In my neck of 5b (upstate NY), late July is right on time for Joe-Pye to be coloring up and Rudbeckia 'Herbstonne' to be in bloom. I wouldn't really consider either one a true "fall bloomer", although the Rudbeckia's blooms do last quite a bit into September.

I've already seen a few trees starting their color change -- and with the rains we have had, shouldn't be drought stress.

I can't say I've noticed anything blooming very early (except my chrysanthemums, which I've given up trying to pinch and let them bloom when they will; they are in bud now). However, I noticed two things that happened very early, imo. First, I have two large beautiful hostas that are in a bed that was once a shade bed but then I lost my oak. The bed is now part sun, and every year by August the poor hostas are burnt. This year, the FIRST WEEK IN JULY they were burning. Couldn't believe it. And some smaller hostas were almost crispy. Way too eary.

Secondly, last week I was out in the veggie garden, admiring how things had taken off after all the rain (after not doing anything all spring). Suddenly I was shocked to find my cucumber plants all brown and curled up, and I hadn't gotten a single cuke out of them yet! They often succumb to some disease or another, but usually after weeks of production. This is kind of crazy. I'm guessing it's the high temps we've been having. Too hot too early.

:)

Dee

I have several large patches of leadwort (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) and there are flowers on it. Never seen that so early before.

"I have several large patches of leadwort (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) and there are flowers on it."

Mine too- I thought it was just an anomaly!

I was at an art event yesterday afternoon and was rather taken by the landscaping of the site (who needs art when ya got plants??). One area was planted with a wide swathe of Mukdenia rossii and even though it was in mostly shade, it had already turned its characteristic fall red color.

I think it must have been some drought stress as mine in a similar situation but with plentiful irrigation is still very green.

As a fellow Michigander, I can wholeheartedly say YES, many of my perennials are blooming much earlier than what is typical for them, and this goes all the way back to late spring/early summer bloomers.

And I too have wondered…does all this summer rain portend a particularly nasty and snowy winter coming our way? It seems the last two winters haven’t been that bad…perhaps we are due!

I think it's due in part to the fact that the upper Midwest is ahead of average in growing degree days. Plentiful rainfall over the past month in some areas (like here in southeast Michigan) probably also has something to do with it.

I have a Little Lime that is starting to turn pink on the lower flowers when some of the top flowers haven't even filled out yet.

The self sown, invasive Clematis paniculata has been in bloom for a couple of weeks.

That would be the frequently mislabeled Clematis terniflora (aka Sweet Autumn clematis), not paniculata :-) C. paniculata is a semi tropical species rarely found in commerce, is evergreen and blooms at a completely different time of year.

It is unfortunate that this confusion persists but is consistently promulgated by websites that refuse to (or ignore) correct the mislabeling.

@gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9) , thank you for that information. I saw Clematis Paniculata at a nursery this summer and I wasn’t sure what I would have gotten had I purchased it; the plants had no other label. So it was most likely Sweet Autumn - very good to know!