7 Flowers That Can Survive Without Your Help
If all you want to do is throw the seeds in the ground and watch the magic happen, these flowers are the ones for you.
Plant, ignore, and enjoy—that’s always been my gardening philosophy, and I’m willing to bet I’m not alone. While this strategy may not work too well with my watermelon crop, I can get away with it in my flower beds by choosing hardy wildflowers that don’t need any coaxing to thrive. To find out which flowers are most likely to bloom without a helping hand, I reached out to Laura Weller, a plant production expert at the Rodale Institute. She came up with this list of easy-care flowers that should grow in almost any zone across the U.S. (though bloom time will vary with the climate and water availability).
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Weller also advises checking with your local nursery for recommendations on native plants in your area. These plants will be most suited to growing in your local environment, so they’ll need very little care—it often takes more effort to make non-native plants happy. “Growing native flowers helps with water conservation and overall ecology,” she adds. Here are Weller's picks for getting started.
Gomphrena
Gompherna, sometimes also called globe flower, is an easy-care annual. It prefers full sun and tolerates drought very well, making it a great option for xeriscapes (water-saving gardens designed for drought). Butterflies love it, and it’s ideal for cut and dried flowers as well. (Check out the top 10 flowers that will attract butterflies to your yard.)
Milkweed
Despite its name, many gardeners find milkweed a highly desirable flower. This hardy perennial grows just about anywhere—it tolerates acid and dry soil, though it must have good drainage. It’s sometimes referred to as butterfly weed thanks to the butterflies it attracts, especially monarchs. Monarchs are declining in huge numbers because milkweed, the only plant where they’ll lay their eggs, is disappearing thanks to the widespread use of Roundup and other herbicides. Check out the National Wildlife Federation’s recommendations for native milkweed varieties you can plant to lend monarchs a hand.
Sunflowers
Big, cheery sunflowers make beautiful garden borders, and they’re super-easy to care for. They like full sun, of course, and will tolerate poor, dry soils, so you can grow them even if you’ve neglected to get your soil tested. Growing sunflowers is also a great way to attract butterflies and birds to your garden, and you can even harvest the seeds for roasting—if the birds don’t get to them first!
Verbena
These gem-sized flowers make beautiful borders along the front edge of a flowerbed or garden path, and they’ll stay vibrant on the driest, hottest days of August. They’re also great for outdoor planters, and butterflies and hummingbirds love them.
Marigolds
Marigolds come in a variety of shapes and heights and a spectrum of fiery colors. They like full sun and will survive in hot, dry conditions. Taller varieties, like Durango Outback, make lovely cut flowers, but the smaller ones can be used for garnishes, cake decorations, and salads (marigolds are edible). Weller recommends Tangerine Gem for its light, citrusy scent.
Cleome
This delicate-looking annual is anything but frail. Cleome, sometimes called spider flower, tolerates dry, droughty soil and even the most sweltering days of summer. Hummingbirds and butterflies are attracted to its nectar, and its presence is also an invitation for other beneficial insects to come to your garden. It’s got a strong, perfumy scent and makes for lovely cut flowers (make cut flowers last longer with these tips).
Impatiens
If you’ve got dark corners of the yard that sunlight barely reaches, this is the flower for you. The other plants on this list withstand hot, dry conditions, but impatiens love shade. They’ll even tolerate damp soil that never quite drains. After planting, they’ll take off on their own with no effort on your part.
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