10 Native Annual Flowers to Start from Seed
Elegant clarkia (shown) + 9 more.
If you're gardening with a small budget, looking to add more variety to your garden or just interested in experiencing the magic of seeds, try sowing your own annual flowers. (Read more about gardening with annuals here.) Here are my top 10 North American native annuals to start from seed. (Some of these are technically tender perennials treated like annuals.)
Common sunflower (Helianthus annuus):
Seemingly countless cultivars of sunflower are available due to its ease of hybridization and long history as a cultivated plant. Some, like ‘Russian Mammoth’, grow over 10 feet tall and form a single, massive flowerhead filled with edible seeds. Others, like ‘Moulin Rouge’, a burgundy variety, produce multiple flowers on multiple stems. Either kind will thrive in full sun and dry soil, while attracting birds and butterflies. Native or naturalized across the contiguous United States.
Basket flower (Centaurea americana):
With thistle-like flowers but none of the prickles, these stout, two- to five-foot-tall plants bloom best in late spring into early summer. Happy in dry or moist soil, in sun or part shade, basket flower is a reliable wildflower attractive to butterflies, bees and cut-flower enthusiasts. Collect the seed in early summer and direct sow in early autumn for the following season. Native to the southcentral and southwestern US.
Basket flower image credit: By user:pschemp - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
Lemon beebalm (Monarda citriodora):
Easy to grow in difficult soils, lemon beebalm blooms white, pink or purple from spring to fall if watered during droughty months. Direct sow into loose soil in sun or part shade and keep moist until the plants reach 10 to 12 inches. Once established, lemon beebalm will reseed readily and may form large colonies, so keep an eye on it. Attractive to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, it’s perfect for establishing a pollinator pathway garden. Native to the southcentral and southwestern US; naturalized in the Southeast.
Lemon beebalm image credit: Melissa McMasters/CC BY 2.0
Firewheels (Gaillardia pulchella):
Another durable native easily grown in poor, dry soils and tolerant of summer heat and drought, firewheels have daisy-like flowers of red, yellow, orange and maroon perched atop upright stems 24 to 30 inches tall. Sow directly after the final frost date or start indoors four to six weeks earlier. Grow these in full sun and enjoy their blooms from late spring to frost. There’s no need to deadhead this reliable self-seeder. Native to the central and southwestern US; naturalized to the coasts.
Firewheels image credit: Kirsten Strough/US Department of Agriculture/Public Domain
California poppy (Eschscholzia californica):
The state flower of California is commonly found in poor, sandy soils on hillsides and along roadways. Flowers peak from late spring into summer. The straight species is a classic yellow-orange, but cultivars bloom white, pink, red, lilac and purple. Start seeds indoors just two or three weeks before the last frost, or simply direct sow wherever you want them. Deadheading will promote more blooms, but let a few flowers finish on the plants to encourage self-seeding. Native to the West Coast; naturalized elsewhere.
Blue gilia (Gilia capitata):
A distant cousin of garden phlox, blue gilia is a staple in many wildflower mixes. Blooms peak from early spring into summer on plants one to three feet tall when grown in full sun. Direct sowing on dry, open slopes in full sun works best. However, any well-drained soil will do. Aim to sow in autumn, as stratification boosts germination rates. That said, spring sowing brings results too. Native to the northwestern US.
Image credit: Colin Durfee/CC BY 2.0
Elegant clarkia (Clarkia unguiculata):
This relative of the evening primrose forms well-branched, three-foot-tall reddish stems that hold purple, rose or white clusters of truly elegant four-petaled flowers. Suitable for dry, part-shade locations, this species can be direct sown after the last frost or in late summer in mild winter regions. Do not thin, as crowding actually encourages more flowers, which will peak in late spring. Native to the southern West Coast.
Elegant clarkia image credit: JKehoe_Photos/CC BY-ND 2.0
Mealycup sage (Salvia farinacea):
Hardy in USDA Zones 8 to 10, mealy cup sage serves as an excellent annual for the rest of us. Happy in full sun to part shade, it blooms all season long on three-foot stems, even in difficult soils and during droughts. Better to start them indoors, as direct-sown seedlings often fail to bloom. Collect seeds at the end of the season and store them in a cool, dry place. Stratification is not necessary for this species, but it does require light to germinate. Start seeds 10 to 12 weeks before your final frost date. Cultivar colors fall in the blue to purple range, and some are bicolor with white. Native to the southcentral US.
Minature annual lupine (Lupinus bicolor):
Small blue and white pea-like flowers may reach 16 inches, but 6 inches is more likely. Combine them with California poppies for a complementary color explosion in full sun and gravel soils. Fresh seeds will germinate freely. If the seed has been stored, scarify them before sowing by soaking them in hot water overnight. This butterfly-host plant is also visited by bumblebees, and, best of all, deer don’t eat them. Native to the West Coast.
Miniature annual lupine image credit: NatureShutterbug/CC BY 2.0
Blue lips (Collinsia grandiflora): The white and blue-violet petals of this delicate native are reminiscent of our common violet (Viola sororia). Happiest in part shade and moist conditions, they are also somewhat drought tolerant. Blue lips peak early in the season, while the nights remain cool, so sow them as soon as the soil can be worked and then again in the fall for a second show, or allow the spring plants to finish and set seed, so that nature can do the rest. These little gems are attractive to a wide variety of native pollinators. Native to the northwestern US.
Blue lips image credit: Willamette Biology/CC BY-SA 2.0
