In warm zones, treat tulips as annuals. For bulbs that come back on their own, choose paperwhites and other tazetta daffodils, which need no chilling and naturalize in Gulf Coast gardens.

A Note on Winter Color

If you garden in New England, this will sound backward: across much of the South, cool-season annuals like snapdragons and sweet alyssum are planted in fall, not spring, and flower through the mild winter until the heat returns. Texas Master Gardeners and UF/IFAS both list them as fall plantings. They are a nice finishing layer at the front of a bed — but the shrubs, trees, and perennials above are what make a November planting worth doing.

Still Gardening Farther North?

In Zones 5 through 7 — New England, the Mid-Atlantic, the lower Midwest — November is for the last of the bulbs. Tulips, daffodils, and alliums can go in until the ground freezes. After that, cut back perennials that tend to flop or carry disease, leave the seedheads of coneflowers and rudbeckia for the birds, and mulch once the soil is cold. Our zone-by-zone fall planning guide has the dates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it too late to plant in November?

Not in Zones 8 through 10. November is one of the best months to plant trees, shrubs, and perennials there, because roots keep growing through a winter when the soil does not freeze. In colder zones, November is still fine for spring bulbs until the ground freezes.

When is the best time to plant shrubs in the South?

Fall. Clemson Extension calls fall the best time to plant woody shrubs and trees, because the soil stays warm enough for root growth while the top of the plant is dormant. Plants go into their first summer with an established root system.

What can I plant in November in Texas?

Trees such as Texas redbud, Mexican plum, and native oaks; shrubs such as dwarf yaupon holly and oakleaf hydrangea; fall perennials such as asters and sedum; and wildflower seed, including bluebonnets, sown by early November.

When should I plant camellias?

From late fall through very early spring — roughly November to February in Florida and the Gulf South. Plant in part shade, out of cold winter wind, in acidic soil with a pH between 5.0 and 6.5.

When is the best time to plant California native plants?

In fall, at the beginning of the rainy season. Winter rain establishes the roots so plants can get through summer with little irrigation. Planting into very early spring works, but success drops once the rains stop.