Garden Flower Gardens 18 Self-Seeding Flowers That Produce New Blooms Every Year—With Less Work for You All of these flowers drop seeds in the garden, which germinate and give way to blooms the following year. By Lauren David Lauren David Lauren David is a freelance journalist who covers gardening, houseplants, and sustainability. She has over 15 years of gardening experience and has taught garden classes to K-12 youth. Editorial Guidelines Published on May 23, 2024 Close Photo: Getty Images Planting flowers that self-seed is a wonderful way to ensure you'll have blooms each growing season with minimal work on your end. Before they die, these plants drop seeds in your garden that will germinate on their own the following year, providing unexpected blooms and color to your landscape. Self-sowing plants are also a big draw for pollinators. These plants are some of the first to flower, meaning they're an early pollen and nectar source for birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. Plus, self-sowing plants are also known for being low-maintenance. Once established, they often require little care beyond what the natural climate has to offer. Ahead, we're sharing expert-recommended self-seeding flowers you should grow in your garden. 16 Pollinator Plants That Will Attract Birds, Bees, and Butterflies to Your Garden 01 of 18 Alyssum Maria Mosolova / Getty Images Alyssum (Lobularia maritima) has tiny white or purple flowers that entice pollinators. "Alyssum regularly makes its home in yards, gardens, and cottage landscapes where it invites much-needed pollinators," says Linda Hayek, Horticulturist for Eden Brothers. Zones: 5 to 9Size: 3 to 10 inches tall x 2 to 4 inches wideCare requirements: Partial to full sun; well-draining soil 02 of 18 Amaranth Bilanol / iStock / Getty Images Plus Producing a single burgundy flower that looks like it has multiple feathers jetting out, amaranth (Amaranthus, cruentus) will keep coming back season after season on its own. "Amaranth is one of the most prolific self-seeding plants I've ever grown," says Miya Sohoza, ornamentals product manager for Harris Seeds and a National Garden Bureau member. "Volunteer plants show up every year in garden beds and throughout the farm." Zones: 2 to 11Size: 2 to 4 feet tall x 1 to 2 feet wideCare requirements: Partial to full sun; well-draining soil 03 of 18 Bee Balm Angie Cottingham Bee balm (Monarda didyma) is a wildflower native to North America and attracts beneficial insects and pollinators. "If you don't want your bee balm to self-seed, you can easily thin them out," says Nancy Ketchmark, owner of Flowers Contained. She prefers to let nature do its thing and have them self-seed in her garden. "The more the merrier with these colorful pollinator attractors,'' she says. Zones: 3 to 9Size: 10 to 48 inches tall x 10 to 36 inches wideCare requirements: Partial to full sun; well-draining soil 15 Full-Sun Perennials That Come Back Bigger and Better Every Year 04 of 18 Black-Eyed Susan Jon Rehg / GETTY IMAGES Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) has vibrant yellow flowers with the shape of a daisy but are bigger and loved by pollinators. "The butterflies and bees will flock to bright yellow Rudbeckia," says Ketchmark. "They are easy to control if you only want them in a certain area; just pick the few that will spread." Zones: 3 to 9Size: 2 to 3 feet tall x 1 to 2 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil 05 of 18 Borage Oksana_Schmidt / Getty Images A hardy herb that produces bluish flowers that have an aroma of cucumber, borage (Borago officinalis) will crop back up the following season. "Borage is a great pick for gardens with challenging soil," says Gail Pabst, horticulturist and marketing director for the National Garden Bureau. "It tolerates drought well and is typically left untouched by deer." Zones: 2 to 11Size: 12 to 36 inches tall x 9 to 18 inches wideCare requirements: Partial to full sun; well-draining soil 06 of 18 Calendula Maria Mosolova / Getty Images With orange or yellow flowers boasting multiple slender petals, calendula (Calendula officinalis) makes for a beautiful bloom in the backyard and is a great choice for adorning culinary dishes. "Often grown for its edible petals and homeopathic uses, calendula is a hardy annual that will self-seed if given the room in the garden to do so," says Sohoza. Zones: 2 to 11Size: 1 to 2 feet tall x 1 to 2 feet wideCare requirements: Partial to full sun; well-draining soil 07 of 18 California Poppy ejs9 / Getty Images The California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) shines on hillsides and in border gardens, bringing a vibrancy to the landscape. The California poppy is majestic and elegant, says Hayek. Zones: 6 to 10Size: 12 to 18 inches tall x 12 to 18 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil 25 Flower Bed Ideas That Will Inspire Your Garden Design 08 of 18 Columbine earleliason / Getty Images Columbine (Aquilegia spp.) has unique flowers that hang downward with nectar spurs that go beyond the petals. This makes it easy for pollinators to access the nectar. "It's always a surprise to see where columbine will pop up in the spring," says Ketchmark. Plus, the colorful blooms bring a lot of color. Zones: 3 to 8Size: 1 to 3 feet tall x 1 to 3 feet wideCare requirements: Partial to full shade; well-draining soil 09 of 18 Cosmos Aromal Anil / EyeEm / Getty Images Producing beautiful pink blooms in various shades, cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) liven up any outdoor space. "An incredibly colorful flower that is both hardy and beautiful, cosmos are a versatile variety that can thrive in just about any climate and any soil condition," says Hayek. Zones: 2 to 11Size: 2 to 4 feet tall x 2 to 3 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil 10 of 18 Hellebore Clive Nichols / Getty Images A drought-tolerant perennial flower, hellebores (Helleborus spp.) are wonderful to have in your flower bed. "The seeds on Hellebore are so big that they easily fall out and add new plants around the first plant," says Hayek. "What a treat to end up with another hellebore plant." Zone: 3 to 9Size: 9 to 18 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun to full shade; moist, well-drained soil 11 of 18 Purple Giant Hyssop Eve Livesey / Getty Images Purple giant hyssop (Agastache rugosa) produces elongated blooms that attract pollinators. "With beautiful purple flowers, the seedlings carpet the ground around parent plants and grow out in the fall," says Zeeb. Her favorite variety is Golden Jubilee. Zone: 4 to 9Size: 1 to 3 feet tall x 1 to 2 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil 15 Colorful Flowers That Will Turn Your Yard Into an Artist's Canvas 12 of 18 Love-in-a-Mist Jacky Parker Photography / Getty Images Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) is a classic annual that features solitary blue blooms above airy foliage. "The spent flowers transform into unique, egg-shaped seed capsules, perfect for drying in bouquets," says Pabst. Zone: 2 to 11Size: 8 to 20 inches tall x 3 to 6 inches wideCare requirements: Partial to full sun; well-drained soil 13 of 18 Purpletop Vervain Jim Cook / Getty Images A hardy perennial, purpletop vervain (Verbena bonariensis), has multiple tiny flowers. "Verbena is one of the most hardy and consistent self-seeding plants I've known," says Sohoza. "It can grow under a wide range of conditions and thrives as a self-seeding plant." Zone: 8 to 11Size: 9 to 12 inches tall x 12 to 18 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil 14 of 18 Snapdragon Getty Images Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) are an excellent cool-weather crop that blooms throughout spring. "If you can tempt yourself not to cut any blooms, let the flowers go to seed to find new plants in the fall," says Zeeb, adding that her favorite varieties are Rembrandt and Night Day. Zone: 7 to 11Size: 6 to 48 inches tall x 6 to 12 inches wideCare requirements: Partial to full sun; well-drained soil 20 Pink Flowers That Will Add Timeless Elegance to Your Garden 15 of 18 Spider Flower Jacky Parker Photography / Getty Images Spider flower (Cleome) goes by many names, including stinking clover and rocky mountain bee plant. Many gardeners may opt for other flowers since spider flower doesn't typically flower until it's established. "With blooms resembling delicate spiders, the spider flower is an eye-catching annual available in white, pink, and purple," says Pabst. "While not fragrant, these beauties attract butterflies and hummingbirds to the garden." Zone: 10 to 11Size: 18 to 60 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wideCare requirements: Partial to full sun; well-drained soil 16 of 18 Tickseed Grace Cary / Getty Images Tickseed (Coreopsis hybrida), known for its seeds that resemble ticks, are a low-maintenance flower. There are numerous varieties with a range of hues. Want a bounty of these flowers for the following season? "If left to self-seed, flowers will be finished by the end of summer and reborn again during next year's spring," says Zeeb. Zone: 2 to 11Size: 2 to 4 feet tall x 1 to 2 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil 17 of 18 Viola Mimi Ditchie Photography / Getty Images There are numerous types of violas (var. hortensis) with a range of hues to choose from, including white, yellow, orange, pinks, and purples as well as multi-colored. These self-seeding plants will bring vibrancy and color to the landscape before other flowers bloom. "Violas enjoy the cold stratification that winter brings and will provide you with an early and hardy garden," Sohozo says. Zone: 2 to 9Size: 3 to 10 inches tall x 3 to 12 inches wideCare requirements: Partial to full sun; well-drained soil A Visual Guide to Edible Flowers—and How to Use Them 18 of 18 Zinnia wjarek / Getty Images Zinnias are a popular flower to brighten up a garden and for welcoming beneficial insects. These flowers with multi-layered petals self-seed, too. "You may introduce zinnias to your landscape in beds and borders for a bright pop of electric color," says Hayek. "Then, enjoy them for years to come as they are heavy re-seeders, especially prolific in the warmer zones." Zone: 3 to 10Size: 12 to 48 feet tall x 6 to 18 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit