Now that we've had a couple of days that actually feel like November, I wanted to reminisce on the warmer times of summer and salute a few of Reiman Gardens' favorite 2024 annuals that you might consider growing next year (because we're already picking out ours!). To start, here are three that will provide your annual flower display with over-the-top drama, texture, and color. Check back in this section for more annual plant recommendations in the coming months.
Onyx™ Orange Ornamental Pepper (Capsicum annuum) was a popular annual this year, with its many orange pearl-shaped fruits popping out from deep purple leaves. The tiny fruits start purple then gradually ripen to orange. Compact 8" tall plants are a dramatic addition to containers, but also attract attention planted en masse. Another pepper in this series, Onyx™ Red, was named as a 2018 All-America Selections (AAS) Flower Winner.
Another attention-grabbing annual was Balloon Plant (Gomphocarpus physocarpus). This plant (which, to note, differs from Balloon Flower, Platycodon grandiflorus) is characterized by slender leaves and tiny white flowers that set fruit when cross-pollinated by hornets. The eye-catching fruits resemble lime green balloons that starts out small and billow up to a couple inches in diameter. These pods eventually open to release seeds. Native to Africa and grown as an annual in Iowa, it lives as tender perennial in hardiness zones 8-10. Gomphocarpus is sure to spark curiosity and conversation in your yard, as it did at the Gardens this year.
Honeybells Cuphea ignea, commonly called Firecracker Plant or Cigar Plant, has small, tube-shaped flowers with glossy, bright green leaves. We appreciated it in our containers this past summer for adding fiery zest, fine texture, and an influx of flowers. Plants can be pinched back (taking the top few inches off the central stem, down to a node) to encourage side branching and compactness if they become leggy. As a tender perennial, Cuphea can be potted up for continued enjoyment in the winter months as a houseplant.
Links to this article are strongly encouraged, and this article may be republished without further permission if published as written and if credit is given to the author, Yard and Garden, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. If this article is to be used in any other manner, permission from the author is required. This article was originally published on November 12, 2024. The information contained within may not be the most current and accurate depending on when it is accessed.