The Midweek Program - "Per-annuals"

Presented by Tim Alderton, Research Technician, and Blake Wentley, Education Assistant, JC Raulston Arboretum on May 6, 2026. Planting annuals year after year is a labor of love, but the flourish of color you get as they come into bloom makes all of that effort worth it. But what if some of the plants you were sold as annuals aren't actually annuals at all? What if the plants you've been pulling out at the end of the growing season would actually come back next year on their own, if only you knew to leave them be? Join our horticulturist Tim as he explores a category of plants he calls "Per-annuals": plants that are commonly used — or rather misused — as annuals when their impact in the garden could be much more prolonged. Whether you're looking to save time and money while you garden, or you're just interested in knowing more about the different life cycles of plants, you don't want to miss out on this episode of Midweek! Plants to play with: Solenostemon spp. Dianthus spp. Dahlia spp. Lantana spp. Glandularia spp. Colocasia spp. Brassica spp. Delphinium spp. Salvia spp. Calibrachoa spp. Petunia spp. ×Petchoa spp. Tradescantia spp. Oxalis spp. Duranta spp. Cuphea spp. Begonia spp. Justicia spp. Oenothera spp. Musa spp. Erythrina spp. Nemesia spp. ×Mangave spp. This program was originally presented live online. Tune into our midweek program live on Zoom, Wednesdays at 3:00pm eastern time. Here's the link: https://jcra.ncsu.edu/midweek/