Although annual euphorbia may look delicate, this hard-working plant is in fact drought tolerant, heat tolerant and deer resistant. It’s no wonder then that geraniums are as popular today as they were decades ago. Artistically designed, colorful containers are a signature of an inviting patio, yet knowing which plants can tolerate especially sunny locations can be challenging. On a recent visit to Epcot, I was impressed with their Trial Gardens of 100 different varieties of annuals. Extremely heat and drought tolerant, bidens will drape over the sides of containers with successive sweeps of colorful, daisy-like flowers all summer long. Plants (including many annuals) are grown in display beds and rated for things like number of flowers, leaf color, uniformity of habit and flower, resistance to insects and diseases and overall appearance. Here are 17 of the best colorful and pretty sun annuals that you can grow in your garden. One of the easiest annuals to grow, ageratum not only takes the heat but also can handle frost. It thrives in full sun and has a compact habit, growing up to 20” tall. The following lists include some good choices for heat-tolerant plants that flower and love the hottest parts of summer. The heat-tolerant plant loves full sun, and you only need a few plants to put on a show. Also known as Egyptian star flower, this annual can handle the heat because it's native to Africa, Arabia, and Madagascar. Annuals that Thrive in Sun and Heat Annuals have long been popular in our gardens for summer color in containers and in the garden to help fill the gap when spring perennials finish blooming. These low-maintenance annuals do not need deadheading, yet will bloom all season no matter how hot it gets. There is a geranium to suit every color scheme and design, from classic “zonal" forms with an upright habit, to trailing “ivy" varieties; multi-colored leaves or plain green; striped flowers or solid colors. It takes the heat and humidity and is a nonstop bloomer. 6 to 10 inches tall and 10 to 36 inches wide, Supertunia Vista® Bubblegum® (pictured), Crazytunia Moonstruck, Surfinia Giant Blue. Remove the small pineapple-shaped seed heads when petals have fallen to encourage the next flush of flowers. This grows to the size of a modest shrub in a single growing season. Although annual euphorbia may look delicate, this hard-working plant is in fact drought tolerant, heat tolerant and deer resistant. Photo by InfoFlowersPlants / Shutterstock. Read more, see Growing African Daisy Plants. Zinnia marylandica ‘Double Zahara Strawberry’ is in good company with the other Zahara introductions. Deadheading isn’t necessary since the spent blooms are quickly hidden as the plant grows. This sun lover looks like a miniature petunia and grows 8-12 inches high and has both a mounding and trailing habit. Get planting advice, garden design tips and trends, monthly checklists for your area, product specials and more in our weekly newsletter. Add a froth of starry white flowers to your bolder flowers and foliage to create an eye-catching combination this summer. A wide variety of annuals sun heat options are available to you, Popular for placing at the edges of containers where they can mound gently over the sides, lantana are hard-working plants, blooming repeatedly throughout the summer with flat clusters of flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds. And while the taller, more traditional varieties are notorious for setting seed, having thorns, and being sticky to the touch, newer hybrids will astound you with their performance and well-behaved attitude. Is your garden ready for summer? ‘Lemonade’ (pictured), ‘Sensation’, ‘Seashells’. Single and double flower forms available. ‘Mrs. To help you plant up your containers as well as the landscape, we’ve organized our list into three categories: Plan your best summer garden yet, and get ready to enjoy the sunshine in style. Goldilocks Rocks® bidens. Annuals. For an electric glow, try pineapple sage (S. elegans) with its golden-yellow leaves and fire-engine red blooms in late summer or early fall. Today, gardeners can benefit from the Trial Gardens and plant evaluation programs throughout the country. For instance, rosemary is an attractive, heat-tolerant, sun-loving herb that can be grown in areas with full sun as well as containers. Floridians–beware. 3 to 6 inches tall and 12 to 18 inches wide, Sundial ‘Fuchsia’, Sundial ‘Yellow’, Sundial ‘Peppermint’. Marigolds. Diamond Frost® euphorbia. It is particularly useful as a ground cover, because it grows equally as well in sun or shade. African daisies do well in the landscape if the soil is well drained, and thrive in container gardens. Some tried and true heat-loving blooms that will soak up the rays without getting burnt. Summer sun can be brutally strong in some climates, and it’s not for the faint of heart. Discover annuals that thrive in cool weather. Single and semi-double-flowered varieties add to their value and interest. Petunias. In more temperate regions, you may enjoy a good display throughout the season. Whether you need tall stems for dramatic floral arrangements or more modest bouquets for your home, these annuals won’t let you down. Though blooming—which occurs in late spring—is much better in the sun. Choose from a dozen different flower hues, including white, red and orange. They will require at least 6-8 hours or more of sun a day. Mealycup sage (S. farinacea) is typically blue and makes a statement in the landscape; some newer hybrids are larger and especially attractive to hummingbirds, with flowers in shades of red, orange, and pink. 8 to 30 inches tall and 12 to 30 inches wide, Angelface® Cascade White (pictured), Angelface® Wedgwood Blue, Angelface® Perfectly Pink. Size: To 3 feet or more. When all the flowers on a blooming stalk have faded, cut off at the base to encourage new growth, 8 to 48 inches tall and 6 to 18 inches wide. What are your favorite annuals? Calibrachoa ‘ Superbells Coralberry Punch’ is perfect for containers. ­Pansies are small half-hardy garden flowers that have been traditionally regarded as too weak to prosper through the summer sun and heat. Photo by Proven Winners. document.write(theDate.getFullYear()) Cockscomb (Celosia spp.) It is also easy-care and blooms all season long without the need for deadheading or trimming. Thriving in full, hot sun, it blooms prolifically from early summer until frost. Size and habit will vary with species and variety. Speckled or striped, pastel or jewel tones, compact or trailing, single flowers or fully double; you will find plenty of petunias to suit every design criterion imaginable. You won’t lack for color when you create a low water use landscape that thrives in summer heat. The classic summertime cut flower; every gardener should grow at least a few sunflowers. Finally, dainty signet marigolds (Tagetes tenuifolia) are perfect for edging and bloom the most prolifically. Grow hardy annuals like sweet peas as a cut flower. In ideal conditions, they may also set seed for the following year. * Required | We will never sell or distribute your email to any other parties or organizations. That, plus its pest-resistant qualities, make it the perfect plant for the beginning gardener. Heat-loving annuals do fine in garden beds, but they also do well in containers. Smaller varieties are ideal for containers and baskets, while larger varieties make a handsome display in the landscape. Proven Accents® Rockin® ‘Golden Delicious’. Various flowering annuals are tolerant of summer’s sunny and hot days. From tools to furniture, these garden products are sure to delight. Easy to grow from seed or available as finished plants, these come in compact, mid-sized, and tall varieties to suit your space and needs. Photo by Proven Winners. Snapdragon flowers. 2 to 16 feet tall and 20 to 36 inches wide, Suncredible® Yellow (pictured), ‘Sunzilla’, ‘Sun Samba’. As well as the traditional yellow varieties, watch for multi-colored blends. Here's a quick summary of the eight heat- and drought-tolerant annuals that will be detailed in this article: Zinnias; Periwinkle; Moss Rose; Cosmos; Petunias; Sunflowers; Salvia; Celosia The main requirement for success is good drainage, so nemesia generally do better in containers than garden beds. If you need a drought-tolerant, rabbit- and deer-resistant cut flower, spider flower may be the answer. Photo by Proven Winners. All are deer resistant and drought tolerant once established, and reliably heat tolerant. Photo by Proven Winners. Photo by: Proven Winners. Whether you prefer to use them in containers, window boxes, hanging baskets, or in the garden border, all they ask is that you water and fertilize them occasionally and remove the spent blooms. With a rainbow of colors to choose from, this old-fashioned annual will never go off trend. In hotter climates, peak bloom times will be late spring and early fall, as these daisies dislike intense summer heat. 6 to 36 inches tall and 12 to 24 inches wide, ‘Mrs. Photo by noypb / Shutterstock. You can’t beat Calibrachoa, (commonly called Superbells® or Million Bells®) for sheer flower power. This vigorous, deer-resistant, drought-tolerant annual will act both as a filler and a spiller in your containers, or it can be used to add a carpet of color to your landscape beds. Diamond Frost® (pictured), Diamond Mountain®, Diamond Snow®. 1-1/2 to 6 feet tall and 1-1/2 to 3 feet wide, Senorita Blanca® (pictured), ‘Sparkler Blush’, ‘Rose Queen’. The easiest annuals to start from seeds, these bright buds will bloom in containers until an autumn frost. Otherwise, these are easy-care plants and do not need deadheading. Lantana is a common tropical flower that blooms year-round in bright colors like red, yellow, orange, white or pink. With many new colors to choose from, including bi-colors and blends, nemesia are ideal for adding some fun to your late spring and early summer designs. Euphorbia: "Diamond Frost" looks like baby’s breath, but is more resilient. Though these annual flowers, like dianthus and calendula, may require full sun, they prefer the cool conditions in spring and fall. Photo by Proven Winners. This gives us our first hint as to why it is a great summer annual for hot areas of the south. No matter how much you water them, they just can’t tolerate the heat. Although they are all sun lovers, you will find that some bloom harder during cold weather (dianthus) while others love the heat (moss rose, zinnias). ‘Evolution’ mealycup sage. Depending on where you live in the US, there are many varieties to choose from. Looking fora Pro? Photo by Proven Winners. 12 to 50 inches tall and 10 to 36 inches wide, Magellan™ Scarlet (pictured), ‘Benary’s Giant Coral’, ‘Green Envy’. A must-have for the cutting garden—and any garden where children are likely to visit, because every child should experience the fun of “snapping" the dragon’s head! This plant is considered a tender perennial but is commonly grown as an annual too. Stately, shrub-sized plants with feathery foliage offer the stage for a summer-long performance of daisy-shaped blooms in shades of red, pink, white, or palest lemon, each with a distinctive yellow eye. Another fun fact about ageratum is that it is one of the few plants in the world that blooms a true, natural blue. Yet when the exotic flowers appear, they really steal the show, each one resembling a tiny parrot’s beak, a common name by which it is sometimes known. They grow 2 feet to 4 feet tall and are sterile, so reseeding should not be a problem. Photo by Proven Winners. It thrives in neglect and heat, it is kind of an afternoon sun plant, the more sun the better. Find a Garden Center that carries Proven Winners plants & products. (Petunia sp. Call us at (866) 441-6648. Always check the sunlight requirements for each plant before purchasing. Summer. While each bell-shaped bloom is typically less than 1 inch in diameter, they are usually borne in abundance and cover the plant entirely. 6 to 36 inches tall and 6 to 24 inches wide, ‘Paprika’ (signet, pictured), Gold Coins series (African), ‘Disco Queen’ (French). Luckily, there are gorgeous annuals that love the heat AND are low-maintenance. In addition to the perennial and shrub forms of sage, there are several outstanding tender varieties that can be enjoyed as annuals in colder climates. The purpose is to seek out and identify superior plants from the intermountain region to the high plains, The Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus, Ohio. Start with the low-growing moss rose (Portulaca grandiflora). With so many colors to choose from and habits ranging from compact to more generous-sized varieties that spill over the edge of larger containers, gardeners can enjoy creating their perfect summer combination. 2 to 6 inches tall and 18 to 36 inches wide. Sunflower, Helianthus annuus Full sun plant, can be 1 to 12 feet in height, depending on the variety. ... We ask a lot of our annuals in their short growing season, not the least of which is to flourish under the blazing sun of summer. The long stems are a florist’s dream, yet they are sturdy enough for even young children to pick. Heat tolerant, drought tolerant, and deer resistant this tough foliage accent is the perfect finishing touch to all your floral containers. The annuals listed below all prefer at least 6 hours of direct sun to bloom well. Native to Africa and also known as vinca, this is one of the most heat tolerant of all annuals. Choose from flowers in shades of pink, gold, or orange, as well as two-tone varieties and pure white. It also received the 2011 Bedding Plant Award for the AAS (All America Selections). Trailing Plants. Take the guesswork out of sunny planters, beds, and borders with some of our full-sun favorites that not only survive the intense summer heat, but thrive in it. They are tricky as houseplants because they love humidity, but will easily rebound when planted back outdoors in spring. Also called Egyptian star flower, native from Yemen to East Africa. Below is a list of some of my top choices for Sun. All plants and flowers need the sun but only a few can tolerate its strength during the heat of summer. They produce more flowers on larger plants as the temperatures rise, making them ideal for growing in warm climates and places with hot summers. Vinca or periwinkle (sometimes called Madagascar periwinkle) is often confused with impatiens because of the similar appearance of their flowers. Top 3 Annuals for Hot Sun. Angelonia: "Serena" series has white, purple, lavender and pink spikes. Petunias are one of the easiest plants to maintain and have been on the scene for ages. Photo by Proven Winners. Drought tolerant and deer resistant, lantana are available in a wide range of colors including multi-colored forms, as well as some varieties with variegated foliage. 2. Learn more about how to grow Calibrachoa. Annuals have long been popular in our gardens for summer color in containers and in the garden to help fill the gap when spring perennials finish blooming. These are my 5 top favorite annuals for those hot, sunny sites (more on sun vs shade and the definitions of each in another blog). Since it has a wide-spreading, slightly stiff growth habit, this also makes an excellent ground cover. * Required FieldsWe will never sell or distribute your email to any other parties or organizations. Whether you prefer shorter stems and jelly bean colors or taller stems in elegant shades of coral, don’t underestimate the ability of zinnia to meet your needs. Photo by Daryl Finn / Shutterstock. The Trial Gardens at UGA, Athens, GA where they grow annuals, tropicals, vines, perennials and container plantings, The University of Tennessee Gardens, Knoxville, TN, The Chicago Botanical Garden, Glencoe, IL, evaluates perennials, trees and shrubs, Denver Botanic Garden, Denver, Colorado in cooperation with Colorado State University has a plant evaluation program called Plant Select. Bright Lights™ Berry Rose African daisy. The colorful pop of orange is a great addition to any garden, … 8 to 14 inches tall and 10 to 24 inches wide, Goldilocks Rocks® (pictured), Beedance® Painted Red, ‘White Delight’. Taller varieties are the most versatile for cut flowers, but may need staking. Use these succulent beauties to trail from baskets or to act as a carpeting groundcover in the landscape where they will bloom nonstop without regular water. Mature size will vary considerably with variety. It comes in white, lavender and lavender pink. Superbells® Double Chiffon calibrachoa. 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Bloom again in a day or two are perfect for containers and baskets, while larger varieties make a display! Have so many choices with petunias now because they’re sold in such a wide variety of colors well.