Autumn flowers and fruit identification guide
Use this guide to help identify flowers and fruits that appear throughout autumn.
Learning objectives
- Explore nature in the local environment
- Identify and name common autumn flowers and fruits, as well as their colours, shapes and growing conditions
- Develop observational skills
- Learn about different plants that can encourage biodiversity in school grounds
Curriculum links
- Science: Identify and describe a variety of common plants and their life cycles, including seed dispersal and pollination.
- Geography: Observe seasonal changes in the local environment, including the impact of autumn on plants and trees
- Design & Technology: Understand where food comes from by exploring fruiting plants such as apples, pears, and raspberries
- PSHE: Develop an appreciation for nature, biodiversity, and how plants support local wildlife
Key vocabulary
Autumn flower and fruit guide
Allium
After their stunning summer display, alliums form striking seed heads in autumn. These look amazing left in the garden or can be cut and brought indoors.
Apple
Apple trees grow delicious, sweet fruit throughout autumn. They’re easy to grow, and smaller varieties make a great choice for schools.
Aster
Asters bring a burst of colour in autumn when many other flowers have faded. Their daisy-like blooms come in blues, purples, pinks, reds, and whites with bright yellow centres.
Blackberry
Hedgerows fill with juicy blackberries in autumn. If space is limited, you can grow compact varieties in pots - perfect for making a tasty crumble!
Golden rod
This bright yellow plant is a favourite in prairie-style gardens and makes a lovely cut flower. Compact varieties work well in borders and beds.
Hylotelephium
Previously called sedum, these nectar-rich flowers are loved by bees and butterflies. They thrive in containers or flower beds but need moist soil to stay healthy.
Ornamental grasses
Grasses add texture, height, and movement, making them perfect for a sensory garden. With so many shapes and sizes, there’s one for every space!
Pear
Another delicious autumn fruit. Smaller varieties can grow in containers, or they can be trained to climb a wall.
Phlomis
Also known as Turkish sage, this pollinator-friendly plant has tall stems with rings of pale, yellow flowers that last all through summer and autumn.
Raspberry
Autumn-fruiting raspberries are great for schools – easy to grow, delicious to eat, and small enough for pots and containers.
Sea holly
This thistle-like plant has spiky blue-grey flowers that stay on display all autumn. It’s perfect for dry spots and doesn’t need much watering.
Sunflower
As sunflowers fade in autumn, they form seeds you can collect to grow next year, eat as a snack, or leave for birds to enjoy.
Top tips
- Use autumn flowers and fruits as the inspiration for art, poetry or photography
- Press autumn flowers found in your school grounds to create a catalogue of herbarium specimens, which can be kept as a library for years to come