Florida Gardening: Drought Resistant Annuals

There is nothing prettier then planting flowers and having them grow back and bloom every year. If you live in Florida and want to guarantee that your flowers come back every year, here are some suggestions to try. These annuals will stick with you through these drought months that we're struggling through now.

There is nothing more beautiful than a blooming yellow sunflower. If you like sunflower's as much as I do then I suggest planting the beach sunflower. The highest these will grow is about four feet and they will bloom year round. It's a good flower to have around when you want to bring color to your garden during the winter months. The flowers attract birds and butterflies. Like its name suggests, this sunflower does well planted in beach areas.

Another beautiful flower is the tropical sage. This one will grow to about two feet and the flowers can be orange, red, white or pink in color. This flower attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. This flower too, does well in sandy beach conditions and needs plenty of sunlight.

If you like an annual that looks a bit different then I suggest a standing cypress. The main stem of this plant grows upwards and the flowers grow off of it, giving it a tubular shape. This annual can grow up to five feet and is great for creating a border around a fence. Once the standing cypress is established it does very well in a drought and sandy ground.

Another annual that is very attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds is the butterfly bush with its sweet smelling flowers. I guess its name gives it away. This plant is easy to grow and hard to kill so gardeners everywhere will delight in keeping this one alive. They do grow a bit unruly at times so be prepared for that when planting in your yard.

Creeping phlox is a good choice for a ground growing type of annual. These flowers grow in dense clumps closer to the ground. They won't grow taller than six inches. They come in a variety of colors including lavender, pink and white. Like its name suggest, this plant will slowly spread and grow from its original planting. They do best in full sun but can also survive in partial shade.

The last one I suggest is a yellow colic root. This annual grows off of a stem that shoots straight up. It has yellow flowers in the shape of a bell that grow off the tall stem. They start blooming in early spring and continue to do so through the end of the summer.