Ten best summer annuals
Are you wanting to brighten up your outdoor space, but not sure where to start? Here are ten of the best annuals that will give you brilliant blooms and full color all summer long. Click the links below each photo to learn more.
Disclaimer: These are all annuals in zone six. Some plants listed can be hardy in other zones.
10. Caladium
Caladiums have both a shade variety and a sun variety, so double check when you’re shopping that you bought the ones you need for your space. Both like the warm, humid temperatures, but shade varieties will have showier colors while sun varieties will be able to withstand the heat and drought better.
As you can see, caladiums are known for their stunning leaves. While they might not technically have a “brilliant bloom” like I just promised, they still come in a variety of eye-popping colors. There are reds, pinks, whites, greens and mixtures of all of those, as pictured above in the Bottle Rocket caladiums.
Both sun and shade caladiums like the hot temperatures, so make sure to wait until temps are regularly above 70 degrees to plant them anywhere. Different varieties can grow anywhere from one to three feet tall, and they look great as fillers in custom pots. Make sure to keep them out of any strong winds to protect their large leaves.
9. Salvia
Salvia is lovely because not only does it have tall, pretty blooms, but it’s heat tolerant, drought tolerant and deer tolerant. The triple threat!
This plant is most often used as a thriller in custom pots. Salvia grows way taller (anywhere from 1–5 feet depending on the variety) than most annuals, so instead of sticking a spike in the middle of your pot, why not try some colorful salvia? There are perennial and annual varieties, with most of them being purple in color. There are also some blue and red varieties.
To get the most out of your salvia plant, make sure to plant it in full sun and water regularly. They can grow bigger and bushier after having a good trim, so make sure to give them haircuts right above a set of leaves to encourage growth every now and then.
8. Gerber Daisy
Daisies are my personal favorite flower, but they’re lower on the list because of their potential to be a little temperamental. These flowers like the full sun, but will begin to look sad if they aren’t watered when needed. When we hit July and August, they sometimes need watered a couple times a day.
There is a perk of being a temperamental plant, though: you always know when they need watered. In my experience, a flower will droop, I’ll water it, and the next day it’ll have a strong, upright stem again.
These plants come in a variety of colors, such as red, pink, yellow, white, orange, the list goes on and on. For more blooms, make sure to cut off dead flowers as soon as they begin to wilt to make sure more energy is being sent to new blooms.
7. Bougainvillea
Bougainvillea are a tropical plant, meaning they are literally born to withstand the high temperatures and droughts. Tropicals are great plants for people who aren’t great at keeping plants alive, because they seriously thrive in our crazy hot summer temps.
The reason these are lower on the list is strictly because of their price. Bougainvilleas are absolutely beautiful and come in whites, pinks and oranges with constant flowers in full bloom. With such pretty plants that thrive in the heat, they’re a plant that’s in high demand every summer. A potted bougainvillea can run upwards of $60 in some places, and for an annual that’s only going to last a few months, that’s a bit pricy.
But hey, if you can afford it, it’s a great plant! They’re a vining plant that looks best in hanging baskets when the flowers can droop over the edges. But be careful, they’re even thornier than roses so always wear gloves when messing with them. Make sure they’re in at least six hours of sun a day and water whenever they feel dry.
6. Pentas
Pentas are like little firecrackers. They bloom in clumps of star-shaped flowers, and are visually unique and easy to care for. These were one of the first flowers I bought when I first got into planting, and they didn’t steer me wrong.
Pentas love the hot, full sun and can survive a drought. These are very low maintenance annuals, and only require full sun, regular watering and occasional deadheading. By cutting off the dead blooms, you are encouraging new growth and more blooms.
They are somewhat shrub-like, so pentas will usually grow to the size of the container they’re planted in. This plant typically comes in pink, white or red, and their bright colors and bushy shape makes them great fillers in custom pots.
5. Mezoo
Mezoo, also known as the lipstick plant, is so drought and heat tolerant that it’s basically a succulent. These green trailers have waxy leaves like succulents, but trail downwards and bloom bright red flowers all over.
Mezoo comes in a light green, variegated color (pictured above) or a dark green color. Both varieties flower, and they flower constantly. Plant mezoo in full sun and water it only when it gets dry.
As a trailer, this plant looks great as a spiller in custom pots hanging over the side. But remember, when panting custom pots you have to make sure that all the plants in the pot need about the same amount of water. Mezoo would be good planted with tropicals or other succulent-type plants that don’t need a ton of water to survive. Mezoo also would work great in garden beds and rock gardens.
4. Purslane/Portulaca
Like mezoo, purslane and portulaca are also closely related to the succulent. They have waxy leaves that produce eye-popping blooms in pink, yellow and orange, with some varieties even having stripes or double blooms. They are a trailing plant that looks great in hanging baskets (pictured above) or as spillers in custom pots or ground cover.
These succulent-like flowers absolutely love the heat and are very drought-tolerant. They’re great annuals for planters who are just starting out, because they don’t need a ton of attention. Just make sure they’re in the full sun and water them every few days. This is a plant that’d rather be dry than overwatered.
Purslane and portulaca are not the exact same plant, but they’re very close cousins. Both are always found at greenhouses in the summer, and a fun fact about the trailing plant is that their blooms close when the sun’s not out and then reopen in the morning.
3. Lantana
Lantana is probably the most-known, sun-loving annual that there is. It’s spherical blooms come in an array of colors from oranges, yellows and reds to purples, and many varieties have a little bit of every color in there.
These plants love the heat and can easily survive a bit of a drought in the hottest months. Aside from being easy to take care of, lantana is also deer-resistant.
Plant lantana in the ground or in pots and they will take off and grow in their bushy shape. Just be careful, because many people are allergic to lantana, so make sure to wear gloves when handling the plant to avoid getting itchy all over.
2. Hibiscus
Hibiscus are a very common tropical plant, meaning they also thrive in the hot, summer temperatures and can survive a drought. These flowers have large blooms, usually in yellow, pink, red, orange or even white.
There is also a perennial variety, or “Hardy Hibiscus” that grows a little larger and is more expensive. But for this list, the annual hibiscus looks does great when potted in sunny locations. It’s a bit larger than other annuals like lantana or purslane, but it can fill up its own pot and still look spectacular. Make sure to plant in a container that leaves the tropical with some room to grow.
Although these plants can tolerate a drought, they like to be a little wet. Make sure to water them a few times a week, whenever the soil feels dry. You’ll also have to pinch off the noticeable dead blooms.
1. Mandevilla/Dipladenia
Mandevilla and dipladenia are almost the same flower, except for the fact that mandevillas climb while dipladenias are more bushy. Like hibiscus, they are also tropical plants and have trumpet-like blooms in colors such as pink, orange, white and red.
Because these are tropicals, they are very heat and drought tolerant. Mandevillas and dipladenias will bloom until temperatures begin to drop, so make sure to plant them in full sun all day long and water when they get dry.
Both work very well in pots, but if you plant a mandevilla, you will need a trellis or some sort of wall or fence that the plant can climb up. Personally, I like to plant a red dipladenia in a pot with some mezoo trailing over the side. The dark and light greens offset each other, while the red dipladenia flowers bring out the red mezoo blooms. Both need little water, so they work well planted together.
