Many of the plants on this list are also hardy in northern climates, but southern gardeners have more options when it comes to winter color. As noted, the same plant can be used quite differently depending on the region. Learn about your local hardiness zone and typical winter conditions to help you choose the best cool-season annuals for your winter garden.

pansies

• Botanical name: Viola x wittrockiana
• Sun exposure: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil type: Moist, well-drained, rich in nutrients
• Soil pH: Acid to neutral (5.5-7.0)

Pansies are the quintessential winter flower, blooming in a wide range of colors with many bi-colored varieties available. Plant them in the fall after the heat of summer fades and enjoy the flowers for up to six months. Although a true perennial, pansies are grown as annuals because they wither in the summer heat. Line them along walkways and outside windows, where their color will brighten a winter scene.

Johnny-Jump up

• Botanical name: Viola tricolor
• Sun exposure: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil type: Moist, well-drained, average
• Soil pH: Acid to neutral (5.5-7.0)

Johnny-jump-ups are another type of viola, related to pansies, that bloom despite winter weather. In fact, they are often seen blooming through a thin layer of snow. Their cheerful tri-colored flowers include a combination of purple, yellow and white. Like pansies, they are short-lived perennials and are more commonly grown as annuals. The plant does well in winter containers as well as grown in the ground.

Kale and cabbage garnish

• Botanical name: Brassica oleracea
• Sun exposure: Full sun
• Soil type: Medium to moist, well-drained, rich in nutrients
• Soil PH: Neutral (6.0-8.0)

The colorful foliage of cabbage and kale looks like exotic flowers. The thick wavy to frilly leaves come in striking combinations of purple, pink, red, blue and cream. The bold colors do not appear until temperatures drop and persist throughout the winter. Ornamental cabbage and kale plants combine beautifully with pansies and violas in winter containers.

Dusty Miller

• Botanical name: Jacobaea maritima
• Sun exposure: Full sun
• Soil type: Moist, well-drained, rich in nutrients
• Soil pH: Acid to neutral (5.5-7.0)

The bush miller is another plant grown for its foliage, which is deeply lobed and covered with silvery hairs that give the leaves a silvery sheen. Depending on your climate, bush millet can be grown as a summer or winter annual, although the plant can be a perennial in some locations. In USDA Hardiness Zones 10 and 11, dusty miller can be planted from October to March for winter and early spring color.

Snapdragon

• Botanical name: Antirrhinum majus
• Sun exposure: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil type: Medium to moist, well-drained, rich in nutrients
• Soil pH: Slightly acidic to neutral (6.2 and 7.0)

Many varieties of snapdragons are available with candy-colored blooms in yellow, orange, red and pink and plants ranging in height from 6 inches to 3 feet. More compact varieties are often used for winter color in USDA hardiness zones 9 (8b) through 11. The plant produces cut flowers during the colder months. Dusty grater and ornamental kale are great companions.

Polyanthus primrose

• Botanical name: Primula x polyantha
• Sun exposure: Partial shade
• Soil type: Moist, well-drained, rich in nutrients
• Soil pH: Acidic (5.5-6.5)

Polyanthus primrose is a type of primrose that blooms from winter to early spring, producing stunning blooms in rich shades of blue, purple, burgundy and yellow. They are remarkably frost tolerant, although hard freezes can cause the plants to go into a state of dormancy. Evening primrose is a perennial plant but needs a cool climate and is often grown as an annual plant in the South. In frost-free areas, plant in the fall and in colder areas, plant in late winter.

Annual ryegrass

• Botanical name: Lolium multiflorum
• Sun exposure: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil type: Moist, well-drained, rich in nutrients
• Soil pH: Acidic to neutral (5.0 to 7.8)

Ryegrass is often used to maintain Bermudagrass lawns in southern landscapes to keep the turf green during the winter months. Bermuda grass
is a warm-season perennial that goes dormant in cold weather. In contrast, annual ryegrass is a cool-season annual grass and dies in late spring when Bermudagrass is coming out of dormancy. Overseeding with ryegrass is an easy and inexpensive way to bring winter color to the landscape.

calendar

• Botanical name: Calendula officinalis
• Sun exposure: Full sun
• Soil type: Medium moisture, well-drained, rich in nutrients
• Soil pH: Slightly acidic to neutral (6.0-7.0)

Commonly known as marigolds, calendula thrives in cool temperatures and can be grown as a winter annual in many southern areas. Although the plant has good cold tolerance, pyrethrum cannot tolerate hard frost. In warmer areas (Zones 9-11), seeds can be sown in late summer or early fall for profuse blooms during the cooler months of the year. In cooler areas, marigolds are planted in the transition seasons, however, a simple blanket of frost on cold nights can extend fall planting into the summer months. winter. The tree will die back in the heat of summer.

Baby blue eyes

• Botanical name: Nemophila menziesii
• Sun exposure: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil type: Medium to moist, well-drained, rich in nutrients
• Soil pH: Slightly acidic to slightly alkaline (6.0-8.0)

Although native to the cool mountains of the northwest, this annual wildflower can be grown as a winter annual in southern gardens. In areas with mild winters (USDA Zones 8-10), sow seeds in late summer and fall for vibrant blooms throughout spring. The plants are not tolerant of the heat and humidity of the South and will decline as the weather warms, although they may leave behind some seeds to nourish the next blooming season.

Florist’s Cineraria

• Botanical name: Pericallis x hybrida
• Sun exposure: Partial shade
• Soil type: Moist, well-drained, rich in nutrients
• Soil pH: Slightly acidic (5.5-6.2)

Florist’s cineraria, so named because they are popular houseplants, produce an abundance of daisy-like flowers with petals in vibrant blue, purple, pink or red. The flowers usually have a white star-shaped ring surrounding a dark central eye. When grown indoors, cineraria flowers bloom in winter. Gardeners in temperate climates (Zones 9-11) can plant outdoors for early spring blooms.

Marigold Cape

• Botanical name: Dimorphotheca sinuata
• Sun exposure: Full sun
• Soil type: Dry to medium, well-drained, rich in nutrients
• Soil pH: Slightly acidic to slightly alkaline (6.0-8.0)

The daisy-like marigold flowers have orange, yellow, purple, pink and white ray petals surrounding a pollen-rich eye. The flowers facing the sun close at night and on cloudy days. In temperate climates, sow seeds in late summer to fall. Foliage remains green throughout winter, flowers begin to bloom in late winter and bloom in spring. The plant flowers best when temperatures are between 45 and 50˚ F.

pink

• Botanical name: Dianthus chinensis x barbatus
• Sun exposure: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil type: Medium to moist, well-drained, rich in nutrients
• Soil pH: Neutral to slightly alkaline (7.0-8.0)

Persimmons are dianthus hybrids grown as annuals in the Southern states because they do not grow well in hot, humid summers. Typically planted in fall and spring, the plant blooms in vivid shades of pink, burgundy, white and lavender, with many gorgeous bi-colored varieties available. In frost-free areas, roses planted in the fall will bloom all winter. The plant needs to be protected from frost in colder regions. The green foliage pairs well with the dusty miller.