The $30 Perennial Is Now $8 — Can You Plant It This Late?

Clearance perennials can be excellent fall bargains if healthy roots have roughly four to six weeks to establish before the ground freezes. Inspect the plant first, then let your local weather—not the markdown—decide. Anton Balashov/Shutterstock

The garden center’s clearance table can become dangerously tempting in fall: that perennial you refused to pay $30 for in May is suddenly wearing an $8 sticker. Saving $22 sounds like a fantastic gardening win, but planting clearance perennials in fall only saves money if the plant survives long enough to return next spring. Fall can actually be an excellent planting season because warm soil encourages root development even after cooler air temperatures slow top growth, according to gardening experts. The bigger issue is timing, because newly planted roots need an opportunity to establish before winter conditions shut growth down. Before filling your cart with deeply discounted hostas, coneflowers and daylilies, do this quick calculation and health check.

Give the Plant Roughly 4 to 6 Weeks to Establish