Skip to content
Pocket Botanist
Get the app

Plant guides · Month by month

November in the garden.

What to sow and plant in November, then what is in flower and what is in fruit among the plants in our guides. The picks are the app's own monthly planting guide, which matches them to your hardiness zone.

Northern hemisphere. The southern hemisphere picks are further down the page.

What to plant in November

  • Watercress Nasturtium officinale · vegetable · start indoors · zones 1 to 11

    You do not need a stream. Stand a tray of seedlings in a centimeter of water on a cool bright sill and keep the water fresh, and you can pick peppery leaves all winter.

  • Fenugreek Trigonella foenum-graecum · herb · start indoors · zones 1 to 11

    Sow it thickly in a shallow tray on a bright windowsill and cut the leaves at about ten centimeters. It regrows two or three times from the same sowing.

  • Barley Hordeum vulgare · grass · start indoors · zones 1 to 13

    A tray of barley grass on a windowsill gives you something green in the darkest weeks, and the cat will thank you. Soak the grain overnight and keep the tray damp.

  • Rugosa Rose Rosa rugosa · shrub · plant out · zones 2 to 9

    Bare root planting season, and this is the rose that asks for nothing. It shrugs off salt wind and poor sand, and the hips are as good as the flowers.

  • Broad Bean Vicia faba · vegetable · sow direct · zones 5 to 10

    Sown now the plants sit quietly through the cold and crop weeks before spring sowings. Choose a hardy variety and give them a sheltered spot out of the wind.

  • Crown Imperial Fritillaria imperialis · bulb · plant bulbs · zones 4 to 9

    Plant the big bulbs on their side so water cannot collect in the hollow crown. They smell distinctly foxy, which is exactly why mice and squirrels leave them alone.

  • Melon Cucumis melo · fruit · sow direct · zones 9 to 13

    Sow into warm free draining soil on a low mound and water at the base, never the leaves. Once the fruit starts to ripen, ease off the water and the flavor concentrates.

  • Watermelon Citrullus lanatus · fruit · sow direct · zones 10 to 13

    It needs heat, room and a long run, so give each plant several square meters. Slide a tile or board under each fruit to keep it clean and off damp soil.

  • Roselle Hibiscus sabdariffa · shrub · sow direct · zones 12 to 13

    In the warmest frost-free gardens, sow it now as a quick leaf crop and pick the tangy young leaves like sorrel within about six weeks. Short days make winter plants flower small, so save the big calyx harvest for a spring sowing.

  • Anemone clematis Clematis montana · climber · plant out · zones 5 to 9

    Plant it deeper than it sat in the pot, so buried buds can reshoot if the top ever fails. Keep the roots shaded and cool and let the top climb into the sun.

  • Grape Vitis vinifera · climber · plant out · zones 5 to 10

    Plant while fully dormant, and do any pruning now rather than later, because a vine cut in spring bleeds heavily. Give it the sunniest wall you have.

  • European Beech Fagus sylvatica · tree · plant out · zones 4 to 8

    Bare root hedging is cheapest and establishes best planted now. Clipped as a hedge it holds its copper leaves all winter, which no other hedge quite manages.

  • Field Maple Acer campestre · tree · plant out · zones 4 to 8

    A modest native tree that takes hard clipping and turns clear butter yellow in autumn. Plant it bare root now and it will need almost nothing from you afterwards.

  • Common Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna · tree · plant out · zones 3 to 8

    The classic stock proof hedge, thorny, tough and full of blossom and berries. Plant bare root whips now in a double staggered row for a dense hedge.

  • Sweet box Sarcococca confusa · shrub · plant out · zones 6 to 9

    Tiny white flowers in the coldest weeks with a scent out of all proportion to their size. It is happy in dry shade, which makes it useful where little else is.

  • Oregon Grape Mahonia aquifolium · shrub · plant out · zones 5 to 9

    Evergreen and prickly, with yellow flowers early and blue berries after. It copes with shade and dry soil under trees where most shrubs give up.

  • Lychee Litchi chinensis · tree · plant out · zones 10 to 12

    Plant an air layered tree rather than a seedling, because seedlings can take twenty years. It needs a cool dry spell to flower, so a frost free but chilly winter suits it.

  • Sorghum Sorghum bicolor · grass · sow direct · zones 9 to 13

    It survives heat and drought that would flatten maize, and it will regrow after cutting. Sow into warm soil and thin it, because crowded plants make thin heads.

  • Cinnamon Cinnamomum verum · tree · plant out · zones 10 to 13

    Grow it as a coppiced bush rather than a tree, cutting it low every couple of years. The bark is stripped from those young straight shoots.

  • Lily of the Valley Convallaria majalis · flower · plant out · zones 2 to 8

    Plant the pips now, upright and just below the surface, in damp shade. Give it a couple of years to settle and it will spread into a scented carpet.

  • Dwarf Birch Betula nana · shrub · plant out · zones 1 to 6

    A knee high birch from the far north that copes with peat, bog and bitter cold. It turns a good russet in autumn and needs no attention at all.

  • Labrador Tea Rhododendron groenlandicum · shrub · plant out · zones 1 to 6

    An evergreen for acid boggy ground where drainage is genuinely poor. It handles extreme cold and the leaves smell wonderful when you brush past them.

  • Siberian Larch Larix sibirica · tree · plant out · zones 1 to 6

    A conifer that drops its needles, turning gold before it does. It grows where the ground is frozen for much of the year and asks for nothing in return.

In flower in November

  • American witch hazel Hamamelis virginiana

    Late autumn to early winter · yellow

  • Beach naupaka Scaevola taccada

    Year round in tropical climates · white

  • Beggarticks Bidens alba

    Year round in warm climates · white, yellow

  • Brazil nut Bertholletia excelsa

    Late spring to early summer · white, yellow

  • Cape honeysuckle Tecoma capensis

    Late summer to winter · orange, red, yellow

  • Christmas cactus Schlumbergera

    Late autumn to early winter · red, pink, white, orange, purple

  • Christmas cactus Schlumbergera buckleyi

    Late autumn to early winter · pink, red, magenta

  • Coast Banksia Banksia integrifolia

    Throughout the year, peaking in autumn and winter. · pale yellow

  • Fishbone Cactus Epiphyllum anguliger

    Late autumn to early winter · white, cream, yellow

  • Japanese aralia Fatsia japonica

    Late autumn to early winter · white, cream

  • Papaya Carica papaya

    Year round in tropical climates · white, yellow

  • Poinsettia Euphorbia pulcherrima

    Late autumn to winter · yellow, red

  • Sasanqua camellia Camellia sasanqua

    Fall to early winter · white, pink, red

  • Strawberry tree Arbutus unedo

    Late autumn to early winter · white, pale pink

  • Sugarcane Saccharum officinarum

    Late autumn to winter · silver, white

  • Tea Camellia sinensis

    Mid to late autumn · white, yellow

  • Thanksgiving cactus Schlumbergera truncata

    Late autumn to early winter · red, pink, white, orange, purple

  • Trumpet tree Cecropia peltata

    Year round · green, white

  • Acai palm Euterpe oleracea

    Year round in tropical climates · white, cream

  • African oil palm Elaeis guineensis

    Year round in tropical climates · yellow, cream

  • African Violet Streptocarpus ionanthus

    Year round with proper care · purple, violet, white, pink

  • Anthurium Anthurium andraeanum

    Year round under ideal conditions · red, pink, white, salmon

  • Banana Musa × paradisiaca

    Year round in tropical climates · purple, yellow

  • Blue vanda Vanda coerulea

    Late summer to winter · blue, violet

  • Breadfruit Artocarpus altilis

    Year round in tropical climates · yellow, green

  • Cacao Theobroma cacao

    Year round in optimal conditions · white, pink

  • Camellia

    Late autumn to early spring · white, pink, red

  • Cannonball tree Couroupita guianensis

    Year round in tropical climates · pink, red, yellow

  • Chayote Sechium edule

    Late summer to autumn · white, green

  • Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum × morifolium

    Late summer to late autumn · white, yellow, orange, red, pink, purple, bronze

  • Coconut Palm Cocos nucifera

    Year round in tropical climates · yellow, cream

  • Common groundsel Senecio vulgaris

    Year round in mild climates · yellow

  • Coyote brush Baccharis pilularis

    Late summer to late autumn · white, cream

  • Crown of Thorns Euphorbia milii

    Year round in warm climates · red, pink, yellow, white

  • Cupuacu Theobroma grandiflorum

    Mainly in the dry season (about July to December in the native range) · dark red, maroon

  • Dwarf banana Musa acuminata 'Dwarf Cavendish'

    Year round in tropical climates · purple, yellow

  • Fish poison tree Barringtonia asiatica

    Year round with peaks in spring and summer · white, pink

  • Flamingo Flower Anthurium

    Year round under ideal conditions · red, pink, white, green

  • Florist's cyclamen Cyclamen persicum

    Late autumn to early spring · pink, white, red, purple

  • Fukien Tea Carmona retusa

    Intermittent throughout the year · white

  • ginger lily Zingiber spectabile

    Late summer to autumn · yellow, red

  • henbit Lamium amplexicaule

    Early spring to late autumn · pink, purple

  • Jade Plant Crassula ovata

    Late autumn to winter · white, pink

  • Jungle Geranium Ixora coccinea

    Year round in warm climates · red, orange, yellow

  • Lemon Citrus limon

    Intermittent throughout the year · white, purple

  • Lion's Ear Leonotis leonurus

    Late summer to autumn · orange

  • Mexican bush sage Salvia leucantha

    Late summer to late autumn · purple, white

  • Monkey face orchid Dracula simia

    Year round · brown, orange, yellow

  • New Zealand hebe Veronica speciosa

    Mid summer to late autumn · purple, violet, pink

  • Nipa palm Nypa fruticans

    Year round in tropical climates · yellow, brown

  • Parrot flower Impatiens psittacina

    Late summer to autumn · purple, pink, white

  • Portia tree Thespesia populnea

    Year round in tropical climates · yellow, maroon

  • Purple deadnettle Lamium purpureum

    Early spring to late autumn · purple, pink

  • Queen of the Andes Puya raimondii

    Late summer to autumn · white, green

  • Red mangrove Rhizophora mangle

    Throughout the year · pale yellow, white

  • Saffron Crocus Crocus sativus

    Mid to late autumn · purple, violet

  • Sandalwood Santalum album

    Throughout the year · yellow, red, purple

  • Saw Banksia Banksia serrata

    Late summer to early winter · yellow, cream

  • Sea hibiscus Talipariti tiliaceum

    Year round in tropical climates · yellow, red

  • Shiny bush Peperomia pellucida

    Year round in tropical conditions · white, green

  • Silk floss tree Ceiba speciosa

    Late summer to early winter · pink, white, purple

  • Sodom Apple Calotropis procera

    Year round in warm climates · white, purple

  • Soursop Annona muricata

    Throughout the year · yellow, green

  • Spur flower Plectranthus

    Late summer to autumn · purple, blue, white

  • Starfruit Averrhoa carambola

    Intermittent throughout the year · pink, lavender

  • Tamanu Calophyllum inophyllum

    Intermittent throughout the year · white

  • Turk's cap Malvaviscus arboreus

    Year round in warm climates · red

  • Turkey berry Solanum torvum

    Year round in tropical climates · white

In fruit in November

Your garden, your zone, this month.

Pocket Botanist knows your hardiness zone and hemisphere, so its monthly picks are the ones that will take where you are. It also names any plant from a photo and reminds you when each one needs water. Identification is free.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

Get the app

November south of the equator

The same month, six months on in the seasons: what to plant in November in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the southern half of South America.

  • Cucumber Cucumis sativus · vegetable · start indoors · zones 1 to 9

    Cucumbers sulk in cold compost, so keep them warm from sowing until they go out. Sow two seeds per pot and pull the weaker one rather than trying to separate the roots.

  • Borage Borago officinalis · herb · sow direct · zones 3 to 10

    Sow it once and you will have it forever, which is no bad thing when the bees are this keen. The blue star flowers are edible and look lovely frozen into ice cubes.

  • Maize Zea mays · vegetable · sow direct · zones 4 to 11

    Always plant sweetcorn in a block rather than a long row, because it is pollinated by wind. A single row gives you gappy cobs no matter how well you feed it.

  • Common Bean Phaseolus vulgaris · vegetable · sow direct · zones 5 to 11

    Wait until the soil is properly warm, because cold wet ground rots the seed. Pick every couple of days once they start, and the plants keep producing for weeks.

  • Pot Marigold Calendula officinalis · flower · sow direct · zones 1 to 10

    Tough, cheerful and happy in poor soil, calendula will self seed politely around the garden. Deadhead it regularly and it flowers until the frosts stop it.

  • Elder Sambucus nigra · shrub · plant out · zones 3 to 9

    Grows almost anywhere and gives you flowers in early summer and berries in autumn. Cut it hard every few years to keep it in bounds and the new growth comes back stronger.

  • Radish Raphanus sativus · vegetable · sow direct · zones 1 to 10

    The quickest crop in the garden, ready in as little as four weeks. Sow thinly and keep the soil damp, because a dry check is what makes them woody and fierce.

  • Malabar spinach Basella alba · climber · sow direct · zones 9 to 13

    A thick leaved climber that thrives in heat and humidity that would flatten real spinach. Give it a trellis and pick the shoot tips to keep it branching.

  • Cassava Manihot esculenta · vegetable · sow direct · zones 10 to 13

    Push a woody stem cutting into a mound at a slight angle and it roots within weeks. It tolerates poor soil and drought, but it needs a full year before you lift it.

  • Avocado Persea americana · tree · plant out · zones 9 to 13

    Plant a grafted tree on a raised mound, because avocado roots rot in wet ground faster than almost anything. Mulch thickly but keep the mulch off the trunk.

  • Rosemary Salvia rosmarinus · herb · plant out · zones 6 to 11

    Rosemary wants sun, grit and very little kindness. Plant it in the poorest well drained spot you have and it will outlive most things in the border.

  • Bigleaf Hydrangea Hydrangea macrophylla · shrub · plant out · zones 5 to 9

    Plant it in soil that holds moisture and give it shade from the hottest sun. Soil acidity decides the color, so blue flowers need acid ground and pink needs lime.

  • Regal Lily Lilium regale · bulb · plant bulbs · zones 3 to 9

    Plant the bulbs three times their own depth in soil that drains freely. The scent from a group of these on a still evening is worth the space on its own.

  • Japanese Maple Acer palmatum · tree · plant out · zones 5 to 9

    Give it shelter from wind and from hot afternoon sun, because the fine leaves scorch easily. A large pot suits it well and lets you move it to the right spot.

  • Bee Balm Monarda didyma · flower · plant out · zones 3 to 9

    Shaggy red flowers that bees and hummingbirds work over all summer. Give it room and air movement, because crowded plants pick up mildew on the lower leaves.

  • Orach Atriplex hortensis · vegetable · sow direct · zones 2 to 9

    An old leafy green that stands heat far better than spinach and comes in deep red as well as green. Pinch out the flowering tips to keep the leaves coming.

  • Coconut Palm Cocos nucifera · tree · plant out · zones 10 to 13

    Lay the nut on its side and bury it only halfway, so the top stays clear. It needs sandy soil, salt tolerance is a bonus, and roughly six years before the first harvest.

  • Vanilla orchid Vanilla planifolia · climber · plant out · zones 10 to 13

    An orchid that climbs, so give it a rough barked host tree and dappled shade. Every flower has to be hand pollinated on the morning it opens, which is the real work.

  • Flowering Tobacco Nicotiana alata · flower · start indoors · zones 1 to 9

    Surface sow the dust fine seed and do not cover it. The scent only really arrives at dusk, so plant it beside a seat or an open window.

  • Cornflower Centaurea cyanus · flower · sow direct · zones 1 to 9

    Sow direct into ordinary soil and thin ruthlessly, because crowded plants flop. Keep cutting the flowers and it carries on for months rather than weeks.

  • Sea Holly Eryngium planum · flower · sow direct · zones 1 to 8

    Steely blue cones on wiry stems that dry beautifully for winter arrangements. It has a deep taproot, so sow it in place and never try to move it.

  • Switchgrass Panicum virgatum · grass · plant out · zones 2 to 9

    A prairie grass that stands up all winter and turns gold in autumn. Cut it to the ground once at the very end of winter and it does the rest itself.

  • Snake Gourd Trichosanthes cucumerina · vegetable · sow direct · zones 10 to 13

    Grow it over a high frame so the long fruit hangs straight rather than curling on the ground. It handles heavy rain and humidity better than most gourds.

  • Frangipani Plumeria rubra · shrub · plant out · zones 9 to 12

    Let a cutting dry for a week before planting, or the cut end rots. It wants full sun, sharp drainage and almost no water while it is leafless.

Other months

The planting picks are written by the Pocket Botanist editors. The flowering and fruiting months come from AI-generated care guides checked against GBIF taxonomy, and are general information, not horticultural advice. Read about how we build these guides.