20 best container plants for garden

Bonsai originated in China during the Tang Dynasty and has a history of more than 1,300 years. Bonsai is the epitome of nature scenery, is a set of garden cultivation, literature, painting and other arts, combined with each other, dissolved into a comprehensive plastic art. Today we share 20 best container plants for garden.

1. Agave  

If you garden in a warmer hardiness zone, you can't go wrong with a large succulent as your focal point. And even if you live in a cooler climate, you can always grow a succulent as an annual or bring it inside for the winter. There are many agave species to choose from, ranging in size and appearance. Several commonly grown varieties reach a few feet in height and width. Agave can thrive in a relatively shallow, unglazed clay pot with excellent drainage. It prefers gritty soil, such as a cactus mix.

USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 11

Color Varieties: Foliage of greens, blues, and grays

Sun Exposure: Full solar to section shade

Soil Needs: Sandy, well-draining

Agave is one of the best container plants for garden

2. Amaranth  

A tall amaranth, such as love lies bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus) or Joseph's coat (Amaranthus tricolor), can add shade and drama to a container garden, attaining heights of round two to four feet. Choose a container with sufficient drainage holes, as amaranth likes to be moist however no longer sit down in water. These are annual plants, so you will both want to start seed early or purchase vegetation each year. But the best element about annuals is they enable you to scan and be creative.

USDA Growing Zones: two to 11

Color Varieties: Foliage of greens, reds, purples, and yellows

Sun Exposure: Full solar to section shade

Soil Needs: Average, moist, well-draining

Amaranth is one of the best container plants for garden

3. Arborvitae (Thuja)

An evergreen as the centerpiece of a container backyard is elegant, classic, and low maintenance. Choose one that will preserve its structure properly barring a lot of pruning. A proper choice is 'Emerald Green' arborvitae, a semi-dwarf cultivar that grows in a slim pyramid form to round 7 to 15 toes tall. Plant it in a massive pot with super soil, and it needs to stay in your container backyard for many years.

USDA Growing Zones: two to 7

Color Varieties: Deep green

Sun Exposure: Full solar to phase shade

Soil Needs: Loamy, moist, well-draining.

Arborvitae is one of the best container plants for garden

4. Bamboo (Bambusoideae)

Bamboo can be a nightmare in the garden, spreading quicker than you can control. But in a container, bamboo is a dialog piece. Some kinds opt for extra temperate climates whilst others like warmth and humidity. It's the clumping types of bamboo, as nicely as the ones with smaller runners, that do high-quality in containers. They would possibly no longer develop to their fullest potential, however some nevertheless can attain heights of 10 to 20 feet. Just make certain you use a container with enough drainage holes, as soggy soil can inhibit the plant's growth.

USDA Growing Zones: four to 11

Color Varieties: Green, yellow-green

Sun Exposure: Full solar to section shade

Soil Needs: Loose, barely acidic, well-draining

Bamboo is one of the best container plants for garden

5. Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)

Big bluestem is a stunning decorative grass that can adapt to a container. If you are mixing it with different plant life use a giant container, or huge bluestem will crowd out its neighbors. This grass can develop about four to 6 toes tall with a unfold of two to three feet. Make positive you don’t overwater or add too an awful lot fertilizer to large bluestem, as this can purpose it to flop over. Likewise, too an awful lot colour can end result in bad growth, so region the container the place it will get at least six to eight hours of direct daylight per day.

USDA Growing Zones: four to 9

Color Varieties: Purplish flowers

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Soil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-draining

Big Bluestem is one of the best container plants for garden

6. Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea)

Bougainvillea is solely hardy in quarter 9 and up, however you can choose to develop it as an annual or convey it indoors for the winter. It's technically a vine, no longer an upright plant, so you will want to supply some assistance for it to develop vertically. Still, it is full of life growers, and its blooms seem to be attractive crawling up a wall or trellis.

USDA Growing Zones: 9 to 11

Color Varieties: Purple, red, orange, yellow, pink, or white blooms

Sun Exposure: Full solar to section shade

Soil Needs: Humusy, acidic, well-draining

Bougainvillea is one of the best container plants for garden

7. Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)

Boxwood shrubs can be formal or funky. The actual enjoyable of the use of this plant is you can trim it to be whatever you want. If you would like to exercising your innovative flair, attempt a boxwood topiary. When left to grow, it can attain heights of about 5 to 15 feet. Choose a pot with right drainage, as boxwoods can go through from root rot. Also, a little colour in the course of the freshest section of the afternoon is preferable.
USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 8
Color Varieties: Dark inexperienced to yellowish-green
Sun Exposure: Full solar to phase shade
Soil Needs: Loamy, evenly moist, well-draining

8. Canna Lily (Canna × generalis)

With their large, showy flowers, canna vegetation can add immediately tropical aptitude to a container garden. In most zones, this plant is an annual, however you can strive to lift it thru the iciness indoors in a sunny spot. On the plus side, it will flower a couple of instances all through the summer, and its cultivars develop from about two to 6 ft tall. Cannas want a lot of water and truly decide on "wet feet," so be vigilant about retaining the container moist.
USDA Growing Zones: eight to 11
Color Varieties: Yellow, orange, red, or red flowers
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Needs: Rich, barely acidic to neutral, moist

9. Dracaena (Dracaena)

Dracaena flowers can develop upward of 10 ft tall in containers, and there are many types to pick from. They are now not hardy and want to be moved indoors for the winter. In fact, many human beings select to develop them fully as houseplants. When grown outdoors, they are pretty low upkeep and can cope with truly shady stipulations that many different flora can not tolerate.
USDA Growing Zones: 10 to 11
Color Varieties: Foliage of green, blue-green, burgundy, gold, or gray
Sun Exposure: Full solar to phase shade
Soil Needs: Rich, moist, well-draining

10. Dwarf Alberta Spruce (Picea glauca)

The dwarf Alberta spruce is a exquisite conical evergreen with dense, vibrant inexperienced needles. It is a bit scratchy, so put on gloves when working round it. Choose a small tree when planting in a container. The time period "dwarf" really capacity it is gradual growing, however the tree can attain 12 toes or taller. On the plus side, it can take round 25 years to mature. This plant requires a subtle stability of even moisture and properly drainage when grown in a container. If you stay in a dry climate, you would possibly have to water frequently.
USDA Growing Zones: three to 8
Color Varieties: Green
Sun Exposure: Full solar to section shade
Soil Needs: Sandy, loamy, or clay; moist; well-draining

11. Elephant Ear (Colocasia esculenta)

Elephant ear manages to be each imposing and exciting at the equal time. The plant sports activities large, arrow- or heart-shaped leaves that some say resemble an elephant's ears, therefore its frequent name. It reaches about three to 6 toes tall however solely grows as an annual in most hardiness zones. When grown in a container, be positive to water the plant regularly, as it likes a moist environment.
USDA Growing Zones: eight to 10
Color Varieties: Foliage of green, yellow, chartreuse, or black
Sun Exposure: Full solar to phase shade
Soil Needs: Rich, humusy, medium to wet

12. Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora)

Feather reed grass is a cool season grass, which skill it is an early riser in the spring and blooms early in the season. After flowering, it stays upright and tall, no longer floppy or weepy like many different grasses. It is best for the core of a container, developing from three to 5 feet. It prefers damp soil and can even tolerate negative drainage.
USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 9
Color Varieties: Green to yellow-green leaves; yellow, pink, red, or white flowers
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Needs: Average, medium to wet

13. Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum')

Fountain grass appears proper all season, with its burgundy leaves, spiky red flowers, and purple-tinged seed pods. It has a exceptional way of swaying in a breeze and provides a rush of sound to your container garden. It also can make a accurate display screen at three to 5 ft tall, giving you some privateness however nonetheless permitting sight. If you stay backyard of its hardiness zones, you can overwinter the plant indoors. Place the container in a particularly cool room with solar exposure, and water it sparingly. Bring it again outdoor as soon as the risk of the closing frost has passed.
USDA Growing Zones: 9 to 10
Color Varieties: Shades of burgundy
Sun Exposure: Full solar to phase shade
Soil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-draining

14. Fuchsia (Fuchsia)

For a container in a shady spot, you cannot do higher than a fuchsia plant. These plant life bloom at some point of the complete developing season with no deadheading (removing spent blooms) necessary. Look for an upright variety, such as 'Baby Blue Eyes', 'Cardinal Farges', or 'Beacon', if you prefer it as a focal point. Fuchsia is inclined to root rot, so be positive you choose a container with enough drainage holes, and use a fast-draining potting soil.

USDA Growing Zones: eight to 10

Color Varieties: Purple, pink, red, or white blooms

Sun Exposure: Part colour to full shade

Soil Needs: Fertile, moist, well-draining

Fuchsia is one of the best container plants for garden

15. Hibiscus (Hibiscus)

Hibiscus flowers seem to be tropical, however many sorts are hardy to some cold. These multi-branched shrubs can without difficulty be skilled into flowering timber and grown in containers. Use a well-draining potting mix, and keep away from a very deep container to stop the plant from expending too a great deal power on growing roots. Chinese hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) can attain round 10 toes tall whilst rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) can push 12 feet.
USDA Growing Zones: 9 to eleven (tropical hibiscus)
Color Varieties: White, red, pink, orange, yellow, peach, or pink blooms
Sun Exposure: Full solar to section shade
Soil Needs: Loamy, moist, well-draining

16. Mountain Cabbage Tree (Cordyline indivisa)

The mountain cabbage tree appears like a small palm tree and makes an interesting focal factor in a container. It is no longer hardy beneath quarter 9, however you can deliver it indoors for the winter. Just be certain to hold the plant warm, and provide it loads of light. In a container, it will develop to about three to 6 toes tall with a high-quality, well-draining potting mix. Trim lower back leggy stems when necessary.

USDA Growing Zones: 9 to 11

Color Varieties: Greenish-white to purplish-brown blooms

Sun Exposure: Part shade

Soil Needs: Fertile, moist, well-draining

Mountain Cabbage Tree is one of the best container plants for garden

17. New Zealand Flax (Phormium tenax)

New Zealand flax is a spiky plant that can add colour and hobby to a container garden. With its rigid, sword-shaped leaves, the plant can attain round four ft tall when grown in a container. Choose a rich, natural combine over a ordinary potting soil for your container, and water the plant regularly. It ought to be introduced internal to a sunny spot earlier than the first frost if you stay backyard of its hardiness zones.
USDA Growing Zones: 9 to 11
Color Varieties: Green, bronze, purple, pink, red, or orange foliage
Sun Exposure: Full solar to section shade
Soil Needs: Average, evenly moist, well-draining

18. Princess Flower (Tibouchina urvilleana)

If you love a tropical look, princess flower—also recognised as red glory flower—is a lovely evergreen shrub with gorgeous pink flowers. The plant grows properly in containers on sunny patios, although it have to be added internal earlier than the first frost. Also, area the container in a area that has some safe haven from robust winds. Under best conditions, it can develop to about 6 to eight feet.
USDA Growing Zones: 9 to 11
Color Varieties: Purple
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Needs: Rich, acidic, well-draining

19. Sweet Bay (Laurus nobilis)

Bay bushes are stunning and functional: You can pluck sparkling bay leaves proper from your container. Bay grows slowly in a pot and can be pruned to preserve a manageable dimension of much less than 10 feet. In its herbal environment, however, the plant can grow as tall as 60 feet. You can trim it into a topiary or go away its herbal shrubby shape. The plant generally grows slowly in a container and doesn’t idea being a little cramped. However, make certain you use a pot that’s sturdy ample no longer to tip over. Sweet bay is now not hardy however overwinters nicely indoors.

USDA Growing Zones: eight to 10

Color Varieties: Yellowish-green blooms, deep inexperienced foliage

Sun Exposure: Full sun to section shade

Soil Needs: Rich, moist, well-draining

Sweet Bay is one of the best container plants for garden

20. Yucca (Yucca)

Yucca flora are about as hardy as you can get, and the more recent cultivars are quite sufficient to be the focal factor of a container garden. Even the smaller types nevertheless develop to roughly two to four toes in peak and width, so pick a good-sized container. They do no longer continually bloom in containers, however many humans select to reduce off the flower stalks anyway and center of attention on the spiky foliage. Make certain you use a container with exact drainage, and keep away from overwatering to maintain the soil on the drier side.

USDA Growing Zones: 5 to eleven (depending on the variety)

Color Varieties: White, pink, purple, or inexperienced blooms

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Soil Needs: Dry to medium moisture, well-draining

Yucca is one of the best container plants for garden