Flowers that Self Seed

Enjoy this list of flowers that self seed in my garden. They are a great way to fill in empty spots in the garden and share with fellow flower lovers.

Here's a list of beautiful flowering plants that self seed for me in my garden. I either leave them where they are or dig them up to plant them somewhere else in the garden. I also give them away to friends and neighbors, who always appreciate a good free plant.

This group grows well in a variety of zones and most are beloved by bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

13 + Flowers that Self Seed

Rose Campion (Lychnis coronaria)

Rose Campion blooms all summer long with pretty woolly silver-grey leaves. Great for filler in floral arrangements. I've found volunteer plants that have come up from seed in a number of places in the flower bed. However, they are easily pulled out if you don't want them where they landed.

Black Eyed Susan 'Indian Summer' - (Rudbeckia hirta)

Indian Summer is a beautiful black-eyed Susan that re-seeds every year and blooms all summer long with large 3-inch blooms. Some people label it as a biennial instead of a perennial, but with its seeding habit, you may have it around for a long time.

Cornflower - (Centaurea montana)

Perennial Cornflower or Perennial Bachelor's Button produces pretty blue-purple flowers and grows just about anywhere. Some say it's a pest because it can get aggressive, but I have not found it to be a problem.

Hardy Geraniums

There are so many varieties of Cranesbills, and many self-seed. Many seedlings are found around and near the parent plant. I have found this to be especially true with Geranium phaeum ‘Samobor’ shown above and Geranium sanguineum.

Beardstongue (Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red')

The common name is Beardtongue but I mostly think of it by its Latin name, Penstemon 'Husker Red.' This is a US native plant and was named Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association in 1996. Shown above depicts the beautiful dark foliage with petite, delicate white flowers in bloom.

False Forget-Me-Not (Brunnera macrophylla)

This Brunnera has the prettiest shade of blue flowers in the late spring. It can be invasive. It's a little harder to remove than others. You definitely may need to keep an eye on this one so that it doesn't take over the garden.

Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis sylvatica)

If you like the real deal the image above shows another forget-me-not flower which is also a prolific self-seeding plant. Interestingly when the flowers go to seed on this plant the pods are sticky like burrs and so you may find them in various places where they traveled from your gloves or clothing to other parts of the garden.

Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris)

Columbines are another early spring bloomer that readily reseeds. There are many varieties and different colors but one of my favorites is this double-bloom called Nora Barlow.

Eastern Bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana)

I picked this up at a nursery that sold many native plants. This one has a nice mounding habit, but it can (as has for me) show up in another space nearby from seeds.

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

A perennial, a native, and a beauty in so many ways this purple coneflower plant does reseed. Though there are many beautiful hybrids I don't believe they will reseed like this original.

Hardy Begonia (Begonia grandis)

A great perennial that blooms a little later in the season hardy begonia is a pretty delicate plant that will reseed in the right environment. They tend to grow in clusters that you will notice somewhat late in the spring of the following season.

Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis)

Another light at the end of the long winter is the Lenten Rose. So pretty and there are also many hybrids. They can grow well in partial shade. They will reseed, however, as many that you buy in the nursery are highly hybridized they may not or they will not look like the parent plant.

Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)

Not a perennial but a woody shrub, this beautiful butterfly magnet does reseed. Some say that it can be invasive. Though I have found a few volunteers in the garden I have not found it to be invasive.

Other Self-Sowing Plants

Many of these are annual flowers and where I live it just gets too cold for them to come back from seed. However, if you live in a more moderate climate you can enjoy these self-seeders too.

• Butterfly Weed
• Calendula
• Larkspur
• Snapdragon
• Marigold
• Alyssum
• Poppies

Note: Flowers that are hybrids may have sterile seeds and not reseed or it may end up being a different plant.

Herbs that Self Seed

Similar to the annuals, many of these herbs will not make it through a tough winter but you can enjoy some like cilantro more than once during the season and often parsley will come back for me depending on where I plant it.

• Cilantro
• Parsley
• Bronze Fennel
• Dill
• Borage

I hope I've inspired you to add a couple of these beauties to your garden if you don't already have them. I think it's so fun to see them volunteer in different spots in the garden. I get a special thrill when I notice them and realize they are not weeds.