Annual is a term used to describe plants that only grow for one season as opposed to perennials that come back year after year. True annuals are adapted to grow quickly and flower prolifically therefore ensuring future generations by abundant seed production. Other plants may be considered annuals only in particular climates where they are not adapted to survive the fall and winter seasons. For example,  Coleus plants are perennials in their native subtropical regions, but here in Iowa are treated as annuals.

Annuals are easy to grow, and often grow more quickly and bloom longer than their perennial counterparts because they are not expending as much energy on creating roots and nutrient storage for the following year. Planting annuals can provide a large variety of blooms and allow you to add new color and variation to your garden spaces. 

If you peruse the aisles of the big box garden centers, review the pages of a gardening magazine, or search pictures of gardens online, more often than not the annual plants you see are in full sun. They are bright vibrant plants and large blooms basking in direct sunlit gardens or containers. However it is rare that all areas of a garden are in full sun. Despite what you may see at first glance at your local garden center, there is a wide variety of annual plants and flowers that will thrive in shaded areas of your garden and provide just as much color and beauty as their sun tolerant counterparts.

Below are some annual options that are well adapted for shade:

• Begonia
• • Light requirements:
  • • Prefer filtered sunlight beneath thin tree canopies
    • Will wilt/burn in direct sun
  • Advantages:
  • • Variety of colors and flower shapes
    • Bloom continuously until a hard frost
    • Deadheading is not required
• Impatiens
• • Light requirements:
  • • Shade – will wilt in direct sun
  • Advantages:
  • • Variety of color
    • When planted close together they create a carpet of blooms.
• Lobelia
• • Light requirements:
  • • Partial shade
  • Advantages:
  • • blue, purple, or white blooms in cascades of color
    • blooms before night temps get too warm- trim it back if it gets shaggy and it will revive when cooler weather returns
• Fuchsia
• • Light requirements:
  • • Partial shade (prefers morning light and afternoon shade)
  • Advantages:
  • • drapes over hanging pots
    • attracts hummingbirds and butterflies
• Coleus
• • Light requirements:
  • • differs based on variety – choose a shade tolerant variety
  • Advantages:
  • • wide variety of color and foliage shape
• Caladium
• • Light requirements:
  • • Full to partial shade
  • Advantages:
  • • great accent plant with large heart shaped leaves
• Torenia
• • Light requirements:
  • • Partial shade
  • Advantages:
  • • Delicate flowers that resemble snapdragons
    • attracts hummingbirds
• Flowering Tobacco (Nicotiana)
• • Light requirements:
  • • Full sun to partial shade
  • Advantages:
  • • Sweetly scented flowers open in evening or during cool ties of the day
    • drops lots of seeds and may return the following year

• Magilla Perilla

• • Light requirements:
  • • Shade, Sun
  • Advantages:
  • • Showy coleus-like foliage
    • extremely heat and cold tolerant
    • fills in mixed containers quickly
• Sweet Potato Vine
• • Light requirements:
  • • Sun or Shade
  • Advantages:
  • • beautiful leaves in various shades
    • Great accent plant that fills in quickly and covers large areas
• Polka Dot Plant
• • Light requirements:
  • • Partial to full shade
  • Advantages:
  • • Showy, spotted foliage
    • can bring indoors in the winter as a houseplant
• Browallia
• • Light requirements:
  • • Partial shade
  • Advantages:
  • • Low maintenance
    • Blooms prolifically and for an extended period
    • Attracts hummingbirds
• Balsam
• • Light requirements:
  • • Partial shade
  • Advantages:
  • • Heirloom flowers
    • Great as cut flowers
• Sweet Alyssum
• • Light requirements:
  • • Partial shade
  • Advantages:
  • • Low growing carpet of tiny flowers
• Tradescantia
• • Light requirements:
  • • Partial shade
  • Advantages:
  • • Grown for its foliage
    • Often kept as a houseplant but can be planted in shady outdoor gardens