All About Annuals!

Why Annuals?

Annuals are plants, as you probably know, only last one season. I get people all the time saying they don’t want that! They want something that will come back every year. Understandably so. However, annuals honestly are the best bang for buck. Perennials may come back year to year but the bloom cycle is usually only a few weeks. As opposed to annuals whose bloom cycle is several months, some varieties blooming consistently from April to October (7 months out of the year).

Here are just a couple of my favorites:

Lantana- I have to start of the conversation with the best, low maintenance annual on the market. Lantana can take full-sun, heat, water stress, etc. These plants are also heavy bloomers and even end up looking their best sometimes at the end of your season, when other annuals are looking tired. Lantana is also a great plant for pollinators. Butterfly love lantana because of their large landing pad and multitude of attracting colors.

Begonias- Yes, begonias have been a staple landscape plant for decades. They can handle full-sun to full-shade. Begonias are one of the best plants for drought tolerance, often being overwatered is their vice, if anything. Due to their waxy leaves, Begonias stand up very well to southern humidity where powdery mildew can be prevalent.

Angelonia- Angelonia is a fantastic annual for full-sun, low maintenance and drought tolerance. They are perfect for the thriller in containers or in the middle ground of the landscape. With unique, face-shaped blooms that form a column they truly stand out in any garden.

Celosia- Celosia is coming up in the landscape industry realm currently, and for good reason! Celosia has interesting flame shaped, furry-looking blooms that come in a variety of vibrant colors! They are also great plants for handing the heat of summers and their blooms are continuous throughout the season. Some favorite varieties are the crested series (brains) and the ‘Dragon’s Blood’ red celosia.

Geranium- This old-fashioned favorite is making a comeback. There are new varieties emerging lately that have made these hot again. Burgundy shades, bi-colors, various leaf shaped and more are extending the popularity of these staples. Ivy geraniums are particularly great southern performers with large waxy leaves and dainty, but vibrant flowers. Starry Night and Burgundy bi-color are two new cultivars we have this year.

Impatiens- A big family of tried-and-true plants, Impatiens have been popular lately due to their Sunpatiens line that started years ago. Sunpatiens have quickly becoming favorites in the landscape and it is true, that hardly any other plant can match their stunning color. However, these plants are thirsty! Sunpatiens need consistent watering to keep going, but if you can, you’ll reap the rewards! Imara series of the old-fashioned species has significant powdery mildew resistance and would be great in shade gardens mixed between ferns or hostas.

Dahlia- I went a little crazy with the Dahlias this year because my goodness those blooms are gorgeous!!! We have to play the game however with Dahlias in the south, but it can be done! Dahlias prefer a bit cooler temperatures so give them some afternoon shade, if possible, to ease their load. Also, Dahlias are prone to mildew and fungal issues in the south so using a Fungicide preventatively throughout the season would be helpful.

Osteospermum- We have some very cool bi-color Osteospermum this year, 4D ‘Blue Ice’ and ‘Harvest Moon’ and Bright Lights ‘Horizon Sunset’. Their beautiful daisy blooms are fun to use in containers or in the front of garden beds. Treat with Fungicide to avoid powdery mildew on the leaves!

Coleus- Probably the annual with the most variety. Ordering these is challenging because there are so many! Coleus varieties can be anywhere from full shade to full sun and anywhere in between so make sure to check the tags! Leaf contrast color is one of my favorite landscape design tools to create unity and spectacle. They can be used in containers from thriller, to filler, to spiller (the wedding train is one of my favorites). ‘Redhead’ and Colorblaze ‘Golden Dreams’ is another.

Cuphea- Specifically the Vermillionaire Cuphea is one of the best annual plants for hummingbirds. Their orange and purple tubular flowers are the perfect shaped for hummingbirds to feed on. They are also just super easy plants that transition to fall so well.

Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’- the ultimate spiller/trailer to baskets and containers. Silver falls literally creates a waterfall of silvery blue color that contrasts beautifully with almost anything. A good general rule is that most plants with silvery colored foliage are especially full-sun and heat tolerant because the silvery color helps reflect some of the sun’s rays.

Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’- This plant is in the same family as the poinsettias we grow for Christmas! Diamond Frost is notable for its white feathery blooms that look like a cloud in the landscape. Pair this plant with solid colored blooms or foliage for a fantastic contrast! Great heat and sun tolerance.

Petunias- I’ve never personally been big on Petunias. I think sometimes they need a decent amount of fertilizer and shade that I just can’t give them, however, there is no other annual with the catalog of varieties… from ‘Night Sky’ to the Crazytunias ‘Queen of Hearts’, there is so much to love about these plants and in hanging baskets they are a knockout. In garden beds, Proven Winner’s supertunias are unmatched. They have great longevity, heat tolerance and spread while producing vibrant blooms that last all season.

Pentas- One of those annuals that do not get enough hype is Pentas! These gorgeous plants have clustered flowers that butterflies love! Not to mention they are great for heat/drought/sun tolerance. Use them as thrillers in containers or as a mid-ground in your garden beds.

Suncredible Sunflower- We will have these ready later in the spring, but these are my absolute favorite! Proven Winners ‘Suncredible’ Sunflowers are truly a standout. They form a bush basically so be prepared to give them some space! These plants bloom profusely until the first frost in the fall. Bees and pollinators love them, and nothing quite makes people smile like sunflowers! The new ‘Saturn’ cultivar has an attractive orange ring around the center for some extra fun!

Caladium- Caladiums are bulbs that are kin to Alocasias/Colocasias/Eelephant Ear. They have a wide variety of color combinations that look fantastic in containers and garden beds. Their large broad leaves are a standout in any combination. Caladiums have historically been shade plants but there has been a lot of breeding lately that has produced many sun loving cultivars as well! As a general rule, most of the “strap-leaf” or shorter varieties can handle more sun than the taller varieties. Caladiums are also an easy plant to grow as a houseplant so after the season is over you can dig them up and bring them in!