Annual Plant Descriptions

Types

• Annual plants include petunias, vincas and zinnias. These flowers produce abundant amounts of blossoms. Many garden vegetables are annuals like peas, corn, beans and squash. These plants do not live past the first frost.

Warning

• Many annuals produce such an abundance of seeds that they are considered invasive. The seeds are scattered by the wind or animals. Some annuals are so persistent at growing back from seeds that people mistake them for perennials.

Time Frame

• Most annuals do their growing during the warm months of spring and summer. They are usually in flower all summer long. In warm climates, there are winter annuals that enjoy the cooler seasons of fall and winter.

Function

• Annuals are used as fillers in perennial beds. They are also grown in containers for a quick splash of color. An annual flowerbed is easy to change just by planting new varieties each spring.