2021 Annual Flower Review
April 2022 is right around the corner and St. Louis Gardeners are like anxious racehorses in the gate, just waiting for the signal from Mother Nature to race off and get planting! Some annuals do better than others in the crazy St. Louis climate. Cool, wet springs, followed by scorching humid summers. It’s tough to hang in there all season and keep blooming! So, Garden-Lou brings you a list compiled by multiple St. Louis horticulturists of how some annuals performed in the 2021 season.
What did well in St. Louis
Alocasia
Begonia ‘Canary Wing’
Begonia BIG series ‘Red Bronze Leaf’
Begonia DRAGONWING red
Cleome SENORITA ROSALITA
Cuphea VERMILLIONAIRE
Coleus ‘Lava Rose’
Dichondra argentea PROVEN ACCENTS SILVER FALLS
Euphorbia hypericifolia BREATHLESS
Euphorbia hypericifolia BREATHLESS BLUSH
Geranium AMERICANA Coral
Gomphrena globosa ‘Gnome Purple’
Hypoestes
Lantana camara ‘Gold Mound’
Lantana LUSCIOUS BANANARAMA
PetunIa VISTA BUBBLEGUM
Salvia guaranitica ‘Black & Blue’
Salvia ROCKIN ‘Deep Purple’
Salvia splendens GRANDSTAND ‘Red Lipstick Pink’
Salvia splendens GRANDSTAND ‘Candy Apple’
Torenia SUMMER WAVE BOUQUET ‘Deep Blue’
Tradescantia pallida ‘Purple Queen’
Tradescantia sillamontana
Trandescantia multiflora
Vinca minor ‘Illumination’
Xanthosoma ‘Lime Zinger’
What didn’t do so well in St. Louis
Lavandula angustifolia ‘Silver Mist’-Struggled even with good drainage and full sun. Try Lavandula x intermedia ‘Provence’.
Petunia HEADLINER CRYSTAL SKY Didn’t like the heat.
Salvia splendens GRANDSTAND ‘Strawberry Bicolor’ -Just a bit ‘blah’
Senecio ANGEL WINGS-died a long, painful death in multiple locations after the heat started.
Verbena WHITE BLUSH ENDURASCAPE-more foliage than bloom, even in full soon.
And then we have the other annuals…
Caladium ‘Moonlight’-Caladiums need to have soil 70 degrees or above, so don’t put them out too early. For ‘Moonlight’ and other white foliaged caladiums, late afternoon shade is key in St. Louis.
Dorotheanthus bellidiformis MEZOO TRAILING RED -Must be in full sun, good drainage key
Evolvulus BLUE MY MIND -Does’t like it cool, so plant it later in the season and it should do well.
Fuschia ‘Aretes President George Bartlett’-Bloomed it’s head off but subject to root issues, so give it a lot of root space.
Salvia ‘Balsalmisp’ MYSTIC SPIRES BLUE-Plant and stand back, it gets huge, so keep planting and spacing in mind. There is confusion on the name and hardiness. Missouri Botanical Garden lists it as a hardy perennial for zone 7-so not hardy here in St. Louis.
Zinnia DREAMLAND series-Shorter stems, but bigger flowers can still benefit from staking.
Words and photos by Jo Batzer. Additional photos provided by Dawn Frierdich with special thanks to her for providing an incredible botanical resource for Garden-Lou!
© Jo Batzer, garden-lou.com, All rights reserved.
