Coming out this year is an exciting lineup of fabulous new annuals that will brighten any garden. We think it is always fun to learn about new plants. Some of these changes are improvements on old varieties you might already grow or know about, others are new colors for existing varieties, and some are new plants. Many of these improvements include plants being more heat tolerant, disease resistant, or color enrichments.
Planting annual is a great way to make your garden more beautiful. They are easy to maintain and will provide great enjoyment. When choosing annuals to plant in your garden, you need to know how much sun the area gets during the day so you can pick plants that will thrive.
Here are 15 of our favorite new annuals:
Black-Eyed Susan Vine Coconut A-Peel® - This annual vine, will provide your garden with color all summer long while climbing happily up whatever support you give it. The long-blooming flowers are cream with a black eye. It is fast-growing and great for use in landscapes and containers. If grown in a hanging basket it will climb the chains, which can look pretty cool. The plant is heat tolerant and deadheading is not necessary.
Caladium Heart to Heart® ‘Burning Heart’ Sun - Heart to Heart® ‘Burning Heart’ is a bronze fancy leaf variety with pink to orange spots and presents a new color for caladiums. It can be used in combinations and patio planters. The plant can be grown in either shade or full sun. To bring out the rich color grow it in sun.
Calibrachoa Rainbow - This new and colorful calibrachoa offers flowers that change colors from pale to bold based on the conditions they’re in. With multiple bloom colors on one plant, they look like a mixed container without the hassle of planting multiple varieties. The plants are heat tolerant and will last all summer long. There are seven plants in this series to start. We love the Bermuda Blue and Calypso Coral plants. Here is a video on these plants.
Coleus Spitfire - Spitfire is a micro-coleus that shows off stunning colors and patterns and can be used in full sun or shade. It’s a low-maintenance, high-impact plant. The plant holds its colors and comes in vibrant pink and lime green. Use in combinations, containers, and landscape borders.
Coleus Vulcan - The stunning colors and patterns thrive in full sun and shade. The eye-popping red coleus has pink veining which is more intense in lower light. The plant holds the red in the “high light” of the sun and features an interesting leaf shape.
Cosmos ‘Apricotta’ - 'Apricotta' Cosmos, a large-flowered variety, is a half-hardy annual blooms summer through early autumn. The tall plant sets large, round, daisy-like flowers in exceptional shades of apricot with soft pink centers. Borne singly on long, slender stems, the showy blooms attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to the garden and make adorable long-lasting cut flowers for elegant summer bouquets. You can purchase them here
Dahlia Mystic Wizard – Mystic Wizard features rich, magenta jewel-tone flowers on showy mahogany-black foliage. The plant will look great in a container or as a mass landscape planting. Mystic Wizard is wonderful for pollinators.
Lantana Shamrock Peach – This new variety is for you if you are looking for heat-tolerant annuals. It is a great plant for containers and baskets as it stays neat and tidy. On this plant, the foliage is scented. The plant attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators. Not only is it heat tolerant but also drought resistant. Shamrock is available in three other colors: orange flame, rose, and white.
Lobelia Hot+ Aqua - Lobelia Hot+ is an improvement from the previous popular Hot series by having a slightly looser, more vigorous habit that allows them to “play well with others,” growing into and out of its companions in combination planters. The Hot+ series has six colors with aqua being our favorite. In addition to being heat tolerant and tidy, this plant also offers 30% larger flowers.
Lobularia Violet Knight® Sweet Alyssum - The deep purple flowers on this plant are sweetly fragrant and last all season long. They aren't bulletproof plants yet, but they do bloom prolifically through the summer in most areas. Then as things cool off again in fall the plant adapts to wide variations in temperatures. They will bloom prolifically in fall until a good hard frost finally causes them to quit for the year.
Mandevilla Sun Parasol Sunbeam - The original Sun Parasols have the widest color range, including the first stable dark red and crimson, shades of pink, white, and now the first yellow! The plant has a bushy habit and is suitable for patio containers, hanging baskets, balconies, and bedding. You can also train the vines to grow on a trellis or support.
Petunia Crazytunia Mayan Sunset - Mayan Sunset is a striking and bold petunia with its iridescent shades of orange-coral-pink petals and a light-yellow throat. The plant has color retention, dense habit, durability, and prolific flowering.
Petunia E3 Easy Wave Series - According to the breeder, E3 stands for “Early, Efficient, and Evolution.” In a nutshell, E3 blooms under 10-hour or less days of sunlight, making it ideal for southern gardeners. The new E3 series offers added benefits to make any landscape, hanging basket, or container pop with plants that stay full and lush for longer periods of time. They maintain a great trailing habit making them ideal for hanging baskets. The series starts with six colors: blue, coral, pink, pink cosmo, red, and white.
Salvia BODACIOUS® Hummingbird Falls – This new salvia is the first trailing salvia perfect for hanging baskets or the very front of a flower border. The plant has large dark blue blooms with striking black calyx, and compact, 4-inch flower stems. As the name mentions it is a magnet for hummingbirds and other pollinators. It is ideal for 8–10-inch baskets, containers, garden borders, and mass landscape plantings. Prefers full sun.
Verbena EnduraScape™ Burgundy Verbena - The first verbena that’s hardy through the hottest days of Summer but can take the cold down to the low teens, and still rebloom in the spring. The plant brings lasting color to landscapes all season long. It is resistant to powdery mildew.
If you are interested in any of these new annuals go to your local garden center and let them know. You can also contact us, and we will try to help you out.
Photos courtesy of:
Proven Winners - Coconut A-Peel® Black-Eyed Susan Vine
Proven Winners - Heart to Heart® ‘Burning Heart’ Sun Caladium
Dummen Orange – Calibrachoa Rainbow
Ball Seed – Coleus Spitfire
Ball Seed – Coleus Vulcan
William Dam Seeds - Cosmos, Apricotta
Plant Haven International, Inc – Mystic Wizard Dahlia
Ball Seed - Shamrock Peach Lantana
PAC Eisner/Westhoff -www.pac-elsner.com/www.westflower.de - Lobelia Hot+ Aqua
Proven Winner - Lobularia Violet Knight® Sweet Alyssum
Suntory Flowers – Flowers Mandevilla Sun Parasol Sunbeam
PAC Eisner/Westhoff -www.pac-elsner.com/www.westflower.de - Petunia Crazytunia Mayan Sunset
Ball Seed - Petunia E3 Easy Wave Series
Plant Haven International, Inc - Salvia BODACIOUS® Hummingbird Falls
Ball Seed - Verbena EnduraScape™ Burgundy Verbena
