Most annuals flower for most of the summer and although they are indispensable for planters of all sizes to brighten up patios and porches, many are also suited for planting out in the garden. Garden centers offer a great selection of annual flowers, but it can also be fun to grow your own from seed.
Antirrhinum - Snapdragons
Antirrhinum is a genus in the Plantaginaceae family. They are perennial in their native habitats in S-Europe, N-Africa and N-America, where they grow in sun-baked, rocky soil.
In northern climates a number of cultivars are grown as annuals.
-
Antirrhinum majus
Calendula - Marigolds
Calendula is a species of 15-20 annual and perennial plants in the aster family, Asteraceae, native to SW-Asia and the Mediterraniean. They have been used as medicinal plants and as herbs.
-
Calendula officinalis
Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum is a genus in the aster family, Asteraceae, that has been greatly revised in recent years and divided into a number of genera. One of them is Ismelia, with only one species, the tricolour chrysanthemum (Ismelia carinata).
-
Chrysanthemum carinatum (now Ismelia carinata)
Convolvulus - Bindweeds
Convolvulus is a large genus of 200-250 species in the Convolvulaceae family with a global distribution. They are annual or perennial vines.
-
Convolvulus tricolor
Cosmos
Cosmos,is a genus of around 36 species in the aster family, Asteraceae, native to N-America, the majority in Mexico. A few are grown as annuals.
-
Cosmos bipinnatus
-
Cosmos sulphureus
Crepis - Hawksbeard
Crepis is a genus of around 200 species in the aster family, Asteraceae, widely distributed around the northern hemisphere.
Cynoglossum
Cynoglossum is a genus in the Boraginaceae family, with a global distribution.
Dianthus - Pinks
Dianthus is a fairly large genus of perennial plants in the Caryophyllaceae family, many of which are nice garden plants. They are covered in the perennial section of this website. A large number of China pink cultivars are grown as annual flowers.
-
Dianthus chinensis - China pink
Diascia - Twinspur
Diascia is a genus of about 70 species in the Scrophulariaceae family, the majority of which are native to S-Africa.
-
Diascia
Dorotheanthus
Dorotheanthus is a small genus in the family Aizoaceae, native to S-Africa. They are annual plants with thick leaves and very colourful flowers that open in sunshine. They grow best in well-drained soil and a very sunny place. Livingstone daisies were formerly classified in the genus Mesembryanthemum and many seed mixes are sold by that name.
-
Dorotheanthus bellidiformis (Mesembryanthemum criniflorum) - Livingstone daisy
Erysimum - Wallflowers
Erysimum is a genus of around 180 annual and perennial species in the Brassicaceae family. Perennial species are usually short-lived and often grown as biennials in gardens. Many species grow in dry, sun baked soil.
-
Erysimum cheiri
Eschscholzia - California poppy
Around 12 species of annual and perennial plants belong to the genus Eschscholzia, in the poppy family, Papaveraceae. Most are native to the southwestern regions of N-America where they grow in dry soil and grow therefore in full sun.
-
Eschoscholzia californica
Godetia - Clarkia
All the species in the genus Godetia have been moved to the genus Clarkia in the Onagraceae family, so the genus name Godetia is no longer accepted. Nearly all species in the expanded Clarkia genus are native to N-America.
-
Clarkia amoena (Godetia)
Helianthus - Sunflowers
The genus Helianthus belongs to the aster family, Asteraceae. It contains around 70 species which are all native to N- and S-America. Perennial sunflower species are not popular garden plants as they have a tendency to be too invasive.
-
Helianthus anuus
-
'Autumn Beauty'
-
Xerochrysum
Xerochrysum is a small genus of 7 species formerly belonging to the genus Helichrysum in the aster family, Asteraceae. They are all native to Australia. Their defining characteristic is brightly coloured, papery bracts which are more conspicuous than the flowers themselves. The flower heads are well suited for dry flower arrangements.
-
Xerochrysum bracteatum (formerly Helichrysum bracteatum)
Heliotropium
Heliotropium is a genus of 250-300 species in the family Boraginaceae. Many species are highly toxic.
-
Heliotropium arboresecens - vanillublóm
Lathyrus
Lathyrus is a genus in the Fabaceae family native to temperate regions. One species, the sweet pea, is a popular annual flower and many garden cultivars are grown in gardens. .
-
Lathyrus odoratus - sweet pea
Lavatera - Tree mallows
Lavatera is a genus of 25 species in the Malvaceae family. They are native to the Mediterranean, E-Asia, N-America and Australia.
-
Lavatera trimestris
Limnanthes - Meadowfoams
Limnanthes is a genus of 7 species in the family Limnanthaceae, which are all native to the west coast of N-America. They are annuals that often grow in the margins of seasonal pools.
Linanthus/Leptosiphon
Linanthus is a genus of annual and perennial plants in the family Polemoniaceae, native to western N-America and Chile. The genus has recently been split and over half the species have been moved to the genus Leptosiphon.
Linaria - Toadflax
Linaria, is a genus of around 150 species of annual and perennial plants in the family Plantaginaceae. The genus is distributed around temperate regions in Europe, Asia and N-Africa with the greatest diversity around the Mediterranean.
-
Linaria maroccana
Lobelia - Lobelias
Lobelia is a large genus of roughly 400 species in the bellflower family, Campanulaceae. The genus is widely distributed around the tropics and warm temperate regions. One species is a popular annual here.
-
Lobelia erinus
-
'White Fountain'
Matthiola - Stock
Matthiola is a genus of 50 species of annual and perennial plants in the mustard family, Brassicaceae. Many are cultivated because of their strongly scented flowers. One, stock, is grown here as an annual flower.
-
Matthiola incana - stock
Erythranthe
formerly Mimulus
Most species belonging to the genus Mimulus have been moved to the genus Erythranthe and both genera have been moved to the family Phrymaceae. Most species grow in moist soil and are not drought tolerant.
-
Erhythranthe x hybrida (áður Mimulus)
Nemesia
Nemesia, is a genus of annuals, perennials and sub-shrubs in the family Scrophulariaceae native to sandy coastal areas in S-Africa.
-
Nemesia strumosa
-
Nemesia versicolor
Nemophila - Baby-blue-eyes
Nemophila, is a genus of annual, spring flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae, all native to N-America, the majority to the western United States.
Nicotiana - Tobacco plants
Nicotiana is a genus of 67 species in the nightshade family, Solanaceae, native to America, Australia, SW-Africa and the South Pacific. The tobacco plant, N. tabacum, is widely cultivated for tobacco production and a few species and cultivars are grown as ornamental plants.
-
Nicotiana x sanderae
Nigella
Nigella is a genus of 18 annual species in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae native to S-Europe, N-Africa and SW-Asia.
-
Nigella damascena - Love-in-a-mist
Osteospermum - African daisies
Osteospermum is a genus of around 50 species in the aster family, Asteraceae, native to Africa and south-western Arabian peninsula. Many cultivars are popular garden plants, grown as annuals.
-
Osteospermum
Papaver - Poppy
Papaver is a genus of around 100 species in the poppy family, Papaveraceae, widely distributed in Eurasia and a few native to N-America. They are drought tolerant plants with deep taproots that prefer the sunny side of life.
-
Papaver somniferum
Pelargonium - Geraniums
Pelargonium, geraniums, is a large genus of roughly 200 species in the geranium family, Geraniaceae. They are evergreen perennials or subshrubs native to temperate and tropical regions with a center of diversity in southern Africa. They are drought and heat tolerant, but are frost tender and can therefore only be grown outside during the summer months. They can however be grown as houseplants during the winter months and in that way kept perennial.
-
Pelargonium x hortorum
-
'Horizon Pink Ice'
-
-
Pelargonium peltatum
-
'Summer Showers Burgundy'
-
Petunia
Petunia is a genus of around 35 species in the nightshade family, Solancaceae, which are all native to S-America. The plants grown in gardens are usually hybrids grown as annual flowers.
-
Petunia x hybr. - tóbakshorn
Phlox
Phlox is a genus in the Polemoniaceae family. All species except one are native to N-America and grow in diverse habitats. Annual phlox is a popular annual flower and a great number of cultviars are grown in gardens.
-
Phlox drummondii - annual phlox
Rudbeckia - Coneflowers
Rudbeckia, is a genus of 25 species in the aster family, Asteraceae, which are all native to N-America. Most are perennials, but there are also a few annual plants in the genus. Their main characteristic is yellow or orange ray florets with dark brown center disks. Black-eyed Susan is an annual species which is a popular garden plant in warmer climates, but needs more summer heat than Iceland can offer to flourish.
-
Rudbeckia hirta - Black-eyed Susan
Salvia - Sage
Salvia is the largest genus in the mint family, Lamiaceae, with roughly 1000 species native to Eurasia and America. The genus has three distinct distribution areas, Central- and S-America, Central Asian and the Mediterranean and E-Asia. Most need a warmer climate than Iceland, but one species has been grown here as a tender annual.
-
Salvia splendens
Sutera
Sutera is a genus in the Scrophulariaceae family, native to Africa.
-
Sutera cordata
Tagetes - Marigold
Tagetes is a genus in the aster family, Asteraceae, native to N- and S-America.
-
Tagetes patula
Tropaeolum - Nasturtium
Tropaeolum is the only genus in the family Tropaeolaceae, native to Central- and S-America.
-
Tropaeolum majus
Verbena - Vervain
Verbena is a genus of 250 annual and perennial species in the Verbenaceae family. Most are native to America and Asia.
-
Verbena x hybrida - garðajárnurt
Viola - Violets
Viola is the largest genus of the violet family, Violaceae, with the greatest distribution around the northern temperate zones. A few species grow in the southern hemisphere, in the Andes mountains and Australia. Most are low growing, but a few are shrubby and some species in the Andes have thick, fleshy leaves. The most widely grown plants are pansies and violets grown as annuals.
-
Viola x williamsii - violets
-
Viola x wittrockiana - pansies
Silene - Catchflies
Silene is the largest genus in the Caryophyllaceae family, with a global distribution, the majority in the northern hemisphere. Catchflies prefer sunny places. One species is grown as an annual.
-
Silene coeli-rosea (Viscaria) - glitberi