Easy Flowers to Grow

Some flowers are naturally very easy to grow. They can be low maintenance or even just hard to kill. If you are a beginning gardener, these low-maintenance flowers are an easy way to fill and brighten your garden.

Purple Coneflower

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a member of the Asteraceae/Compositae, or aster/daisy, family. It is a fast-growing perennial that attracts butterflies. Purple coneflower can get up to 3 feet tall, and it has dark-green, coarse leaves 3 to 8 inches long. Its flowers, which grow to 3 inches wide, look similar to daisies. Coneflower will grow in almost any soil, and needs full sun to partial shade. Propagate this drought-tolerant plant via root division or seeds. .

Cosmos

Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) is a member of the Asteraceae/Compositae, or aster/daisy, family. It is a fast-growing annual that attracts butterflies. Cosmos gets up to 7 feet tall, with long, feathery leaves. Flowers are 2 to 3 inches wide and come in red, pink, white or purple. Plant cosmos in a well-drained soil and water regularly. Propagate via seed directly into the ground in warm weather or indoors in cooler weather to transplant outside after danger of frost has passed.

California Poppy

California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) is a member of the Papaveraceae, or poppy, family. It is an annual that gets 12 inches foot high and has 6- to 8-inch-long, grayish-green leaves. Its flowers are 2 to 3 inches wide and come in yellow, red or orange. Plant California poppy in well-drained soil in full sun. Propagate this plant via spring or fall seed sowing.

Common Sunflower

Common Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is a member of the Asteraceae/Compositae, or aster/daisy, family. It is a fast-growing annual that attracts both birds and butterflies. Common sunflower gets 8 to 15 feet tall with 8- to 12-inch-wide flowers and rough leaves. The seeds are edible. Grow sunflower in well-drained, alkaline soil in full sun. Propagate sunflower by seed.

Wild Columbine

Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) is a member of the Ranunculaceae, or buttercup, family. It is either an annual or perennial, depending on the cultivar's growth habits, and it attracts hummingbirds. The plant gets 2 feet tall and 1 foot wide, with 1- to 2-inch-long bell-shaped flowers and fernlike leaves. Plant a wild columbine in full sun to partial shade in any soil. Propagate via seed.