Annuals That Do Well in Morning Shade & Afternoon Sun

Edible Annuals

• Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) and “Pesto Perpetuo” basil (Ocimum x citriodorum “Pesto Perpetuo”) hold culinary and ornamental interest. They both thrive in sites with morning shade and afternoon sunlight. Lemon grass is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 and 11, but it is grown as an annual everywhere else. It grows to a height of 2 to 4 feet and width of 2 to 3 feet with light green grass-type leaves that smell of lemon when they are crushed. The bulbous leaf sections found toward the base of the leaves are used to flavor foods. The top portion of the leaves can be ground or minced to make tea or flavor soup and stew. “Pesto Perpetuo” is an upright basil cultivar that grows to a height of 1 to 2 feet and width of 9 to 18 inches with lime green variegated foliage. This is a true annual that is quickly killed at the first hint of frost. Its leaves are used fresh and dried to flavor many types of foods including pesto sauce. They are also added to potpourris.

Tall Annuals

• Common sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) and Mexican sunflowers (Tithonia rotundifolia) are true annuals that produce big, cheery flowers throughout the summer. Both species grow quickly and thrive in morning shade and full afternoon sunshine. Common sunflowers grow to a height of 8 to 15 feet, although there are shorter cultivars. “Autumn Beauty” (Helianthus annuus “Autumn Beauty”) grows to 5 feet tall with bronze, brown-red, mahogany or yellow flowers. “Sunspot” (Helianthus annuus “Sunspot”) grows to a height of 2 feet with huge, 10-inch diameter flowers. Mexican sunflowers grow to a height of 4 to 6 feet with 3-inch diameter orange or red-orange flowers.

Small to Medium Annuals

• Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) and petunias (Petunia x hybrida) are both hardy in USDA zones 9 to 10 or 11 but they are grown as annuals everywhere. Both species thrive in sites with morning shade and direct afternoon sunlight. Marigolds are upright plants that range in size from 6 inches to 3 feet, depending on the species and cultivar. They bloom from spring to fall, producing flowers in various shades of bronze, gold, orange, red, russet, white or yellow. Petunias are commonly upright, bushy plants that grow to a height of 1 to 2 feet and width of 2 to 3 feet, although there are trailing and cascading varieties. They bloom from spring to first frost, producing funnel-shaped flowers that can be nearly any color or combination of colors.

Ground Cover Annuals

• Two good choices for groundcover plants that thrive with morning shade and direct afternoon sun are moss rose (Portulaca grandiflora) and “Purpurea” or “Purple Heart” spider lily (Tradescantia pallida syn. Setcreasea purpurea “Purpurea” or “Purple Heart”). Moss rose is an annual that grows to a height of 3 to 9 inches and width of as least 1 foot with round, succulent leaves. It blooms from spring to fall, producing flowers in various shades of orange, pink, red, white or yellow. “Purpurea” is hardy in USDA zones 10 and 11, but it is grown as an annual everywhere else. It grows to a height of 8 inches and width of at least 1 1/2 feet with bright purple leaves. During the summer it produces pink flowers.