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30 of the Most Colorful Annual Flowers

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Colorful annual flowers can be a great investment. Despite the effort, money and time associated with it, growing your own flowering plants is a rewarding hobby. If you have no clue of which is the best and beautiful annual flowers, we share a list of options you surely want to discover.

Flowers that are annual are considered to bloom strikingly beautiful petals once in a year. They usually last for a season or a year long.

Unlike perennial and biennial, you need to plant new one every year. Anyway, let’s reveal 30 of the pretty and colorful flowers that are grown for a season.

Top 30 Colorful Annual Flowers

1. Ageratum

Colorful Annual Flowers Ageratum

While blue is the most popular color of this flower, ageratum can produce cute blooms in pink, violet and white. This annual flowering plant needs full sun to partial shade with almost any types of soil but must be easily drained.

This is a great border plant to grow. For a bushier look, pinch back the tips.

2. Angelonia

Colorful Annual Flowers Angelonia

Keep your yard blooming in the summer with angelonia. This is another annual flower that can make guests and bypassers turn their heads due to its long raceme of flowers. It is recommended to add some fertilizers to ensure it produces bountiful pretty purple flower heads.

3. Begonia

Colorful Annual Flowers Begonia

One of the easiest colorful annual flowers to grow is begonia. Whether in pots, larger containers, hanging baskets or backyard bed, this plant can give an astonishing appearance.

The size of the flower is not as large as many annuals but it’s still a cute plant to consider. A single stem grows from 12 inches to 1 foot tall.

4. Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)

Colorful Annual Flowers Black Eyed Susan Rudbeckia

Enjoy a summer garden with black-eyed Susan, also known as rudbeckia. This flowering plant grows up to 5 inches across and can last up to the last frost of fall. This is best grown in a full sun yard.

5. Calibrachoa (Million Bells)

Colorful Annual Flowers Calibrachoa Million Bells

Calibrachoa is one of the beautiful and colorful annual flowers, no doubt about that. Also known as million bells, it’s basically a mini petunia that is perfect for garden beds or in hanging pots on the patio.

While this requires less maintenance, it’s imperative to water it with just the right amount. Overwatering it can damage its roots and eventually die.

6. Celosia

Colorful Annual Flowers Celosia

From red to pink, orange to yellow, celosia is an undeniably pretty and cool flower. Among the colorful annual flowers, this comes in various shapes as well.

You can go for the “fans”, “brains” or “plumes”, or maybe all and mix them for a dreamy garden. In addition, this is easy and fast to grow so caring it is not a big deal.

7. Cleome (Spider Flower)

Colorful Annual Flowers Cleome Spider Flower

Otherwise known as spider flower, cleome is also a great plant to grow if you like incredible flowers. The flower pops up through its long stem and spreads in singular petals that open like the shape of spider’s legs. It grows really tall, which makes it a great cover for fences and walls.

This is best planted in spring so that it blooms in the summer until frost.

8. Cornflower (Bachelor’s Buttons)

Colorful Annual Flowers Cornflower Bachelors Buttons

Bachelor’s button or cornflower is not just among the unique colorful annual flowers but also one of the low maintenance plants for beginners.

It’s a great addition to your lawn as it produces bright flowers that come in shades of blue, white and pink. You get to enjoy the lovely view in spring with this flowering plant.

9. Euphorbia

Colorful Annual Flowers Euphorbia

Another popular choice from the list of colorful annual flowers is euphorbia. The reason is because it’s the effortless involved to take care of it.

Whether in a pot or on the ground, this plant is able to tolerate heat and even drought. Depending on the variety, it produces flowers in red, pink, white and yellow green.

10. Geranium

Colorful Annual Flowers Geranium

Also known as pelargonium, geranium is technically a perennial plant but grown as annual. Like most colorful annual flowers, this plant requires full sun but in the afternoon it must be moved or kept in a shaded area.

This can also be grown indoors, especially if winter begins. For best growth and flower production, this should be planted in a rich, well drained soil with fertilizers.

11. Impatiens Walleriana

Colorful Annual Flowers Impatiens Walleriana

If you want a full bloom, impatiens walleriana is a great choice. It is one of the colorful annual flowers that is best grown in a bushy appearance. With enough light and rich soil with fertilizer, it is a plant that is less hassle to care.

Of course, it needs the right amount of water as well. During spring or summer, the flowers that come in different shades, which include purple, pink, orange, white and bi-colored.

12. Mandevilla

Colorful Annual Flowers Mandevilla

For some tropical vibe, mandevilla is the perfect summer bloom. Although perennial, this is one of the colorful annual flowers grown in sandy, well drained soil.

With indirect sunlight and organic fertilizer, it produces beautiful trumpet shaped petals in pink, red, white, yellow and also a blend of two colors.

13. Marigold

Colorful Annual Flowers Marigold

There is no question that marigold is hard to resist. The bright orange pom-pom like flowers can surely create a wonderful view at any yard or garden.

When summer comes in, this is a beautiful bloom. To ensure you get the best view, it must be planted in well drained soil in full sun.

Aside from the orange variety, you can choose the red or yellow marigold. Whichever you prefer, this is surely among the colorful annual flowers for home gardens.

14. Nasturtium

Colorful Annual Flowers Nasturtium

Nasturtium may have small flowers but they are very delicate and edible, which is why taking extra special care is a must. This is planted in beds or pots and can be displayed both outdoor and indoor. It needs poor soil and can be grown through seeds.

15. New Guinea Impatiens

Colorful Annual Flowers New Guinea Impatiens

New Guinea impatiens is a variety of impatiens that is considered among the best colorful annual flowers as well. The foliage and bright single or bi-colored flowers can make an impact on your garden or yard.

The difference compared to impatiens walleriana is that this tolerates heat. You can definitely place it in full sun but if in a hot climate area, a few hours are enough. Make sure to keep the soil moist and fertilizer whenever necessary.

16. Pansy

Colorful Annual Flowers Pansy

Hands down, pansy is an irresistible flower with its paint-patterned petals that are typically in the two or three colors. For this, it’s certainly among the popular colorful annual flowers to choose from.

17. Pentas

Colorful Annual Flowers Pentas

Clusters of flowers in red, pink, purple, lavender and white are the best features of pentas. It does not only attract individuals who can appreciate a simple beauty but also insect pollinators and even hummingbirds. It can be planted in pots, beds or borders in well drained soil.

18. Petunia

Colorful Annual Flowers Petunia

Petunia is among the cute and colorful annual flowers. This is available in small sizes, average full sized varieties and incredibly taller versions.

There is also a wide range of color variants, in single shades or multi-colored. Although perennial, this flowering plant is grown as annual and typically survives in hardy zones 9 to 11. It can tolerate both full sun and partial shade.

19. Portulaca

Colorful Annual Flowers Portulaca

Moss rose flower and purslane are other names that refer to portulaca. It is an annual flowering plant. This needs a well drained soil, sunlight and sufficient water.

However, it is able to tolerate dry conditions. This can be planted in pots, hanging containers, ground beds and borders.

20. Twinspur (Diascia)

For a more versatile plant that showcases a pretty bloom, twinspur is an excellent consideration. It can grow any cool season aside from spring, but flowers won’t produce if the temperature reaches above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. In the summer, it is important to keep it watered.

21. Salvias

Colorful Annual Flowers Salvias

This lavender-like flowering plant is also a good annual to choose. It comes in various shades from purple to burgundy, red to pink, orange to white. With enough water and sunlight, this grows in zones 10 and 11. Its bushy foliage makes it a beautiful groundcover.

22. Scaevola Aemula (Fan Flower)

Colorful Annual Flowers Scaevola Aemula Fan Flower

Commonly known as fan flower, scaevola is an annual flowering plant that features petals that form like a fan. You can enjoy the foliage with its stunning pink, white or bluish purple flowers. It’s a great display for groundcovers, borders or edges and trailing pots.

23. Snapdragon

Colorful Annual Flowers Snapdragon

A touch of warm colors is a nice option during the fall and winter seasons, but also a great display in the springtime and summer days.

Therefore, snapdragon is a fantastic choice for any season. It’s a plant that is included among the colorful annual flowers. It is available in different colors and sizes.

24. Stock Rose

Colorful Annual Flowers Stock Rose

If you want both pretty and scented flowers, opt for stock rose. This flowering plant is an annual type that is able to tolerate cooler weather and frost. You can choose any color from its wide range of hues.

25. Sunflower

Colorful Annual Flowers Sunflower

Sunflower is among the most popular colorful annual flowers worldwide. It’s also one of the favorite by many people due to its large bright yellow sun-like flower.

If you have some space around your yard, have some sunflower seeds or cuttings to plant on the ground and grow until they produce the beautiful blooms.

26. Sweet Alyssum

Colorful Annual Flowers Sweet Alyssum

The foliage of sweet alyssum is an eye-catcher. It features small but numerous flowers in purple, white, cream, yellow and pink. It can be grown in containers, beds, or hanging baskets.

27. Sweet Pea

Colorful Annual Flowers Sweet Pea

Sweet pea is a type of climbing vine but also among the colorful annual flowers. It is a perfect spring and summer bloom for zones 8 and 9. This can be placed along fences, trellis or walls.

28. Verbena and Tall Verbena (Brazilian Verbena)

Colorful Annual Flowers Verbena and Tall Verbena Brazilian Verbena

Verbena has two general varieties, a short version with a cluster of pretty flowers and a taller stalk with a cluster of tiny heads. This typically likes warm climates, which makes it a good annual summer bloom.

29. Vinca

Colorful Annual Flowers Vinca

Also among the colorful annual flowers in the list is vinca. It is a low maintenance plant that produces flowers in purple, pink, white and bi-colors.

It needs full sun and regular watering with some fertilizers biweekly. This can be placed in small pots, larger containers or beds and borders.

30. Zinnia

Colorful Annual Flowers Zinnia

Apart from its colorful hues, zinnia has flowers that are pretty and unique as every part is layered in different forms. It’s definitely a good annual flower to place in a small home garden, patio or sidewalks. This is able to tolerate drought and requires sunlight as well as well drained soil.


Conclusion

These are the beautiful, lovely and colorful annual flowers you can grow. With dedication and patience, it won’t be a problem to take care of them.