18 Beautiful Annual Flowers That Hit Peak Bloom in July

Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. July is often a tough time for gardens. As the sun starts beating

Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day.

July is often a tough time for gardens. As the sun starts beating down and temperatures warm up, many flowers and vegetables languish. Thankfully, some annual flowers flourish in mid-summer heat. Many of them also have multiple purposes and uses, making them handy additions to any garden space. If you want to have something lovely to look at as the heat is bearing down, consider planting one of these eighteen annual flowers. They all reach peak bloom, even in the middle of summer.

The sunny disposition of marigolds (Tagetes spp.) makes them an emblem of summer. Their edible blossoms come in cheerful colors like brilliant yellow and warm orange. They also serve as natural pest deterrents in gardens. That makes them a reliable protectors for neighboring plants.

©EQRoy/Shutterstock.com

Zinnias (Zinnia elegans) are members of the Asteraceae family and quintessential additions to any summer garden. Their flowers blossom in red, purple, pink, orange, yellow, or white. They have large flower heads with many petals, giving them an intriguing and beautiful appearance. Since they grow fairly tall, they are ideal for garden borders.

©Sutta kokfai/Shutterstock.com

Most cosmo (Cosmos bipinnatus) varieties are grown as annuals, making them the ideal addition to a summer flower garden. Their flowers are daisy-like and often bowl-shaped. The delicate blooms come in hues like maroon, pink, yellow, orange, red, and white. Bees, birds, and butterflies all adore this stunning plant!

©PIN-CHIEH LIN/Shutterstock.com

Not only are nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus) lovely to look at thanks to their vivid orange, yellow, and red flowers, but they are also edible. They have a zesty, peppery flavor. Many people find them tasty when added to salads. Additionally, nasturtiums are a fantastic companion plant to most vegetables since they act as a pest trap and draw in beneficial insects and pollinators.

©iStock.com/Nadya So

An often overlooked member of the Lamiaceae family, salvias (Salvia spp.) are a magnet for pollinators. They have tall spikes of vibrant blue, purple, pink, white, or red flowers. These drought-tolerant, sun-loving beauties thrive in full sun and have medicinal uses.

©TuiPhotoEngineer/Shutterstock.com

While snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) are technically a perennial, they typically get grown as annuals. The stunning edible flowers come in shades of orange, pink, purple, yellow, and white. They make a great addition to a border or cut flower garden. And bees love to visit them for tasty nectar, which is beneficial to your entire garden.

©iStock.com/Borislav

Lantanas (Lantana camara) flourish under full sun. They have clusters of tiny, tubular flowers in shades of orange, white, purple, yellow, and red. Their heat tolerance and attractiveness to butterflies and hummingbirds make them ideal for summer gardens. Plus, the plant has a lovely smell if you gently bruise the leaves!

©Barbara Ash/Shutterstock.com

Tough celosias (Celosia spp.) flowers have striking crested flower heads with a velvety texture. This member of the Amaranth family is available in sizes that range from a few inches to a few feet tall. They come in bright, brilliant colors like red, orange, yellow, and pink. And they absolutely adore heat, allowing you to enjoy their impressive flowers throughout July.

©Granadeiro/Shutterstock.com

The sight of sunflowers (Helianthus spp.) gracefully swaying in the breeze is a hallmark of summer. Most of us think about the giant sunflowers that produce large flowerheads. However, endless varieties of all shapes, sizes, and heights are available. Their beautiful flowers are at their height in July.

©Mark Alexander/ via Getty Images

Gazanias (Gazania spp.) thrive in full sun environments and are annuals up to USDA Hardiness Zone 9 when they get grown as perennials. They have fascinating and beautiful daisy-like flowers that close up overnight. Most varieties have flowers in shades of yellow or orange. But you may be able to find a cultivar in different colors.

©Max_555/Shutterstock.com

You may know portulacas (Portulaca grandiflora) by the name of moss roses. These beginner-friendly, quick-growing succulents thrive in the heat of summer. They start to blossom at the end of June, ensuring stunning flowers throughout July. And the best part is, since they are heat and drought-tolerant, you can easily plant them in the hottest growing regions. This plant blossoms in pink, mauve, yellow, red, orange, and white.

©Yasemin Mirahmetoglu/Shutterstock.com

While other flowers start to fade during the summer heat, dahlias (Dahlia spp.) thrive in the height of summer. These delightful flowers typically start blossoming in July. Unfortunately, their flowers do not have a lovely scent. But they bring in plenty of bees, an important addition to any garden. You can find dahlias in nearly any shape or size, so it’s easy to find a variety that is suited to your space.

©Alex Manders/Shutterstock.com

Pot marigolds, or calendulas (Calendula officinalis), are attractive and edible flowering plants. They have daisy-like flowers in yellow or orange, which have culinary and medicinal uses. If you plant them early enough in the season, they will delight you with bright flowers in the heat of July.

©iStock.com/HansJoachim

Verbena (Verbena spp.), or vervain, has clusters of tiny flowers in shades of pink, red, purple, blue, and more. Butterflies flock to the lovely, fragrant flowers. You can find either tall, majestic varieties that will tower over your garden or smaller ground-cover-style varieties. Verbena thrives in the heat, and their blossoms look fantastic in July.

Sweet alyssums (Lobularia maritima) have a delicate fragrance and clusters of small blooms in shades of white or purple. They do prefer partial shade and make fantastic ground cover in a vegetable garden. Some areas may be a little warm in July for blossoms to form, but in most growing regions, you can enjoy their delicate flowers even in the heat of summer.

This stunning flowering shrub produces clusters of star-shaped flowers that draw in butterflies and hummingbirds. Pentas (Pentas lanceolata) is an annual in most growing zones but is a perennial in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 and 11. When you plant pentas, you will get treated with stunning flowers in purple, yellow, pink, red, or white.

For a shade flower or ground cover with style and beautiful mid-summer blooms, plant some impatiens (Impatiens walleriana). They come in shades of pink, white, red, peach, and apricot. And their blossoms are at their height in July. This fast-growing shrub does best in shaded or partially shaded areas. While it is an annual flower in most growing zones, it is a perennial in tropical regions.

Morning glories (Ipomoea spp.) are known for their rapid growth and breathtaking trumpet-shaped flowers. But while most morning glories are annuals, there are a few perennial varieties to avoid. Many states consider Ipomoea aquatica and I. hederacea noxious weeds. So make sure you select the annual varieties before you plant.

They are available in many colors, including purple-blue, white, pink, and magenta. The flowers are highly fragrant and frequented by pollinators. And they make a lovely, twining trellis on a patio or over a garden arch.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us? Contact the AZ Animals editorial team.

If you want to have something lovely to look at as the heat is bearing down, consider planting one of these eighteen annual flowers. They all reach peak bloom, even in the middle of summer.,

The Three Best Ways to Trellis Your Tomatoes

Governor Josh Green, M.D.

News

18 Beautiful Annual Flowers That Hit Peak Bloom in July