The 10 Best Plants to Grow in Containers (2024)

21 Creative Container Garden Ideas to Add to Your Outdoor Space

Tall Verbena

Fill in negative space in your container plantings with tall verbena (Verbena bonariensis). "Tall verbena is a fantastic plant for providing a wispy feeling and poking through other plants with its long stems and cute little purple blooms at the ends," says Jocelyn Kline, horticulturist at Longwood Gardens. The plant blooms from summer through fall and will welcome pollinators to your landscape throughout its growing season.

• Growing zones:7 to 11
• Mature Size:3 to 6 feet tall x 1 to 3 feet wide
• Growing conditions:Full sun; tolerates a range of soils, including clay, loam, and sand

Giant Hyssop

Giant hyssop (Agastache) is an abundantly blooming plant that works beautifully in container displays. "There is so much variety in bloom color and bloom structure between cultivars, so it can fit into almost any display," says Kline. "It provides a wildflower feeling to the container that pollinators love, is very aromatic, and can be used as a perennial in many areas."

• Growing zones:4 to 10
• Mature Size:2 to 3 feet tall x 1 to 2 feet wide
• Growing conditions:Full sun; moist, well-draining soil

Coral Bells

A cultivar of coral bells (Heuchera) exists for any location in your garden, whether it gets full shade or full sun. "There is so much variety in leaf shape, color, and pattern across all cultivars, that makes it so easy to find the perfect one for your display," says Kline. "They also have long flowers that pole up through the foliage that can be used in floral arrangements and to attract pollinators." Coral bells can be semi-evergreen as well, so the plant can potentially last for an all year long display.

• Growing zones:4 to 9
• Mature Size:8 to 18 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wide
• Growing conditions:Full sun to full shade; rich, moist, well-draining soil

Intenz Celosia

With an upright growing pattern and striking foliage, intenz celosia (Celosia spicata) is an easy-to-care-for plant that boasts long, spiky, purple flowers. "It's full yet compact size makes it a great option for a pop of color in a container garden," says Rich Christakes, founder of Ship My Plants.

• Growing zones:10 to 11
• Mature Size:12 to 24 inches tall x 12 inches wide
• Growing conditions:Full sun to part shade; moist soil

Butterfly Bush

Great for adding structure to containers, buttery bush (Buddleja davidii) is a deciduous shrub that boasts beautiful arching flowers come summer. If you're looking for a particularly eye-catching variety, consider planting 'Hot Raspberry' butterfly bush. "This buddeja is extra showy with its bold pink summer color and gray-green foliage," says Kline. "It has a compact growing habit for smaller containers and is great for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds."

• Growing zones:5 to 9
• Mature Size:3 to 5 feet tall x 3 feet wide
• Growing conditions:Full sun; rich, well-draining soil

Silver Falls Dichondra

An extremely eye-catching ground cover known for its cascading growing habit, Silver Falls dichondra (Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’) is low maintenance plant that requires infrequent waterings and fertilization. "This spiller plant adds a silvery contrast to your garden and landscape, falling graciously out of containers and hanging baskets," says Christakes.

• Growing zones:8 to 10
• Mature Size:3 inches tall x 4 feet wide
• Growing conditions:Full sun to part shade; average to dry soil

Magic Purple Aster

Magic Purple aster (Aster novi-belgii 'Magic Purple') produces an abundance of blooms in a deep lavender purple color with bright yellow centers. "Its full appearance and compact growing habit makes it a great choice for fall container gardening," says Christakes. The plant should be pruned back 6 to 8 inches on the top once during summer months to encourage fall growth.

• Growing zones:3
• Mature Size:20 inches tall x 24 inches wide
• Growing conditions:Full sun; average to moist soil
  

Goldilocks Creeping Jenny

Bright golden leaves with attractive yellow flowers define the Goldilocks Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’), which blooms throughout the summer months. "This plant is virtually indestructible, making it easy to care for," says Christakes. "Its low height and great spread makes it a good contender for spilling container plants."

• Growing zones:4 to 9
• Mature Size:20 inches tall x 24 inches wide
• Growing conditions:Full sun to full shade; average to moist soil

Dwarf Hinoki Cypress

For a winter container display, dwarf hinoki cypresses (Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana Gracilis') are fantastic. "They provide a nice sense of structure, have beautiful fan-shaped leaves with different shades of green from the center to the edges, and stay compact," says Kline. "It grows incredibly slow, so you can keep it in smaller containers for a longer amount of time."

• Growing zones:4 to 9
• Mature Size:3 to 6 feet tall x 2 to 4 feet wide
• Growing conditions:Full sun; well-draining soil

Coleus

Coleus has stunning foliage that can stand alone in containers or add a vibrant pop of color alongside other plantings. There are many varieties to choose from, but one popular cultivar is Burgundy Wedding Train Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides ‘Burgundy Wedding Train’), which has small lobed leaves that remain a brick red color with distinctive lime green edges throughout the year, says Christakes.

• Growing zone: 10
• Mature Size: 18 inches tall x 24 inches wide
• Growing conditions: Part shade to full shade; moist soil