Container Friendly Plants

Acidanthera

Arching stems hold fragrant white blooms with a deep maroon throat. Peacock orchid, the elegant late-summer cousin of the bold gladiolus.

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.

Angelique Tulip

Double late tulip that looks like a small peony in soft pink and cream. Long-lasting blooms with light fragrance.

Anise Hyssop

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

Annual Vinca

Glossy-leaved heat champion (botanically unrelated to true Vinca minor) that blooms through humidity that wilts everything else.

Apricot Beauty Tulip

Soft salmon-apricot single early blooms with a delicate sweet fragrance. One of the first tulips to flower in spring.

Aubrieta

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

Ballerina Tulip

Lily-flowered tulip with pointed petals in vivid tangerine. Sweetly orange-scented and one of the longest-blooming tulips you can plant.

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.

Black Parrot Tulip

Fringed and twisted petals in deepest maroon-black. Looks more like an exotic bird than a tulip and steals every spring arrangement.

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.

Calendula

Bright daisy-like blooms in pumpkin orange and gold. Edible petals brighten salads and the plant keeps blooming through cool weather.

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.

Crossandra

Glossy leaves and asymmetrical apricot-orange blooms held in tight spikes. Firecracker flower, blooms steadily in heat that wilts other tropicals.

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 clove-scented pinks with fringed petals in pink, red, white, or salmon, one of the best long-blooming edgers and front-of-border perennials for sun.

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.

Forget-me-not

Clouds of tiny sky-blue flowers carpet the ground in spring. Self-sows freely under shrubs and around tulips.

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.

Gomphrena

Papery clover-shaped pom-poms on wiry stems. Drought-proof, deer-proof, and dries perfectly for winter arrangements.

Grape Hyacinth

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

Greenland Tulip

Viridiflora tulip with rose-pink petals brushed by a wide green flame. One of the longest-lasting tulips in the vase and the bed.

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.

Hollyhock

Towering spires of saucer-shaped blooms in vintage colors. The icon of every English cottage garden, biennial but generous with self-sown seedlings.

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.

Ixia

Wiry stems hold star-shaped flowers in jewel colors. Corn lily, a long-lasting cut flower that closes at night and opens with the sun.

Japanese Forest Grass

Arching variegated leaves form graceful cascades and brighten shady spots.

La Belle Epoque Tulip

Vintage cafe-au-lait coloring with peach, cream, and dusty pink swirled together. The most photographed tulip of the last decade.

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.

Lisianthus

Rose-like ruffled blooms with the vase life of a chrysanthemum. The flower farmer's secret weapon for high-end arrangements.

Little Lime Hydrangea

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

Little Quick Fire Hydrangea

Compact form of Quick Fire that blooms early on a container-sized plant. Same flame-toned color shift in a much smaller footprint.

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.

Mariette Tulip

Lily-flowered tulip with elegant pointed petals in clear satin pink. One of the most graceful tulips for bouquets and the late-spring border.

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.

Mount Tacoma Tulip

Pure white double late blooms that look like peonies. The reliable white answer to Angelique with the same long vase life.

Munstead Lavender

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

Nigella

Sky-blue flowers wreathed in feathery green bracts give way to ornamental striped seed pods. Self-sows freely once you start.

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.

Pentas

Star-shaped flower clusters that hummingbirds and butterflies hit on every pass. Blooms nonstop in heat that stops impatiens cold.

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.

Plumbago

Sky-blue phlox-like clusters bloom nonstop in warm climates. The blue flower that thrives where most blues melt in summer heat.

Plumeria

Intoxicatingly fragrant tropical blooms. The flower of Hawaiian leis.

Portulaca

Succulent-leaved sun lover with silky rose-like blooms that thrives where pavement, rock, or sand defeats everything else.

Powwow Wild Berry Coneflower

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

Princess Irene Tulip

Glowing orange petals brushed with smoky purple flames. Mildly fragrant and one of the most unusual color combinations in any tulip.

Purple Fountain Grass

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

Queen of Sheba Tulip

Lily-flowered tulip with pointed petals in glowing red edged with gold. Lights up the late spring border like a flame.

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.

Scabiosa

Pincushion blooms on long wiry stems dance over fine foliage. Pollinator magnet that keeps producing if you keep cutting.

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.

Spring Green Tulip

Viridiflora tulip with ivory petals brushed by a wide green flame. Florists adore it, gardens come alive with it, and it lasts for weeks.

Stained Glass Hosta

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

Strawberry Sundae Hydrangea

Compact paniculata cones open creamy white, blush pink in summer, then deepen to strawberry red as fall arrives.

Strawflower

Papery petals that already look like dried flowers when fresh. The original everlasting, hanging on long after every other bloom fades.

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.

Sweet William

Dense flat clusters in zoned bicolors with a sweet clove fragrance. Old-fashioned cottage charm that returns reliably.

Tete-a-Tete Daffodil

Miniature golden trumpets, two to three per stem, on a tiny plant. The earliest daffodil and the best one for containers and the front of the bed.

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.

Tuff Stuff Hydrangea

Reblooming mountain hydrangea with delicate lacecap blooms. Takes more cold than macrophyllas and keeps flowering after harsh winters.

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.

Wallflower

Velvety blooms in burnished sunset tones with a sweet violet fragrance. The forgotten cottage staple worth bringing back.

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.