List
9: Perennials and Annuals 4-09-03
Back to Home Page
Abutilon x hybridum, Flowering Maple; Chinese Lantern
| Family: Malvaceae |
Light: Full sun |
| Water: Moist |
Height: 1'-3' tall by 2' wide |
| Bloom Time and color: Spring to fall; yellow, orange, rose,
white |
Comments: Good in window boxes or containers; don't let it
dry out; Leaves look like maple leaves |
| Propagation: Seed or cuttings in spring |
Hardiness: Half-hardy annual |
Antirrhinum majus,
Snapdragon
| Family: Scrophulariaceae |
Light: Full sun |
| Water: Moderate |
Height: 1'-4' tall and 1' wide |
| Bloom Time and color: Spring to fall; many colors including
yellow, pink, orange, maroon, red |
Comments: Flowers in terminal racemes; comes in dwarf,
intermediate and tall varieties; tender perennial |
| Propagation: Seeds or cuttings taken in the spring or fall |
Hardiness: Half-hardy annual |
Begonia
semperflorens-cultorum, Wax Begonia
| Family: Begoniaceae |
Light: Full sun to shade; partial shade is best |
| Water: Evenly moist; can tolerate drought |
Height: 6-12" tall and 12" wide |
| Bloom Time and color: Summer; red, white, pink |
Comments: Low maintenance plant; needs average to rich
well-drained soil |
| Propagation: Cuttings or seeds |
Hardiness: Half-hardy annual |
Catharanthus
roseus, Madagascar periwinkle; vinca
| Family: Apocynaceae |
Light: Full sun to part shade |
| Water: Evenly moist |
Height: 1'-2' tall |
| Bloom Time and color: Summer to frost; apricot petals with
red eye, light blue, light pink, rose, grape, peppermint |
Comments: Contains alkaloids that retard leukemia
development |
| Propagation: Seeds or cuttings taken in spring or early
summer |
Hardiness: Half-hardy annual |
Celosia argentea var.
cristata, Cockscomb
| Family: Amaranthaceae |
Light: Full sun |
| Water: Evenly moist |
Height: 8" to 3' tall |
| Bloom Time and color: Summer; orange, red, yellow, cream |
Comments: Have distorted flower heads that look like colored
brains |
| Propagation: Seed |
Hardiness: Half-hardy annual |
Coleus (Solenostemon) x
hybridus, Coleus
| Family: Lamiaceae |
Light: Part shade to full sun |
| Water: Evenly moist |
Height: Less than 24" tall |
| Bloom Time and color: Summer; white/purple |
Comments: Grow for foliage rather than for flowers |
| Propagation: Seed or by cuttings |
Hardiness: Tender annual |
Cosmos bipinnatus, Tall
Cosmos
| Family: Asteraceae |
Light: Full sun |
| Water: Evenly moist |
Height: 3'-4' tall |
| Bloom Time and color: Summer to fall; red, rose, pink, white |
Comments: Tall and short forms available; attracts
butterflies and are good as a cut flower |
| Propagation: Seed |
Hardiness: Half-hardy annual |
Gomphrena globosa,
Globe amaranth
| Family: Amaranthaceae |
Light: Full sun |
| Water: Moderate; tolerates dry soil |
Height: 1'-3' tall and 1' wide |
| Bloom Time and color: Summer; rose-pink, red, orange,
lavender, white |
Comments: Excellent in hot weather; attract butterflies and
are good for cut flowers and dried arrangements |
| Propagation: Seed |
Hardiness: Half-hardy annual |
Impatiens
hawkeri, New Guinea Impatiens
| Family: Balsaminaceae |
Light: Full sun in the north, but shade is helpful |
| Water: Moist |
Height: 12"-14" tall and 1' wide |
| Bloom Time and color: Summer to frost; rose, red, salmon,
lilac-pink, white |
Comments: Variegated and bronze leaves; asymmetrical,
5-petaled, spurred flowers |
| Propagation: Seed or cuttings |
Hardiness: Tender annual |
Ipomoea spp.,
Morning Glory
| Family: Convolvulaceae |
Light: Full sun |
| Water: Evenly moist |
Height: Tall climber-needs support |
| Bloom Time and color: Summer; pale purple |
Comments: Flowers open in the morning; not all varieties
have flowers |
| Propagation: Seed |
Hardiness: Half-hardy annual |
Lobelia erinus,
Bedding Lobelia
| Family: Lobeliaceae |
Light: Full sun |
| Water: Evenly moist |
Height: 4"-9" tall |
| Bloom Time and color: Early summer to frost; blue-violet
with a white yellow throat, shades of blue, lilac, violet, red, pink, white,
yellow |
Comments: Good for edging, baskets, and container |
| Propagation: Seed |
Hardiness: Tender annual |
Matthiola incana, Stock
| Family: Brassicaceae |
Light: Full sun |
| Water: Moderate |
Height: 12"-30" tall and 12" wide |
| Bloom Time and color: Summer; pink, white, red, purple |
Comments: Sweet fragrance; comes in double or single flowers |
| Propagation: Seed |
Hardiness: Half-hardy annual |
Molluccella laevis,
Bells of Ireland
| Family: Lamiaceae |
Light: Full sun to light shade |
| Water: Needs regular watering |
Height: 2'-3' tall |
| Bloom Time and color: Summer to fall; green with showy bell
shaped calyces |
Comments: Has five small thorns at the ends of the sepals.
Grows well in poor to average well-drained soil. |
| Propagation: Seed |
Hardiness: Half-hardy annual |
Osteospermum hybrida,
Cape Daisy; S. African Daisy
| Family: Asteraceae |
Light: Full sun |
| Water: Dry |
Height: 1'-2' tall |
| Bloom Time and color: Midsummer to fall; rose-red, bluish
white, cherry red, white with blue eye, pink, purple, peach, yellow |
Comments: Showy daisy-like flowers, they thrive in heat and
in areas with a long growing season |
| Propagation: Seed |
Hardiness: Half-hardy annual |
Papaver rhoeas, Corn
Poppy; Flanders Poppy
| Family: Papaveraceae |
Light: Full sun |
| Water: Evenly moist |
Height: 9"-18" tall |
| Bloom Time and color: Early summer; red, deep purple, white |
Comments: Solitary flowers are borne on long stalks.
Has lobed or dissected leaves |
| Propagation: Seed |
Hardiness: Hardy annual |
Petunia x hybrida,
Petunia
| Family: Solanaceae |
Light: Full sun |
| Water: Moist, but well-drained |
Height: 12"-14" tall |
| Bloom Time and color: Summer to fall; all colors available |
Comments: Available in single or double flowers; lovely
fragrance; wet weather can cause many diseases |
| Propagation: Seed or cuttings taken in spring or summer |
Hardiness: Half-hardy annual |
Salvia
splendens, Scarlet Sage; Salvia
| Family: Lamiaceae |
Light: Full sun to part shade |
| Water: Evenly moist |
Height: 6"-24" tall |
| Bloom Time and color: Summer to fall; red, pink, purple,
rose, white, salmon |
Comments: These have opposite leaves and square stems; There
are tall and intermediate and short varieties; tender perennial |
| Propagation: Seed |
Hardiness: Half-hardy annual |
Dahlia hybrids,
Garden Dahlia
| Family: Asteraceae |
Light: Full sun |
| Water: Evenly moist |
Height: 18"-6' tall |
| Bloom Time and color: Late summer; all colors except true
blue |
Zone: 8- |
| Propagation: Dividing clumps of tubers |
Comments: Can overwinter tubers in a dry area, need to lift
tubers at the first frost; subject to viruses, fungal diseases, and insects |
Echinacea
purpurea, Purple Coneflower
| Family: Asteraceae |
Light: Full sun |
| Water: Tolerates drought |
Height: 2'-3' tall |
| Bloom Time and color: Early to midsummer; rose to purple,
white |
Zone: 3-8 |
| Propagation: Seed, division or basal cuttings in spring or
root cuttings in fall |
Comments: Cultivated for medicinal uses |
Linum perenne,
Blue Flax
| Family: Linaceae |
Light: Full sun |
| Water: Moderate to dry |
Height: 12"-18" tall and 12" wide |
| Bloom Time and color: Early to midsummer; blue |
Zone: 4-8 |
| Propagation: Seed; cuttings in early summer; division in
spring or fall |
Comments: Short lived; self-seeds; prune after flowering |
Linum flavum 'Compactum',
Yellow Flax
| Family: Linaceae |
Light: Full sun |
| Water: Moderate to dry |
Height: 8" tall |
| Bloom Time and color: Summer; yellow |
Zone: 4-7 |
| Propagation: Seed; cuttings in early summer; division in
spring or fall |
Comments: Perennial, but grows from seed; woody at the base |
Ranunculus asiaticus,
Ranunculus
| Family: Ranunculaceae |
Light: Full sun |
| Water: Moist |
Height: 12"-30" tall |
| Bloom Time and color: Summer; rainbow of colors available |
Zone: 8-10 |
| Propagation: Division or seeds |
Comments: Plant tubers in the spring; double flowers that
are 2"-3" across |