Native Annual Plants and Flowers - Ask Extension
To Whom It May Concern,
Does Delaware have native annual plants and flowers? All of the plants and flowers I have found are perennials. Thank you.
Knowledgebase
Native Annual Plants and Flowers #866178
Asked April 28, 2024, 2:41 PM EDT
To Whom It May Concern,
Does Delaware have native annual plants and flowers? All of the plants and flowers I have found are perennials. Thank you.
Kent County Delaware
Expert Response
Kristen,
Here is a database I use for researching native plants. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is the largest native plant database in the US. On the following page they have a search function where you can search for plants by State and life (Annual, Biennial, Perennial). Go to the large green print that says: Combination Search
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin
If you select Delaware as your state and Annual as the life you will get 368 annual native plants found in Delaware. Now these are not all plants you would want in your garden, so you can then narrow the search by light, soil moisture, bloom time, bloom color and leaf characteristics. Now some that are listed as annuals are actually biennials, it's not perfect.
Some of my favorites are Coreopsis tinctoria, Gaillardia pulchella, and of course Helianthus annuus, the annual sunflower. I have full sun, if you have shade or dappled shade you could try the Impatiens capensis (orange) or I. pallida (Yellow). If you are trying to start a meadow, a great annual cover crop is Chamaecristus fasciculata - Partridge pea.
Now for the bad news, you will not find any of these in local nurseries. I always have to start them from seed. But you can save your seed from year to year and make it a one time purchase.
Another annual that is not listed as a Delaware native, but I love and does well in containers is Helenium amarum 'Dakota' or the annual Sneezeweed.
I hope this helps.
Here is a database I use for researching native plants. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is the largest native plant database in the US. On the following page they have a search function where you can search for plants by State and life (Annual, Biennial, Perennial). Go to the large green print that says: Combination Search
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin
If you select Delaware as your state and Annual as the life you will get 368 annual native plants found in Delaware. Now these are not all plants you would want in your garden, so you can then narrow the search by light, soil moisture, bloom time, bloom color and leaf characteristics. Now some that are listed as annuals are actually biennials, it's not perfect.
Some of my favorites are Coreopsis tinctoria, Gaillardia pulchella, and of course Helianthus annuus, the annual sunflower. I have full sun, if you have shade or dappled shade you could try the Impatiens capensis (orange) or I. pallida (Yellow). If you are trying to start a meadow, a great annual cover crop is Chamaecristus fasciculata - Partridge pea.
Now for the bad news, you will not find any of these in local nurseries. I always have to start them from seed. But you can save your seed from year to year and make it a one time purchase.
Another annual that is not listed as a Delaware native, but I love and does well in containers is Helenium amarum 'Dakota' or the annual Sneezeweed.
I hope this helps.