Tender and Hardy Annuals
Understanding whether an annual is hardy or tender is really about understanding its cold tolerance — a distinction that shapes when it can be planted and how it handles an unexpected cold snap.
Hardy Annuals Tolerate the Cold
Hardy annuals like pansies, sweet peas, and calendula can withstand a light frost and even prefer cooler temperatures, making them some of the earliest color available in a spring garden. Many hardy annuals actually struggle once summer heat arrives, fading or bolting in high temperatures.
Tender annuals like impatiens, coleus, and zinnias, by contrast, are damaged or killed by any frost and want warm soil and air temperatures to thrive.
If an unexpected late frost is forecast after tender annuals are already planted, covering them overnight with a light sheet or frost cloth can often save them.
Using Both to Extend the Season
Planting hardy annuals early for spring color, then following with tender annuals once frost danger passes, keeps continuous color in a bed from very early spring through the first fall frost.
