Do Annual Flowers Come Back

Annual flowers typically complete their entire life cycle—germination, growth, flowering, seed production, and death—in one growing season. Because they die off at the end of the season, annuals do not come back on their own the following year. Examples of common annual flowers include marigolds, petunias, and zinnias.

However, there are a few considerations:

1. Self-seeding: Some annuals can self-seed, meaning they drop seeds that can germinate and grow into new plants the following season. Common self-seeding annuals include cosmos and larkspur. While these aren’t the same plants coming back, the new plants can give the appearance that the flowers have returned.

2. Proper Climate Conditions: In very mild climates, some annuals can behave more like perennials because they survive the winter. For instance, some snapdragons might do this in warmer regions.

3. Replanting: Gardeners can choose to plant new annuals each year to recreate the same flower displays season after season.

For gardeners looking for flowers that reliably return every year, perennial flowers, which live for multiple years and often have dormant periods, might be a better option. Examples of perennial flowers include peonies, coneflowers, and daylilies.