15 Colorful Annual Flowers

Bright and colorful annuals for your garden

Annual flowers are great for brightening up your garden and you can change up the color scheme each year, so you never get bored.

There are many brightly colored annual flowers that are easy to grow and in this article I’ve listed my top 15 colorful annuals to add color and interest to your garden.

If you’re a gardener that loves bright colors (like me!), you’re sure to find some great options on this list.

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1. Petunia (Petunia × atkinsiana)

Petunias are one of the most popular colorful annuals.

They look great in garden beds, pots and hanging baskets.

Sprinkle petunia seeds in the garden in early spring and you’ll have colorful blooms all through summer. 

2. Marigold (Tagetes)

Marigolds are easy to grow annuals with beautiful bright yellow and orange flowers.

They grow best in full sun and bloom during spring and summer.

Marigold seeds can be planted in the garden after the danger of frost has passed, or started indoors four to six weeks before the last frost.

3. Pansy

Pansies are frost hardy annuals that bloom from fall to winter in hot climates and from spring to summer in cool climates.

They come in a variety of colors and they’re great for garden beds, borders and containers in full sun or partial shade.

Pansy flowers are edible and can be used in salads or as a decoration.

4. Snapdragon (Antirrhinum Majus)

Snapdragons are beautiful, brightly colored annual flowers that grow from 1 to 3 feet high.

They grow best in cool climates in full sun to partial shade.

Snapdragon seeds can be started indoors about six to ten weeks before planting outdoors.

5. Annual Begonia (Begonia semperflorens)

Annual Begonias, also known as Wax Begonias have beautiful bright red, pink and white colored flowers.

Some varieties have green foliage and others have reddish brown leaves for added color.

Annual begonias grow well in full sun but they will need some afternoon shade in areas with hot summer temperatures.

It’s best to water annual begonias at the base to avoid fungal diseases.

6. Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus)

Nasturtiums are brightly colored annuals with beautiful orange, red and yellow edible flowers.

They look great growing in hanging baskets and window boxes.

Nasturtium seeds can be planted directly in the garden or containers after the last frost of the season when the soil is warm.

In colder areas, you can plant the seeds in containers indoors and transplant them to the garden in spring.

RELATED: How To Grow Nasturtiums

7. Celosia (Celosia Cristata)

Celosia, also known as Cockscomb, have bright colorful flowers in a range of colors including orange, yellow, pink and purple.

They grow best in full sun with rich soil. Fertilizing every couple of weeks during flowering will help to produce large, brightly colored blooms.

Celosias are beautiful cut flowers and they’re great for dried flower arrangements.

8. Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

Calendulas are easy to grow annuals with bright yellow and orange edible flowers.

They can be grown in a position with full sun or partial shade.

Regular deadheading will help to prolong the flowering time.

9. Dianthus

Dianthus is a beautiful annual with pink, red and white flowers.

They’re great for garden beds and containers in a position with full sun.

Dianthus can tolerate light frosts but not prolonged freezing temperatures.

RELATED: 5 Winter Flowering Annuals

10. Sunflower (Helianthus)

Sunflowers are fast growing annuals with large yellow flowers.

They grow best in full sun and bloom during the summer months.

Sunflower seeds can be planted directly in the garden in spring and they’ll begin to flower in about 10 weeks.

11. Primrose

Primroses come in a range of colors including pink, purple, red, white, blue, orange and yellow.

They usually bloom in spring, but they will flower in mid to late winter in areas with mild winters.  

Primroses can withstand light frosts but not freezing temperatures.

12. Impatiens

Impatiens, also known as Busy Lizzie, is a beautiful annual with bright colored flowers including red, pink, white and purple.

They grow well in partial shade and need regular watering.

Impatiens can be fertilized every two weeks throughout spring and summer to promote more brightly colored blooms.

13. Portulaca (Portulaca grandiflora)

Portulaca is an ideal ground cover annual with flowers in variety of colors including red, pink, yellow, orange, white and cream.

It has fleshy foliage that retains moisture well so it doesn’t need to be watered too often.

Portulaca reseed easily and usually come back every year.

14. Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)

Cosmos are beautiful, bright annuals that come in a range of colors including red, pink, yellow, orange, white and maroon.

They’re drought tolerant, fast growing and flower best in soil that isn’t too rich.

Cosmos prefer a full sun position but they need to be protected from strong winds.

15. Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus)

Sweet peas bloom in late winter to early spring and they’re great for trellises and archways.

Sweet peas come in a huge range of colors from right across the color spectrum.

There are even some varieties of sweet peas that change color as they mature. [1]

It’s important to keep Sweet peas deadheaded because they will stop flowering once they go to seed.

So there’s my list of 15 colorful annual flowers for your garden.

Whether you choose plants with a single color or a rainbow of different colors, your garden is sure to stand out with these beautiful flowers.

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Which of these colorful annuals is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below.

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Colorful annual flowers for gardens and containers