There are several seldom seen unique annual flowers which grow best when sown on well-prepared beds in the late Fall or very early Spring. The seeds seem to prefer cool soil and a little freezing and thawing although my Fall-sown seeds come up best when given a light cover of coarse litter.
Perhaps this saves the seeds from the birds. I have found it a lot of fun to surprise my friends with a few of these interesting annual flowers each season.
Season Annual Flowers
Lychnis “miles” grows easily from late sowing, and blooms quickly in the Spring. Graceful, yard-high plants have many swaying slender stems, topped by three-inch, five-petalled, rose-violet flowers. (A seeds-man informs me, upon inquiry, that this is not the same as Agrostemma githago, or corncockle, which is considered such a pest in some wheatfields. I do not let it seed widely, nevertheless.)
Collinsia Bicolor
Collinsia bicolor is an odd plant that grows about 20 inches tall. The oddly formed blooms are in whorls, white above and blue violet below. A pink-tinged flower is occasionally found. Collinsia is a member of the figwort (or snapdragon family), and was named for an American naturalist, Zachary Collins. These plants, with their interesting two-lipped flowers, prefer a dry location.
Corydalis Sempervirens
Corydalis sempervirens and C. aurea are cousins of the garden bleeding heart. C. sempervirens grows about two feet high with brilliant pink flowers adorned with golden tips. It is easy to grow in any garden soil, and is a pretty, practically ever-blooming annual. Corydalis aurea grows only about six inches tall, and has spikes of golden flowers in the late Spring.
Crepis rubra
Crepis rubra is a member of the composite family, and is commonly known as hawksbeard. Its flowers look exactly like pink dandelions. For best results, give it light soil and full sun (and don’t let those seeds scatter).
Senecio arenarius
Senecio arenarius (speciosus) is the gay brilliant purple, or lavender, annual cineraria. It grows to 10 inches in rich, loamy soil. The wide clusters of flowers are lovely.
Armeria
Armeria (statice) is the pretty annual straw flower, often dried for Winter bouquets. Plants have white, yellow, rose, blue, or violet-colored daisies. If you have failed with these from May sowing, try late Fall.
The Tahoka daisy
The Tahoka daisy has ferny foliage and long-stemmed, large, blue-lavender flowers, with bright yellow centers. They are long-lasting when cut, and excellent to use in arrangements. They grow around 20” inches tall, and bloom from July until late November.
Venidium fastuosum
Venidium fastuosum or monarch-of-the veldt, has silky, grayish foliage and bright orange four-inch daisies, with a purplish black zone around a black center. This is an ever-blooming decorative plant, nearly two feet tall when given full sun, plenty of room, and well-drained soil. The flowers are attractive on the border and last well when cut.
Xanthisma texanum
Xanthisma texanum grows well in dry open places, preferably in the wild garden. This Texan native is four feet tall, with two-inch flower heads of yellow, consisting of ray flowers only. To me, it is more interesting than beautiful.
All of these unique annual flowers prefer late Autumn or early Spring sowing. Try a few for a new garden adventure.
44659 by Fern Christian Miller