21 Easy Plant-It and Forget-It Annuals for the Lazy Gardener

Lazy gardeners unite! When you’re done with a 40-hour work week, the last thing you’ll want to do is obsess over seed starting requirements and guidelines. You want to plant easy germinating annuals that sprout after you sow them.

I’m a self-proclaimed lazy gardener—I enjoy maximizing my garden time! I’d rather spend time harvesting, planting, and weeding than battling pests and caring for weak plants. Hardy, tough annuals are perfect, as they require little maintenance while they mature.

After planting nasturtiums once, you’ll find them popping up annually each spring. Their tough, coated seeds last throughout the winter underground before germinating as the days lengthen and warm. Use their edible and spicy leaves or flowers in salads, vinegar infusions, or marinades. Avoid planting them in southern California, where they tend to invade natural areas.

Cosmos

	botanical name Cosmos spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-6’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Delicate, lacy foliage adorns cosmos stems. After maturing, they bloom large, long-petaled flowers in many different colors. Find cultivars with pink, purple, white, peach, and yellow petals. 

Plant these annual flowers for their beauty and easy-growing nature. They’re drought-tolerant after establishing themselves and work well across the U.S. during the summer. When happy, comos reseed to fill bare sites with fern-like foliage and cheery blossoms. 

Zinnia

	botanical name Zinnia spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-4’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Zinnias grace gardens with many-petaled flowers that attract bees, birds, and butterflies, among other pollinators. Their popularity is widespread, as is evident by how many cultivars, species, and varieties of zinnias are available!

The best zinnia is the one you like the most. Peruse seed catalogs to find your favorite heirloom, and save its seeds each autumn so you can sow them the next spring. My favorite zinnia is the ‘Giant Purple’ variety, though there are hundreds of other options available. 

Sunflower

	botanical name Helianthus annuus
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-14’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Sunflowers are North American native plants that thrive across the U.S. They fill prairies, meadows, and roadsides with giant sunshine-yellow blooms. Their tall nature makes them perfect for adding height and dimension to borders, pollinator gardens, and raised beds.

Nowadays, plant breeders have created dozens of sunflower varieties with small or large flower heads, different heights, and various petal colors. The ‘Mongolian Giant’ is one of the largest; it can reach up to 14 feet in the air! 

Poppy

	botanical name Papaver spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-5’
	hardiness zones 2-10

Poppies fill meadows with wrinkly petals and cheery blooms! Their seed pods are incredibly decorative and useful in medicinal, culinary, and ornamental applications. Poppies produce seeds for baked goods, chemicals for various drugs like codeine and morphine, and gorgeous blooms for bouquets. 

Which poppy is right for you depends on your stylistic preferences. Use the breadseed poppy, Papaver somniferum, if you’d like to cultivate edible seeds. Otherwise, choose whichever cultivar stands out to you. ‘Lauren’s Grape’ is a lovely favorite with rich purple petals. 

Black-Eyed Susan Vine

	botanical name Thunbergia alata
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-8’
	hardiness zones 10-11

Though technically an evergreen perennial, the black-eyed Susan vine’s frost-tender nature causes it to die in the fall. You’ll see it in gardens as a summer climber or groundcover in sunny sites. It performs well in hanging baskets, containers, and arbors. 

Though this perennial has black-eyed Susan in its name, it’s not a close relative of the native species of Rudbeckia. Its flowers merely resemble those of the native plants. 

A longtime favorite heirloom, black-eyed Susan vine holds up well in today’s gardening climate. Let it roam during the summer and save its seeds during the fall so you can sow them the next spring. 

Cape Daisy

	botanical name Arctotis fastuosa
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-2’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Cape daisies are frost-tolerant flowers that fill gardens with their late-season blooms as summer delves into fall. They’re drought-tolerant, sunshine-loving annuals that originate from South Africa. Use them in pollinator plantings, hot meadows, or similarly exposed sites.

Though the yellow-blooming Cape daisy species is a top performer, the ‘Zulu Prince’ cultivar is spectacular. Its white-petaled blossoms have orange, red, and black rings on their lower portions, creating a stunning colorful display wherever they bloom. 

Love-Lies-Bleeding

	botanical name Amaranthus caudatus
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-5’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Love-lies-bleeding adorns cottage-style plantings with long flowering spikes full of tiny red blossoms. They’re one of the showiest annual flowers you can grow! Their leaves and seeds are edible; the leaves are good spinach substitutes, while the seeds work well as a pseudograin like quinoa.

Though most of these plants have maroon, pink, or red flowers, some new varieties offer unique hues. Opt for ‘Coral Fountain’ for pink-orange flowering spikes that shine under summer sunlight.

Signet Marigold

	botanical name Tagetes tenuifolia
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 6”-3’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Signet marigolds are some of the best marigolds around! Their small flowers open atop stems with lacy foliage that smells lemony when crushed. Many types exist, though the most common have yellow, red, or orange flowers with a single row of petals.

Use marigold blossoms in salads, vinegar infusions, or to decorate charcuterie boards. They’re perfect for adding color and flavor to recipes. If you’re unsure which variety to grow, try a blend! The ‘Gem Blend’ is a fantastic cultivar with three different signet marigolds inside. 

Cockscomb

	botanical name Celosia spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 6”-3’
	hardiness zones 10-11

Like the black-eyed Susan vine, cockscombs are frost-tender perennials that most gardeners treat as summer annuals. They thrive while temperatures are warm, days are long, and sunshine is abundant. They receive the name “cockscomb” because of their contorted blooms that resemble a rooster’s crest. 

Cockscombs have a unique look to them. Their gnarled, folded flowers form low to the ground, creating a carpet of plumes. Choose a variety like ‘Chief Red Flame’ for blood-red blooms unlike any other you’ve seen before. 

Bunny Tails Grass

	botanical name Lagurus ovatus
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-2’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Bunny tails grasses are cute and cuddly! Their feathery seed heads look like little bunny tails, hence their name. An annual grass species, this plant performs well during the warm months of the growing season. It’s native to the Mediterranean countries and prefers well-draining soil, direct sunlight, and low moisture.

Use bunny tails grass as an annual filler to cover sites with bare soil. When happy, they’ll reseed themselves to create dense stands in the landscape. 

Borage

	botanical name Borago officinalis
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-3’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Borage is a wonderful herb with edible flowers and foliage. Its bright blue blossoms are a favorite of honeybees, bumblebees, and similar pollinators. Candy them for desserts, add them to salads, or infuse them in dressings. Use the leaves to replace spinach and chard in cooked greens recipes.

This easy-growing plant sows itself, creating little pockets of color throughout your garden. It’s a perfect pollinator plant for a vegetable or herb garden.

Pincushion Flower

	botanical name Scabiosa atropurpurea
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-3’
	hardiness zones 10-12

Pincushion flowers resemble, you guessed it, pincushions! Their easy-growing nature and colorful petals make them superb choices for ornamental beds. Though they often perform as annuals, some cultivars may persist for a few years and act like perennials. 

Pincushion flowers come in lavender, blue, white, and black-red. Their lacy leaves and nectar-rich blooms provide texture and color in borders, beds, and wild plantings. Save seeds of heirloom varieties like ‘Black Knight’ so you can sow them year after year. 

Russian Statice

	botanical name Psylliostachys suworowii ‘Russian’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 12-18”
	hardiness zones 3-10

Russian statice is the plant for florists, bouquet lovers, and cut flower enthusiasts. Grow it to add color to your outdoor borders, and cut the flowers for an indoor bouquet. Their hot pink blossoms work well fresh or dried to create tantalizing arrangements. 

Relatively rare in North American yards, the Russian statice plant is a relatively new introduction from Asia. Grow it yourself to enjoy at home!

Calendula

	botanical name Calendula officinalis
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-2’
	hardiness zones 10-11

Calendula, or pot marigold, is a graceful species with edible petals! Its daisy-like blooms come in fiery hues of orange, yellow, and red. They’re ideal next to sunflowers, marigolds, and asters for blooms all season long. 

We home gardeners have many calendulas to choose from! Opt for a type with your favorite colors, or select ‘Resina’ if you plan on eating the petals. This cultivar has resin-rich blooms that add more flavor to dishes than other kinds. 

Bottle Gourd

	botanical name Lagenaria siceraria
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 20-30’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Craft makers love bottle gourds; unlike edible squash, these vining annual plants produce hard-shelled gourds that you dry and preserve for craft making. Paint them, carve them, or use them in fall arrangements as holiday decor.

Bottle gourds cure well if you leave them on the plant while the vine dies. Winter frosts sometimes add special markings to the gourds. Harvest them by snipping a few inches above their tops; the dried stems are helpful as handles for the gourds. 

Poached Egg Plant

	botanical name Limnanthes douglasii
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 6-12”
	hardiness zones 2-12

The poached egg plant is a Pacific Northwest and West Coast native species that fills meadows and grassy hills with white-yellow blooms. They resemble poached eggs; their centers are yolky yellow while the petals’ outer margins are white. 

Use the poached egg plant as a reseeding annual in natural-style plantings. It’ll attract pollinators with nectar and pollen. After pollination, seeds form and fall to the ground. They’ll germinate with little help from the gardener and form patches of new growth. 

African Marigold

	botanical name Tagetes erecta
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-4’
	hardiness zones 2-11

African marigolds are like bigger versions of the signet ones. They’re bodacious, outrageous, and full of star power! You’ll see white, orange, and yellow types available with multiple rows of petals in each bloom. 

Easy to start from seeds and to cultivate, African marigolds are one of the best plants to start with in the summer yard. They’re perfect for seed-starting projects in the garden with children; teach them how seeds germinate for a lesson they’ll never forget.

Try ‘Kilimanjaro White’ for two to three-inch-wide flowers in creamy white. Or, opt for the ‘Crackerjack Blend’ for a mix of yellow and orange hues. 

Morning Glory

	botanical name Ipomoea spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 8-30’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Morning glories come in all shapes and sizes! Some are invasive weeds while others are garden treasures. Frost kills them in temperate climates, though they may survive as perennials in warm ones. For best results, select a cultivar or variety you can manage rather than a free-spreading species. 

Empty arbors, trellises, and fences are perfect growing sites for morning glories. Their twining vines will climb anything they touch. Let them ramble during the summer and bask in their shade as they reach over ten feet tall! 

Garden Balsam

	botanical name Impatiens balsamina
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6-30”
	hardiness zones 2-11

Bees love garden balsam! I see them frequenting this plant in the summer garden each year. It has snapdragon-like flowers and exploding seed pods. When you touch the pods, they pop and spread their seeds throughout the site. 

Garden balsam starts readily from seeds and often self-sows in warm regions. Though pretty, it’s not as popular as it used to be. You won’t find potted plants at nurseries, though you can find seeds from online retailers. 

Sweet Pea

	botanical name Lathyrus odoratus
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-6’
	hardiness zones 2-10

Sweet peas are the definition of plant-it and forget-it! They sow themselves after planting, creating stands of fragrant pea plants each spring. There are more cultivars than you can count, offering endless design possibilities for your yard.