Why autumn is the best time for planting

Planting trees, shrubs, climbers and non-woody perennials in autumn gives them a critical head start. Cooler weather reduces water loss, winter rain keeps soil moist, reduced competition from weeds and nibbling insects gives plants a clearer run to get established. By the time summer arrives, autumn-planted greenery is significantly more resilient to heat and drought.

Trees, shrubs and climbers are vital natural air conditioners for our outdoor spaces, but those planted in spring are often exposed to dry spells before their roots are fully established.

Despite the clear benefits of autumn planting, spring continues to dominate British gardening habits. Our online plant advice pages see a massive spike in traffic during the spring months. While autumn 2025 attracted 13 million page views between September and November, spring 2026 (March to May) surged to 25 million views.

While newly planted trees still require regular watering for their first three years during summer and dry spells, autumn planting drastically reduces the pressure during those critical first weeks of root establishment.

However, if your garden is particularly wet or you're on heavy clay soil, spring is still usually the best time to plant perennials.

We must increasingly choose plants with future climate extremes in mind – accounting for both prolonged droughts and periods of heavy rainfall. Traditional favourites like silver birch (Betula pendula), shrubby hydrangeas, and rhododendrons are becoming less suited to dry gardens, particularly in southern England.

To help you adapt, we recommend shifting towards more resilient varieties, like the examples below.

Hot and dry conditions

• Shrubs: Abelia, Vitex agnus-castus, Grevillea ‘Canberra Gem’, Salvia ‘Blue Spire’, rosemary, lavender, Pittosporum, Indigofera, Santolina
• Climbers: Wisteria, Campsis, grape vines
• Perennials: Sedums (Hylotelephium), sea holly (Eryngium), gaura (Oenothera lindheimeri), red hot pokers (Knifophia), purple top (Verbena bonariensis), ironweed (Vernonia), Mexican fleabane (Erigeron). Ornamental grasses such as Panicum ‘Heavy Metal’, Calamagrostis bractachya, Anemanthele lessoniana and Stipa gigantea

Find more drought-tolerant plants

Wet winters and dry summers

• Trees: Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos f. inermis ‘Sunburst’), field maple (Acer campestre)
• Shrubs: Tamarisk (Tamarix ramosissima ‘Pink Cascade’), Mahonia, Weigela, Physocarpus
• Perennials: Geraniums, switch grass (Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’), elephant grass Miscanthus, yarrow (Achillea), hollyhocks (Alcea rosea), lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis), elephants ears (Bergenia), oregano

Find more plants for wet and dry

1. Rain does the heavy lifting: Natural autumn and winter rainfall supports root establishment, dramatically reducing the need for manual watering before the dry summer months
2. Warm soil boosts roots: The soil retains its summer warmth well into autumn, providing the perfect environment for roots to grow and settle before winter frosts
3. Reduced heat stress: Cooler ambient temperatures mean plants can focus their energy on establishing below ground, without the stress of surviving scorching heat and drought above ground
4. Stronger spring growth: Because the root system is already established over winter, plants can push out stronger, healthier top growth as soon as spring arrives.