Beautiful sun loving annuals that can withstand summer sun
A sunny garden filled with flowers is what most gardeners dream of, but not all flowers can tolerate harsh sunlight.
Many flowers will wither and die when they’re exposed to all day sunshine, especially during the heat of summer, but there are some annuals that thrive in full sun.
Here are 15 beautiful sun loving annuals to plant in your flower garden.
Most of these flowers can also be planted in pots, containers or hanging baskets for a spectacular display.
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1. Sunflower (Helianthus)
When I think of sun loving annuals, the first flower that comes to mind is sunflowers.
They’re fast growing flowers and they’ll begin to flower in about 10 weeks.
Sunflowers thrive in a position with full sun and bloom during the summer months.
Why not try planting red sunflowers
2. Marigold (Tagetes)
Marigolds are popular annuals that love full sun.
They have beautiful bright yellow and orange flowers and bloom during spring and summer.
Marigold seeds can be planted directly in the garden when the risk of frost has passed, or you can start them indoors to get a headstart.
African marigolds
3. Portulaca (Portulaca grandiflora)
Portulaca
The fleshy foliage is able to store moisture so you don’t have to water them too often.
Portulaca spreads out easily, so it’s ideal as a ground cover.
The flowers can be pink, yellow, red, orange, white or cream and the plants reseed easily so they’ll come back each year.
4. Petunia (Petunia × atkinsiana)
Petunias
They look great in garden beds, and you can plant trailing petunias
Early spring is the best time to plant petunia seeds and you’ll have beautiful blooms throughout the summer months.
5. Celosia (Celosia Cristata)
Celosia
They have beautiful colorful flowers that come in a range of colors including yellow, orange, red, pink and purple.
Celosias are great for flower arrangements and the flowers can also be dried.
6. Zinnia (Zinnia elegans)
Zinnias
The best time to plant zinnia seeds is in spring when the weather has warmed up.
Zinnias don’t do well when they’re transplanted, so it’s best to sow the seeds directly in the garden.
7. Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)
Cosmos
They grow best in full sun but they can be easily damaged by strong winds.
Cosmos flowers can be pink, red, yellow, orange, white or purple.
8. Snapdragon (Antirrhinum Majus)
Snapdragons
They grow best in cool climates and have a long blooming period.
Snapdragons love plenty of sun but they will also tolerate partial shade.
9. California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
California poppies
They prefer well-draining soil that is slightly sandy and they love full sun. [2]
California poppies bloom from early summer until fall and the flowers can be orange, cream, yellow, pink or red.
10. Lantana (Lantana camara)
Lantana
It has clusters of small flowers that can be yellow, pink, orange, white or red.
They look great in containers and you can grow trailing varieties of lantana in hanging baskets.
11. Vervain (Verbena officinalis)
Vervain
It blooms from summer until early fall and can grow 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 metres) tall.
Vervain is easy to grow from seed and flowers best in a sunny position.
12. Million Bells (Calibrachoa)
Million Bells
They’re similar in appearance to petunias, but the flowers are a bit smaller.
Million bells are ideal for containers and hanging baskets and they bloom from spring until the frost arrives.
13. Poppy (Papaver somniferum)
Poppies
They come in a variety of colors including red, yellow, orange and pink.
Poppy seeds are best sown directly into the garden as they don’t like to be transplanted.
14. Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum)
Lisianthus
The beautiful flowers can be blue, lilac, pink or white and they come in single and double forms.
Lisianthus can be grown from seed but the plants take a long time to mature, so it’s a lot easier to purchase seedlings from the nursery and plant them in your garden.
15. Pentas (Pentas lanceolata)
The last sun loving annual on this list is Pentas
The beautiful star shaped flowers are great for attracting bees to the garden.
Pentas is commonly grown as an annual in cool climates but if you live in a warm climate you can grow it as a perennial.
So there are 15 beautiful annual flowers that can withstand the hot sun during summer.
These flowers are perfect for brightening up a sunny garden and they’re great for containers.
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Which of these full sun annual flowers do you like best? Let me know in the comments below.
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Marigolds are my go-to spring and summer flower. They are so resilient and I find that deer and rabbits don’t like eating them. They do tend to get pretty big though. I usually stagger marigolds and snapdragons in the landscape and then use Zinnias in pots on my pool deck. I can’t wait for the chance to start planting if we’re ever allowed outside again.
That sounds like a beautiful combination of annual flowers Scott!
I don’t have much of a green thumb. Gardening is one of my goals this year. I’m going to start with marigolds for my chickens!
Marigolds are a great annual to start with Carol. I hope your chickens like them!
Love marigolds but so did the squirrels. If you have them at your house, watch the marigolds. I live in the northeast. Good luck!
Oh, this post makes me wish I could go outside and create a garden! My husband and I went for a walk last week, and it was so nice to see flowers and trees blooming. I’ve grown verbena before and it was super easy to keep alive, even for me.