Container Friendly Plants

Aeonium

Dramatic rosettes on woody stems. 'Zwartkop' variety has near-black leaves. Stunning in containers.

Angel's Trumpet

Huge pendant trumpets release intense evening fragrance over a long warm-season bloom.

Angelina Sedum

Chartreuse needle-like foliage turns golden orange in fall. Tiny yellow flowers are a bonus.

Anise Hyssop

Lavender-blue spikes with licorice-scented foliage. A pollinator powerhouse that blooms for months.

Aubrieta

Purple cascades spilling over walls and rocks in spring. Shear after bloom for a fresh flush of foliage.

Bergenia

Bold rubbery leaves provide year-round structure and turn burgundy in winter. Early pink flowers arrive with the hellebores.

Bird of Paradise

Sculptural, crane-like flowers in orange and blue. Unmistakable.

Blue Fescue

Steel-blue tufted mound. Perfect edging or rock garden accent.

Bobo Hydrangea

Dwarf paniculata smothered in blooms. Perfect front-of-border plant that needs almost no care.

Borage

Star-shaped electric blue flowers that bees go absolutely wild for. Self-sows freely.

Calibrachoa

Mini petunias that bloom nonstop in hanging baskets. Dozens of color options and no deadheading needed.

Cat's Meow Catmint

Tidy, dome-shaped habit that never flops open. Stays compact without shearing.

Celosia

Flame-shaped or crested flowers in electric colors that dry beautifully. Heat lovers that thrive in summer.

Chamomile

Tiny daisy flowers with apple-scented foliage. Brew into tea or let it naturalize between pavers.

Chives

Cheerful purple pom-pom flowers on a kitchen staple. Edible blooms make any salad Instagram-worthy.

Chrysanthemum

The fall icon. Mounds of color when everything else is fading.

Coleus

Grown for kaleidoscopic foliage, not flowers. Pinch blooms to keep energy in the leaves.

Coral Aloe

Flat coral-orange rosettes produce vivid flower stalks in late winter. One of the hardiest aloes.

Coral Bells

Grown mostly for dramatic foliage, but the tiny bell flowers are a bonus.

Crocus

One of the first signs of spring, pushing through snow with jewel-toned cups.

Culinary Sage

Spiky purple blooms above silver-green aromatic foliage. A kitchen herb that doubles as an ornamental.

Daffodil

Cheerful trumpets that naturalize beautifully and return stronger each year.

Dianthus

Spicy-scented, fringed petals. One of the best edging plants there is.

Dragon's Blood Sedum

Creeping mat of burgundy-tinged foliage with starry red flowers. Turns deep red in fall.

Drift Rose

Groundcover rose that stays low and spreads wide. Tough, disease-resistant, and constantly in bloom.

Dwarf Korean Lilac

Slow-growing dwarf with dense rounded habit. Perfect for small gardens and foundation plantings.

Echeveria

Perfect rosettes in blue, green, pink, and purple. Bell-shaped flowers on arching stems. Frost-tender.

Feverfew

Clusters of small white daisies that bloom for weeks. Historic medicinal herb that self-sows readily.

Gardenia

Glossy evergreen foliage frames intensely fragrant white flowers from late spring into summer.

Golden Tiara Hosta

Small, fast-spreading mound with chartreuse-gold margins and one of the easiest hostas you can grow.

Grape Hyacinth

Tiny grape-like clusters that spread into rivers of blue over time.

Guacamole Hosta

Chartreuse-gold leaves with dark green margins and sweetly fragrant white flowers that perfume the shade garden.

Hawaiian Hibiscus

Large tropical blooms in vivid colors appear repeatedly from spring through fall.

Hens and Chicks

Tight rosettes that multiply by producing offsets. The mother plant flowers once, then dies, replaced by chicks.

Hidcote Lavender

Compact and intensely dark purple. The standard against which all other lavenders are measured.

Hosta

The undisputed queen of shade gardening. Foliage in every green and blue.

Hyacinth

Dense, intensely fragrant spikes. One bulb can perfume an entire room.

Ice Plant

Neon-bright daisy flowers that shimmer in the sun over succulent foliage. Thrives in hot, dry rock gardens.

Impatiens

The shade annual champion. Flowers prolifically where nothing else will.

Japanese Forest Grass

Arching variegated leaves form graceful cascades and brighten shady spots.

Lady's Mantle

Chartreuse frothy flowers and pleated blue-green leaves that hold water droplets like mercury. The ultimate filler plant.

Lantana

Multi-colored flower clusters that bloom relentlessly in brutal heat.

Lavender

Fragrant silver-green mounds beloved by bees and humans alike.

Lewisia

Succulent rosettes with brilliant striped flowers in hot sunset colors. Must have perfect drainage or it rots.

Little Lime Hydrangea

Compact Limelight. Same color show in a smaller package perfect for borders and containers.

Luna Red Hibiscus

Compact variety with enormous crimson blooms that stays tidy enough for a large container.

Mandevilla

Glossy vines are covered in showy trumpet flowers from early summer to frost in warm climates.

Marigold

Bulletproof color all season long. The workhorse of warm-toned borders.

Mexican Feather Grass

Gossamer fine blades ripple in the slightest breeze like living silk. Plant where you can watch it move.

Meyer Lemon

Sweetly scented white blossoms appear intermittently year-round and set thin-skinned lemons.

Munstead Lavender

Earlier blooming and slightly softer purple than Hidcote. Gertrude Jekyll's favorite for a reason.

Oregano

Tiny flowers are a pollinator magnet when allowed to bloom. Let a patch go to flower for the bees.

Pelargonium

The classic window-box geranium. Ball-shaped flower clusters above scalloped leaves. Tough container staple.

Persian Buttercup

Ruffled, rose-like blooms in vivid colors brighten cool spring beds and pots.

Petunia

Cascading color for containers and beds. Blooms nonstop until frost.

Pink Dipladenia

Bushy form with glossy foliage and abundant pink trumpets suited to pots and borders.

Pink Plumeria

Clusters of pink, sweetly scented blooms cover this classic tropical tree in summer.

Plumeria

Intoxicatingly fragrant tropical blooms. The flower of Hawaiian leis.

Powwow Wild Berry Coneflower

Deep rose-purple petals and a bronzy cone on a compact reblooming plant that won't sprawl.

PowWow Wild Berry Coneflower

Compact, heavily branched, and smothered in deep rose-purple blooms. Reblooms without deadheading.

Purple Fountain Grass

Burgundy foliage topped with fuzzy rose-colored plumes. Stunning in containers where it's treated as an annual in cold climates.

Red Hot Returns Daylily

Brilliant red with a small yellow center, compact and one of the earliest daylilies to kick into rebloom.

Rosemary

Aromatic evergreen herb with tiny blue flowers loved by early bees. Needs excellent drainage.

Rozanne Geranium

Violet-blue saucer flowers on a sprawling mound that blooms from late spring until frost. The most awarded perennial geranium in history.

Saxifrage

Mossy cushions dotted with dainty flowers. Tucks into rock crevices where little else will grow.

Scarlet Sage

Electric red spikes that hummingbirds zero in on. Common bedding plant that earns its spot every year.

Sea Thrift

Grassy tufts topped with round pink pom-poms. Loves lean soil and coastal conditions.

Sedum

Succulent leaves, tough as nails. Ages to deep crimson in autumn.

Siloam Doodlebug Daylily

Tiny pastel pink blooms on a miniature plant, perfect for container gardens and tight spaces.

Snapdragon

Vertical flower spikes with squeeze-open blooms. Kids love them.

Stained Glass Hosta

Glossy gold center with dark green margins, like light through a cathedral window.

Sweet Alyssum

Honey-scented carpet of tiny flowers. The best living edging plant.

Sweet Pea

Ruffled, intensely fragrant climbing flowers in every pastel shade. Cool-season annual that hates heat.

Thread-Leaf Coreopsis

Thread-fine foliage and masses of tiny yellow stars bloom for months with zero effort. A perennial you can actually neglect.

Trumpet Gentian

Intense, almost electric blue trumpet flowers on a low mat. The holy grail of alpine gardeners.

Tuberose

Tall summer spikes of waxy white blooms release powerful evening fragrance.

Tufted Hair Grass

Airy gold-green flower clouds hover above dark evergreen tufts. One of the few grasses that thrives in moist shade.

Tulip

The classic spring icon in almost every color imaginable.

Twinspike Coral Bells

Warm amber-caramel foliage that glows in the shade garden all season. The flowers are just a bonus.

Wax Begonia

Glossy leaves and nonstop flowers in sun or shade. One of the most reliable bedding plants anywhere.

White Plumeria

Highly fragrant white flowers with yellow centers appear in clusters on succulent branches.