Long-blooming Annuals

Our Garden Gang's

Long-Blooming Annuals

Here they are, 40 annuals that are real garden troupers.  For best results, amend your annual beds with lots of organic material, and feed every two weeks until frost.

Check out specific varieties of great annuals to grow at the AAS Top Annuals and AAS 2005 Top Annuals.  

 

These are the latest All-American Selections award winners for best performance in all garden conditions.

 


 

 

Name Light Temperature Height Comments
ANGEL'S TRUMPET, COMMON (Brugmansia arborea or B. versicolor) Full Sun Garden Annual; perennial above 45° Shrub or tree, 6'-12' Prefers fertile, moist soil; can overwinter as houseplant; all parts are highly toxic if ingested.
BACHELOR'S BUTTON, CORNFLOWER (Centaurea cyanus) Full Sun Hardy Annual 10"-3' Deadhead; drought-tolerant; does not transplant well, sow directly in ground.
BLACK-EYED SUSAN VINE (Thunbergia Alata) Full to Part Sun Garden Annual; perennial above 45° Twining climber to 8' Prefers fertile, moist soil.
BLANKET FLOWER (Gaillardia pulchella) Full Sun Tender Annual 14"-36" Looks best in mass plantings or wildflower meadows; prefers sandy soil; drought and heat tolerant; deadhead.
CAPE DAISY (Venidium fastuosum) Full Sun Tender Annual 2' Flowers close at night; prefers rich soil; thrives in hot, dry conditions.
COCKSCOMB (Celosia cristata) Full Sun Half-hardy Annual 6"-30" Prefers moist, fertile soil; excellent dried flower.
COSMOS Full Sun Half-hardy Annual 1'-5' Deadhead; prefers moderately fertile to poor soil; rich soil will encourage lush foilage at expense of flowers; heat and drought tolerant.
CREEPING DAISY (Chrysanthemum paludosum) Full Sun Annual 12"-18" Similar to low-growing miniature marguerite; prefers fertile, moist soil.
CREEPING ZINNIA (Santivalia procumbens) Full Sun Annual Groundcover or front of border, to 8" Prefers moderately fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil.
EVOLVULUS (syn. Convolvulaceae) Full Sun Garden Annual; Perennial above 50° 20" Prefers poor to moderately fertile, well-drained soil.
FAIRY FAN FLOWER (Scaevola aemula) Full Sun to Part Shade Garden Annual; perennial above 41° 6" Prefers moderately fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil.
FLOSS FLOWER (Ageratum) Full Sun to Part Sun Annual 6"-18" Deadhead for more blooms; heat and drought tolerant.
FLOWERING MAPLE, INDIAN MALLOW (Abutilon 'MOONCHIMES') Full Sun Garden Annual; Perennial in Zones 10-11 Shrub to 6' Bears bell-shaped yellow flowers; winter indoors as container plant.
FOUR O'CLOCK (Mirabilis jalapa) Full to Part Sun Half-hardy annual 2'-3' Tolerates heat, humidity, and drought; requires full sun to bloom well; flowers open in late afternoon.
GAZANIA (Gazania ringens) Full Sun Annual; Perennial in Zones 9-10 8"-12" Blooms close at night; thrives in hot, dry conditions; requires little maintenance.
GERANIUM (Pelargonium spp.) Full Sun Tender Annual; perennial above 36°. 10"-18" Deadhead; keep over winter as houseplant.
GLOBE AMARANTH (Gomphrena globosa) Full Sun Tender Annual 6"-30" Tolerates poor soil, heat, and drought; excellent dried flower.
HELIOTROPE Full Sun Tender Annual 8"-18" Fragrant; prefers rich soil, requires little care.
ICE PLANT, LIVINGSTONE DAISY (Dorotheanthus) Full Sun Annual 4"-6" Deadhead; prefers poor, sandy soil.
IMPATIENS Part Sun to Shade Tender Annual 8"-20" Prefers evenly moist soil.
LANTANA Full to Part Sun Annual; Perennial above 50° 18"-3' Long blooming season; drought tolerant.
MALLOW 'PINK QUEEN' (Malope trifida 'Pink Queen') Full to Part Sun Annual 3' Flowers best where summers are cool, but tolerates heat and dry soil.
MARIGOLD (Tagetes spp.) Full Sun Half-hardy annual 8"-36" Deadhead; tolerates heat and drought.
MELAMPODIUM (Melampodium cinereum) Full Sun Tender Annual 18" Heat and drought tolerant; low maintenance; self-sows.
MEXICAN HEATHER (Cuphea Allyson) Full to Part Sun Annual; Perennial Zones 10-11 18"-24" Blooms best in full sun; heat tolerant; good container plant.
MORNING GLORY (Ipomoea spp.) Full Sun Annual; Perennial in Zone 10 Vine up to 20' Prefers full sun and average, well-drained soil.
NIEREMBERGIA (Nierembergia hippomanica) Full to Part Sun Tender Annual 6"-12" Prefers sheltered location w/full or partial sun and moist, well-drained soil.
MOSS ROSE (Portulaca grandiflora) Full Sun Hardy Annual 6" Succulent, ideal for rock gardens and desertlike patches; prefers sandy, hot, dry locations in full sun.
OSTEOPERMUM Full Sun Annual; Perennial in Zones 10-11 4"-24" Deadhead daisy-like flowers; prefers moderately fertile, well-drained soil.
PENTAS Full Sun Annual 14"-3' Prefers fertile, well-drained soil.
PETUNIA Full Sun Tender Annual 12"-15" Deadhead; prefers rich, sandy soil
PERIWINKLE, VINCA (Catharanthus roseus) Full to Part Sun Tender Annual 4"-15" Drought tolerant; prefers well-drained, sandy soil.
PHLOX (Phlox drummondii) Full Sun Hardy Annual 6"-18" Deadhead; thrives in rich, well-drained soil; give extra water in dry periods.
SALVIA Full Sun to Part Sun Annual 10'-30" Prefers rich soil in full sun; drought tolerant, but fares better w/regular watering during prolonged dry periods.
SPIDER FLOWER (Cleome hasslerana) Full to Part Sun Hardy Annual 3'-6' Self-sows; prefers rich soil, but tolerates wide range of soil conditions; drought tolerant.
STRAWFLOWER (Bracteantha or Helichrysum bracteatum) Full Sun Tender Annual 14"-36" Prefers well-drained, sandy soil; tolerates hot, dry conditions.
SWEET ALYSSUM (Lobularia maritima) Full to Part Sun Hardy Annual 3"-6" Self-sows; shear plants back for fresh blooms if flowering slows in heat of summer.
VERBENA Full Sun Half-Hardy Annual 6"-4' Prefers rich, sandy soil; do not overwater; deadhead.
WAX BEGONIA (Begonia semperflorens-cultorum) Full Sun to Shade Tender Annual 6"-12" Performs well in sun or shade; tolerates variety of soil conditions, but prefers rich, well-drained soil.
ZINNIA Full Sun Tender Annual 6"-36" Deadhead; tolerates wide variety of soil conditions.

 

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