Annual Flowers
Begonia x semperflorens-cultorum, Begoniaceae, BEDDING OR WAX BEGONIA
Leaves alternate, ovate, glossy, green to bronzy red, or green variegated with white. Plant may reach 16" tall, usually shorter. Flowers are single or double borne in small clusters and are white to shades of pink or red. Bloom continuously, will even survive light frosts into late October. Prefers shade but will tolerate full sun if kept moist. Uses are for planters, low edging, bedding plants and pot plants for indoors. Leaf spots, powdery mildew, Botrytis blight, and mealy bugs can be problems.
Catharanthus roseus, Apocynaceae, VINCA, MADAGASCAR PERIWINKLE
Leaves opposite, oblong, glossy dark green. Flowers are rose-pink to mauve, to white. Slender corolla tube about 1" long. Most grow upright to 18" tall but there are trailing varieties. Plants do well in sun or light shade with moist well drained soil. Plants hold up well under extreme heat if kept moist. Used as border, bedding plants, and ground covers.
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Celosia argentea plumosa, Amaranthaceae, COCKSCOMB, CELOSIA
Leaves alternate, linear to ovate-lanceolate. The flowers are arranged in spikes to resemble a plume of feathers. Height can range from 6" to over 2 feet. Flowers are very long lasting. Grow in full sun, tolerates drought conditions fairly well. Used for cut flowers, borders, edging, bedding plant, and cut and dried flowers. Many varieties will self seed readily. Mites are occasionally a problem.
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Cuphea hyssopifolia, Lythraceae, MEXICAN HEATHER
Leaves, short, opposite or whorled, closely spaced on the stem. Flowers are small and delicate and borne in the leaf axils, 6-petaled, lavender or white. Plant in full sun or partial shade in well drained soil. Holds up well under hot conditions. Used for edging, massed display.
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Gomphrena globosa, Amaranthaceae, GLOBE AMARANTH
Leaves opposite, oblong to elliptic, to 4 inches long, margins are entire to ciliate. Flowers are clover-like, composed of globular, dense heads of purple, white, pink, or yellow, subtended by two broad, leafy bracts. Grow to 9 - 24 inches high depending on cultivar and culture, bloom all summer, especially good shows in late summer, flowers dry well. Taller cultivars used for cut flowers, smaller ones used as bedding plants. Gomphrena tolerates heat, wind, and rain well so holds up very well in the landscape. No real pest problems. Propagated by seed.
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Impatiens wallerana, Balsaminaceae, IMPATIENS, BUSY LIZZY
Leaves alternate (upper leaves sometimes opposite), ovate to elliptic, glossy. Flowers solitary or in axillary or terminal racemes. Lower sepal is longer with a slightly curved spur. Flowers are usually single, sometimes double, and come in a broad range of colors, even bicolors. Height 6" to 18", mounded habit. Blooms early summer to frost. Can be grown in shade to full sun when adequate moisture is present. Height is largely determined by soil moisture and fertility. Used around trees in shaded areas, patio planters, baskets. Slugs may sometimes pose a problem.
Melampodium paludosum, Asteraceae, MELAMPODIUM
Native to southwestern US, Mexico, and West Indies. Leaves opposite, 2-3 inches long or longer, margins vary from entire to finely serate, to lobed. Leaves may be course with rough surface. Plants are drought tolerant, will grow 2-3 feet with adequate moisture and fertility. Plants may self-seed, not a big problem here but may be a problem further south. Flowers are yellow, both ray and disc florets evident. Perennial in native habitat, grown as an annual, not hardy. Few insect and disease problems.
Ocimum basilicum, Lamiaceae, BASIL
Leaves opposite, ovate, entire or toothed, with pleasant fragrance, square stem. Inflorescence is racemose, petals are white or purplish, grown for the foliage. Remove flowers to promote vegetative growth. Height to about 2 feet, one foot spread. Grow in full sun. Very cold sensitive, must be transplanted after temperatures have warmed. Prune every few weeks to maintain a compact plant. Various foliage types are available. Slugs and snails sometimes a problem.
Pelargonium x hortorum, Geraniaceae, ZONAL GERANIUM, SEED GERANIUM
Leaves mostly opposite, round to reniform, leaf margins scalloped.
Leaves often zoned or variegated, heavy odor to bruised foliage. Flowers
borne in an umble, densely flowered, spur present on the calyx. Flower
color red, pink, white, salmon, sometimes variegated. Flowers single, semi
double, or double. Rounded habit to 20 inches. Prefers full sun and moist
well drained soils with a cool root zone. Used in borders, bedding, containers,
hanging baskets. Bacterial leaf spot, Botrytis, root and stem rots, mealybugs,
mites sometimes a problem.
Pentas lanceolata, Rubiaceae, PENTAS
Leaves opposite, usually four ranked on the stem, sometimes whorled, ovate to lanceolate in shape, up to about 3 1/2 inches long, veins are pronounced. Stems are branches, may become woody toward the base. Depending on cultivar plants may reach 4 feet tall, usually much shorter. Flowers are borne in a terminal corymb, individual flowers are star shaped with five fused petals and a common long tube. Grown as an annual here, may persist through the winter in extreme south. Prefers full sun, may tolerate light shade. Likes even soil moisture. Good for butterflies.
Petunia x hybrida, Solanaceae, GARDEN PETUNIA
Leaves alternate, sometimes opposite on upper stem, broad ovate to cordate, entire leaf margin, surface of leaves and stems is pubescent (hairy). Flowers are funnel shaped, flower size and color varies with cultivar, flowers sometimes double. Sweet fragrance. Habit, upright to trailing, 8-15: high, spread varies with cultivar. Best in full sun, will tolerate shade (fewer blooms). Deadheading is a must for season-long performance. Uses: beds, borders, flower boxes and other containers. Botrytis, aphids, flea beetles are sometimes problems, Tobacco mosaic virus spread by aphids is the biggest problem. Note: Many popular varieties of petunia including the WAVE series are now calssified as Petunia integrifolia. These types are much more prostrate in growth habit and may have extremely long, training stems.
Salvia farinacea, Lamiaceae, BLUE SALVIA, MEALYCUP SAGE
Leaves opposite to whorled, ovate-lanceolate to ovate, acute at apex, coarsely serrate, square stems. Flowers are borne on a spike, the corolla is violet blue or white. Plants are erect to about 3 feet. Best grown in full sun in well drained, moist soil. Used as a cut flower, border, and bedding plant. Powdery and downy mildew are sometimes problems.
Salvia splendens, Lamiaceae, SALVIA, SCARLET SAGE
Leaves with long petioles, acuminate apex, dentate margins, square stems. Flowers produced in a terminal raceme, Bracts present, flower color from scarlet, purple, pink, lavender, white. Erect to rounded growth to 30", usually shorter. Perform best in full sun, in the hot deep south and west it may do better in partial shade. Deadhead spent racemes to encourage continued flowering. Uses, bedding, border, cut flowers. Downy and powdery mildew can be problems.
Senecio cineraria (syn. S. maritima), Asteraceae, DUSTY MILLER
Leaves alternate, 2-6 inches long, stiff, white-woolly, pinnately cut. Flowers are small, ½ inch diameter, yellow or cream colored, borne in corymb-like groups of 10-12 in late summer. Grown for foliage effect rather that the flowers. Plants grow in a mounded habit 8 -15 inches tall and round depending on cultivar. Used in edging or as specimen, often used in mixed plantings for foliage effect. Few problems, maybe some root and stem rots under wet conditions. Propagated mostly by seed. May survive some light frosts.
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Tagetes erecta, Asteraceae, AFRICAN MARIGOLD, AMERICAN MARIGOLD
Two types, T. erecta is the tall, large flowered type and T. patula is the dwarf, french type. Both-leaves opposite, pinnately divided. Large glands usually present near the leaf margins. Foliage is highly aromatic. Flowers are in heads, solitary heads, various size and amount of ray flowers (apparent doubleness). Size, 6-36" depending on cultivar. Grows in sun, tolerates dry conditions but prefers moist, well-drained soil. Extreme heat reduces quality of flowers. Deadhead to prolong blooming. Uses: cut flower, background of border, bedding, edging. Few pests.
Tithonia rotundifolia, Asteraceae, Mexican Sunflower
Leaves alternate, occasionally opposite on the lower stem, on some varieties leaves may reach one foot in length, cordate (heart-shaped) base, margins are serrate and may be lobed. Flowers are in heads with both ray and disc flowets. Plants can reach six feet depending on cultivar. Native to Mexico and Central America. Prefers full sun and good soil moisture, but avoid too much water and fertilizer, causes weak growth and lodging. Crowding may cause lower leaves to drop and plants to become unsightly. This is less of a problem with Fielta Del Sol. Very good for butterflies. Very easy plant to grow.
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Verbena x hybrida, Verbenaceae, VERBENA
Leaves opposite, oblong to oblong-ovate, margins are dentate or slightly
lobed at the base. Flowers are borne in heads, petals have deeply notched
lobes, flowers may have a distinctly white or yellow center or uniform
in color. Various flower colors. Habit: to 12" tall with 2" spread. Grows
in full sun, will tolerate heat and drought but may cease flowering until
watered. Flowering will begin again in cool weather. Used as a ground cover,
beds, edging, rock gardens, hanging baskets. Few insects or diseases.
Zinnia elegans, Asteraceae, ZINNIA
Leaves opposite, cordate-ovate to elliptic, rough. Flowers are in heads, up to 6" across, scaly receptacle. Ray flowers are showly, disk flowers are usually absent. Height up to 3 feet, round or erect growth habit. Best bloom time is from early to mid summer, powdery mildew takes it's tole later. Grow in full sun, likes hot dry weather to escape mildew. Used in borders, edging, cut flowers. Powdery mildew is the number one pest. Also affected by blights and rots, Japanese beetles and mites. New varieties on the market-Profusion series, cross of Z. elegans and Z. angustifolia. These are not quite as showy but are disease resistant (no powdery mildew).
