Native annuals can be used to enhance the meadow garden in many ways. Most annuals bloom with vibrant colors over a long bloom time and are easy to grow from seed or transplants. They can be used to fill in gaps or spaces as perennials grow and establish themselves as well as when they have completed their flowering. Annuals often produce abundant seed so may naturalize in the garden and the seedlings can be transplanted to experiment with different color schemes, textures, and plant combinations. In addition, annuals attract pollinators such as bees, butterflies and hummingbirds so are important to the garden ecosystem and contribute to overall biodiversity. The annuals in the list below range in height from 14″ to 36″ and do well in full sun, medium moist, well-drained soil, and moderate temperatures. Some are tender perennials and will return each year in warm climates. Photo Credit: Sten, Wikimedia Commons
Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)
Native Range: Southwestern US and Mexico
Height: 36″
Width: 30″
Bloom Time: Early summer to frost
Bloom Color: White, pink, red
Photo Credit: Kenpei, Wikimedia Commons
California Poppy ( Eschscholzia californica)
Native Range: Pacific slope of North America from Western Oregon to Baja California
Height: 14″
Width: 14″
Bloom Time: Mid summer to fall
Bloom Color: Orange to orange-yellow
Photo Credit: Kaldari, Wikimedia Commons
Snow on the Mountain (Euphorbia marginata)
Native Range: Prairies from Minnesota and the Dakotas to Colorado and Texas
Height: 24″
Width: 18″
Bloom Time: Summer to fall
Bloom Color: White
Photo Credit: H. Zell, Wikimedia Commons
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
Native Range: US and south to Central America
Height: 5-6′
Width: 3″
Bloom Time: Summer
Bloom Color: Yellow with mahogany, red, brown centers
Photo Credit: H. Zell, Wikimedia Commons
Lemon Beebalm (Monarda citriodora)
Native Range: Southern United States and northern Mexico
Height: 24″
Width: 12″
Bloom Time: Spring to late summer
Bloom Color: Lavender to pink to white
Photo Credit: Wikimedia commons
Iceland Poppy (Papaver nudicaule)
Native Range: Subpolar regions of North America
Height: 14″
Width: 6″
Bloom Time: Spring to early summer
Bloom Color: Yellow to white (cultivars in salamon, orange, and rose available)
Photo Credit: W. Pfahler, Wikimedia Commons
Desert Bluebell (Phacelia campanularia)
Native Range: Southwestern US and California
Height: 18″
Width: 18″
Bloom Time:
Bloom Color:
Photo Credit: