Our Favorite Spring Annuals for 2025

I think most gardeners would agree that spring is the most exciting time of the year. As the weather warms and trees leaf out, it’s time to choose plants to fill this year’s garden with color and texture. Annuals are your best bet if you want to brighten your landscape ASAP.

Annuals sprout, flower, and die all in the same year, so you don’t have to wait long to enjoy their beautiful blooms. Whether you’re looking for long-stemmed flowers for a cutting garden or low-lying plants to line a walkway, you can find flowering annuals that you’ll love. Plant these species in the spring and enjoy their blooms throughout the late spring and summer.

Since there are hundreds of annuals to choose from and even more varieties within each species, it can be difficult to narrow down your choices. To help you out, I’ve gathered a list of some of our favorite spring annuals for 2025.

Cosmos

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Sea Shells Blend Cosmos Seeds

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Bachelor’s Button

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Blue Boy Bachelor’s Button Seeds

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Calendula

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Zeolights Calendula Seeds

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Cosmos

	botanical name Cosmos spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-5 feet
	hardiness zones 2-11

Cosmos are perfect for adding a whimsical and carefree look to your garden. Their long stems, lacy foliage, and simple, delicate blossoms combine to give them an organic feel. They come in an array of colors, including the bright orange blooms found on ‘Diablo’ and a mix of pinks and whites in ‘Sensation Blend.’

Since cosmos plants can grow four feet tall, they provide long stems that make them great candidates for working into arrangements. You can also leave the flowers uncut and enjoy them in your garden. The plants can continue blooming for months, especially if you deadhead them.

Sweet Alyssum

	botanical name Lobularia maritima
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-10 inches
	hardiness zones 5-9

Sweet alyssum is loaded with clusters of tiny blossoms throughout the spring and summer, even when the weather turns hot. The low-growing plants work great as a groundcover and grow in a gentle cascading manner when planted in pots.

Not only is sweet alyssum beautiful, but it is one of the best for supporting beneficial insects. Their small blossoms provide nectar and pollen for natural predators like hoverflies, ladybugs, green lacewings, and parasitic wasps. Therefore, they’re the perfect spring annual for tucking beside your lettuce or tomatoes.

White blossoms are the most common color of sweet alyssum, but you can also find varieties that produce colorful blooms. ‘Oriental Nights’ showcases multiple shades of purple, and ‘Rosie O’Day’ has rose pink flowers.

Bachelor’s Button

	botanical name Centaurea cyanus
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-3 feet
	hardiness zones 2-11

Easy to grow by direct seeding or transplanting, bachelor’s buttons are best known for their true blue blossoms. Many gardeners love growing this difficult-to-find hue, but you can also find other shades of these flowers. ‘Black Magic’ produces deep purple blooms and ‘The Bride’ features ruffled white flowers.

These plants are also known as cornflowers or basket flowers. They’re quite hardy and can withstand heat and drought as long as they’re well-established by the time this challenging weather arrives. So don’t be surprised if they continue blooming throughout the summer! Note that they are invasive in certain areas of North America, so opt for another one on our list in those regions.

Poppies

	botanical name Papaver spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-4 feet
	hardiness zones 3-9

While some poppies are perennials, many of these wispy flowers are annuals. Poppies don’t transplant well, so grow them by sprinkling the seeds on the soil surface. The plants will begin producing in a few months.

You can find many different species and varieties of poppies, so choose one that you’ll love. ‘American Legion’ produces the iconic red Flanders poppy, and ‘Black Swan’ makes a statement with alluring ruffled petals. 

You don’t have to do much to enjoy poppies in your garden, but you should be aware of a few tricks if you want to cut them to bring indoors. Look for buds that have just started to crack open to reveal their colorful centers—these are the stems you should cut. The buds will continue to bloom indoors, allowing you to enjoy your poppies for as long as possible.

Larkspur

	botanical name Consolida regalis
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 3-4 feet
	hardiness zones 2-11

If I had to pick a favorite spring flower, it would be larkspur. You can plant these cold-tolerant annuals in early spring (especially if you protect them with row cover), allowing you to enjoy their tall flowers by April or May. Each stalk is covered with feathery foliage and dozens of trumpet-shaped blooms.

The tall flowers make an excellent background layer in cottage gardens and work well for cutting. I love the cool blue colors found in ‘Shades of Blue,’ but you can also find pink, purple, and white.

Love-In-A-Mist

	botanical name Nigella papillosa
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-4 feet
	hardiness zones 2-11

Also known by its genus name nigella, love-in-a-mist offers a double dose of beauty. First, the plants produce colorful flowers nestled amongst lacy leaves. After the blossoms fade, balloon-like seed pods replace them.

Love-in-a-mist is easy to grow and can tolerate light drought. Although the plants are annuals, they readily self-seed if you leave the seed pods on the plants.

Moss Rose

	botanical name Portulaca grandiflora
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 3-8 inches
	hardiness zones 2-11

Moss rose has small, succulent leaves that grow in a trailing pattern, making the plants look like moss from a distance. They also produce adorable flowers that resemble tiny roses. Since these plants hold lots of moisture in their leaves, they work well in rock gardens and dry areas. 

Although these annuals can tolerate dry soil and hot weather, they don’t like sitting in water. Therefore, plant them in a location with well-draining soil. If you don’t have a good spot in your garden, the plants look beautiful trailing out of planters and hanging baskets.

Sweet Pea

	botanical name Lathyrus odoratus
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 3-7 feet
	hardiness zones 2-10

If you’re looking for an annual flower that thrives in the cool weather of spring, sweet peas are one of your best choices. These plants don’t like the heat, so plant them while temperatures are still cool.  In most areas, you can plant them outdoors in late winter or even sow them the following fall.

Sweet peas produce trailing vines complete with tendrils, so they’ll appreciate it if you provide them with a trellis, fence, or arbor to grow up. Providing moist soil and plenty of sun will encourage the plants to produce their fragrant blooms. The smell of sweet peas is an intoxicating mix of sugary and floral.

Although the fragrance alone makes them worth planting, the blooms are also gorgeous! They have a unique set of lips and come in many colors. Check out ‘Beaujolais’ if you like deep maroon and ‘Royal Blend’ for a mix of colors.

Marigold

	botanical name Tagetes spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-3 feet
	hardiness zones 2-11

An easy-to-grow and cheerful flower, the marigold makes its way into many gardens. While the bright orange and yellow blooms are classic options, you can also find marigolds in subdued shades of cream and white.

Marigolds can withstand moderate drought and heat once they’re established, so planting them in the spring allows you to enjoy them well into the summer. As long as you cut back the plants, they’ll continue to produce fresh new flowers.

Calendula

	botanical name Calendula officinalis
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-2 feet
	hardiness zones 9-11

Calendula is a spring annual superstar. The compact plants produce oodles of beautiful blossoms that brighten the garden with shades of yellow, orange, and pink. But the flowers aren’t just for beauty. They also have medicinal qualities that make them valued additions to herbal teas, hand salves, and more.

The plants produce a sticky sap, so don’t be alarmed if your fingers become tacky after cutting the flowers or harvesting the blooms. If you choose to leave the flowers on the plant, be aware they’ll quickly go to seed and give way to more calendula plants.

Gomphrena

	botanical name Gomphrena spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-3 feet
	hardiness zones 9-11

Also known as globe amaranth, gomphrena is a cute flower that works well on its own or as a filler for larger flowers. The stems have a branching form, and each stem is topped with a round flower that resembles a small pompom. Not only do the blossoms look adorable when they’re freshly cut, but they also dry well.

You can find many different varieties and colors of gomphrena, including white, orange, red, pink, and purple. Varieties like ‘QIS Fiery Sunrise Blend’ contain a pleasing mix of colors.

Don’t be afraid to cut gomphrena hard! The more you cut, the more flowering stems the plants will produce.

Zinnias

	botanical name Zinnia spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-5 feet
	hardiness zones 2-11

Zinnias are some of the most popular annual flowers, thanks to their easy-to-grow nature and ability to produce new blooms for months on end. Removing flowers that are ready will encourage the plants to send out new ones.

Plus, you can find zinnias in just about every color, as well as an array of flower shapes and textures. ‘Cactus Flower Blend’ produces a rainbow of flowers with pointed petals, while varieties like ‘Queeny Lime Orange’ and ‘Persian Carpet’ send out multi-colored blooms.

Orlaya

	botanical name Orlaya spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-3 feet
	hardiness zones 2-11

Although orlaya isn’t one of the most well-known spring annuals, I recommend adding it to your list. The plants produce lacy white blossoms over multiple weeks, providing a nice contrast to bright colors.