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What gardener doesn\u2019t like something a bit out-of-the ordinary, right? Especially when it\u2019s a plant that puts on a serious show as the final curtain call is happening. Today we highlight some of our favorite unusual fall perennials, options that are interesting cultivars of a genus you may know, and weird oddballs you\u2019ve likely never heard of. Just a heads up that we may have cheated a teeny, tiny bit and thrown in a shrub or even a tender perennial to keep you on your toes. Regardless the plants you\u2019ll hear about on this episode are all exceptional autumnal stars that will stop garden visitors in the tracks to ask, \u201cWhat on earth is that?\u201d

Expert testimony: Matt Mattus is the author of two books:\xa0Mastering the Art of Flower Gardening\xa0and\xa0Mastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening.\xa0He gardens in Worcester, Massachusetts.

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Danielle\u2019s Plants

\u2018Snow Fairy\u2019 blue mist shrub (Caryopteris divaricata 'Snow Fairy', Zones 6-9)

\u2018Lady in Black\u2019 calico aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum \u2018Lady in Black\u2019, Zones 3-8)

\u2018Golden Angel\u2019 Japanese shrub mint (Leucosceptrum japonicum 'Golden Angel', 5-8)

Sapphire berry (Symplocos paniculata, Zones 4-8)

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Carol\u2019s Plants

\u2018Chocolate\u2019 Joe Pye weed (Eupatoriam rugosum \u2018Chocolate\u2019, Zones 4-8)

October daphne sedum (Sedum sieboldii, Zones 3-8)

'Black Negligee' bugbane (Actaea simplex 'Black Negligee', Zones 5-8)

\u2018Goldtau\u2019 tufted hair grass (Deschampsia cespitosa 'Goldtau', Zones 4-9)

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Expert\u2019s Plants

\xa0\u2018True Blue\u2019 gentian (Gentiana makinoi x scabra \u2018True Blue\u2019, Zones 4-8)

\u2018Milk Bottles\u2019 bottle gentian \xa0(G. andrewsii \u2018Milk Bottles\u2019, Zones 4-8)

Summer gentian (G. septemfida syn. G. septemfida var. lagodechian, Zones 4-7)

Tuberose (Agave amica syn. Poloanthes tuberosa, Zones 7-11)

The Pearl\u2019, \u2018Single\u2019 (notable cultivars)

Weeping golden toad lily (Tricyrtis macrantha subsp. macranthopsis, Zones 4-9)

Ohsumi toad lily (T. ohsumensis, Zones 4-9)

Asian toad lily (T. formosana, Zones 4-9)

\u2018Samuri\u2019, \u2018Autumn Glow\u2019, \u2018Gilt Edge\u2019 (notable cultivars)

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta, Zones 3-9)

Sonora\u2019, Prairie Sun\u2019, \u2018Goldrush\u2019, \u2018Goldilocks\u2019, \u2018Cherokee Sunset\u2019, \u2018Autumn Colors\u2019, \u2018Chim Chiminee\u2019 (notable cultivars)

Brown-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba, Zones 4-8)