Annuals That Reseed Themselves in Zone 8B

Reseeding Vines

• Vines are often used to cover fences, grow up arbors or pergolas, or up lattice trellises. Cardinal Climber (Ipomoea x multidada) and Cypress Vine (Ipomoea quamoclit) are often confused because the flowers look very much alike and the foliage is similar. These relatives of the morning glory have delicate fern-like feathery foliage and red tubular trumpet-shaped flowers that attract hummingbirds. Cypress Vine can climb to 20 feet whereas Cardinal Climber only grows to 8 to 10 feet in height.

  Morning Glory vines also need support. Morning Glory blooms vary in color, including some bi-colored varieties. Flowers bloom early in the day and then close. Morning Glories reseed prolifically and volunteers emerge with such frequency that in some places, the plant is considered an invasive weed.

Short Flowers

• Gaillardia pulchella or Blanket Flower is a native to North America, is an annual variety of the perennial Gaillardia. Easy to grow and tolerant of most conditions, it reseeds if spent flowers are not deadheaded. The single, semi-double or double flowers come in yellow, orange, red and bi-colors and grow to a height of 1 to 2 feet.

  The much loved state flower, the Texas Bluebonnet or Lupinus texensis, is a low maintenance annual that grows to a height of 1 foot and spreads equally wide. To get early spring blooms, scarify the seeds either by planting the seeds in fall to allow freezing temperatures or underground microbial activity to alter the seed coating or by nicking the seeds prior to planting. Plant seeds in full sun in soil that drains well. Blooms typically appear between March and May provided there is sufficient winter rainfall.

Tall Flowers

• Cleome grows to a height of 4 to 6 feet and spreads to about 2 feet in width. Wispy pink, purple or white flowers resembling a spider's legs emerge from the tall stems. Plant in full sun or partial shade in moist, good draining soil. Sparkler Blush is a shorter variety, growing only to 3 feet tall.

  Larkspur or Delphinium grandiflorum, is known for the beautiful blue or purple flowers that emerge from tall stems. Under ideal conditions, Larkspur can reach 3 to 4 feet in height. Larkspur reseeds itself consistently enough to be mistaken for a perennial, but that presents a potential problem. If too many of the reseeded seeds germinate, plants might not grow or flower properly. To achieve the greatest success in growth and flowering, seedlings should be thinned to 8 to 10 inches apart in mid-winter.

Variable Height Flowers

• Cosmos is a highly adaptable flowering plant that thrives in multiple growing conditions. Flowers emerge from feathery fern-like foliage on plants that grow from 1 to 6 feet in height with a spread of 1 to 2 feet in width. The daisy-shaped flowers come in many colors, including pink, white, purple, red, yellow-orange and orange-red with single or double blooms. Delicate stems on tall varieties need staking or support for protection from intense wind or rains. Flowers bloom from summer until late fall.