Annuals & Bedding
7,539 US plant patents cover annuals & bedding, across 54 genera. 3,343 of them (44%) have already expired — those plants are in the public domain and anyone may propagate and sell them.
Genera in this group
| Genus | Patents | Free to propagate | Next to expire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impatiens | 1,054 | 778 | September 20, 2026 |
| Geranium | 988 | 798 | September 27, 2026 |
| Petunia | 804 | 291 | September 20, 2026 |
| Calibrachoa | 560 | 143 | September 14, 2026 |
| Verbena | 466 | 202 | September 14, 2026 |
| Pelargonium | 419 | 51 | September 28, 2026 |
| Begonia | 415 | 175 | September 20, 2026 |
| Osteospermum | 338 | 137 | October 19, 2026 |
| Mandevilla | 268 | 23 | November 1, 2026 |
| Lantana | 182 | 54 | November 24, 2026 |
| Caladium | 144 | 9 | December 29, 2026 |
| Argyranthemum | 139 | 68 | September 14, 2026 |
| Lobelia | 122 | 34 | September 24, 2026 |
| Coleus | 118 | 26 | November 12, 2029 |
| Nemesia | 116 | 56 | October 19, 2026 |
| Gerbera | 105 | 35 | May 11, 2029 |
| Angelonia | 102 | 29 | December 31, 2026 |
| Ipomoea | 102 | 15 | May 7, 2027 |
| Sutera | 98 | 39 | October 19, 2026 |
| Diascia | 89 | 56 | October 19, 2026 |
| Portulaca | 84 | 28 | June 16, 2031 |
| Bidens | 68 | 9 | January 7, 2027 |
| Scaevola | 65 | 21 | May 7, 2027 |
| Fuchsia | 63 | 33 | September 14, 2026 |
| Antirrhinum | 55 | 40 | April 30, 2027 |
| Torenia | 54 | 29 | September 12, 2026 |
| Viola | 43 | 8 | October 11, 2027 |
| Bracteantha | 36 | 27 | October 19, 2026 |
| Catharanthus | 36 | 3 | July 7, 2028 |
| Celosia | 28 | 0 | July 27, 2027 |
| Pentas | 27 | 14 | January 9, 2027 |
| Brachyscome | 26 | 13 | October 8, 2028 |
| Cuphea | 25 | 5 | June 30, 2027 |
| Gazania | 23 | 12 | September 14, 2026 |
| Helichrysum | 22 | 13 | April 23, 2028 |
| Lobularia | 20 | 0 | August 5, 2029 |
| ×Petchoa | 18 | 0 | February 7, 2027 |
| Sanvitalia | 18 | 10 | November 12, 2027 |
| Xerochrysum | 18 | 1 | March 31, 2029 |
| Calendula | 17 | 1 | September 5, 2034 |
| Jamesbrittenia | 16 | 8 | December 13, 2027 |
| Ageratum | 15 | 10 | January 3, 2028 |
| Mimulus | 14 | 3 | November 30, 2030 |
| Plectranthus | 14 | 10 | June 14, 2033 |
| Solenostemon | 14 | 0 | June 1, 2027 |
| Cleome | 12 | 5 | May 2, 2028 |
| Thunbergia | 12 | 4 | February 9, 2031 |
| Bacopa | 10 | 0 | December 7, 2030 |
| Helianthus | 10 | 3 | November 20, 2033 |
| Nierembergia | 10 | 3 | December 2, 2026 |
| Pericallis | 10 | 0 | August 8, 2032 |
| Abutilon | 9 | 3 | October 29, 2027 |
| Heliotropium | 9 | 3 | January 9, 2027 |
| Vinca | 9 | 5 | June 30, 2028 |
Coming off patent next
- ToreniaSeptember 12, 2026
- ArgyranthemumSeptember 14, 2026
- CalibrachoaSeptember 14, 2026
- FuchsiaSeptember 14, 2026
- GazaniaSeptember 14, 2026
- VerbenaSeptember 14, 2026
- BegoniaSeptember 20, 2026
- ImpatiensSeptember 20, 2026
- PetuniaSeptember 20, 2026
- LobeliaSeptember 24, 2026
This grouping is ours, not the USPTO’s. A plant patent records a botanical genus; it never says “annual or bedding plant”. We group genus by genus, which means the grouping is only as good as that judgement — and a genus that spans two kinds appears under both. For the precise answer, use genus.
A patent expiring frees the plant, not the name. The cultivar name is always safe to use; a trade name may still be a live trademark. See what you may call it.