Choosing Plants for Containers

Sharing is caring!

Almost any plant can grow in a container, but some plants grow better than others.

Annual flowers are a good choice for container growing. They bloom quickly and for months at a time. Annuals are smaller than most perennials and shrubs; they require smaller containers that are easily moved from place to place for the best effect. Annuals are seasonal, so cool-weather annuals planted in spring must be replaced with warm-weather annuals by early summer.

Perennial flowering plants and small shrubs are a good choice for containers where larger plants are needed. Perennials and shrubs commonly stay in the garden year-round; in containers, perennials and shrubs will be in place for two or more years.

Best plant choices for containers

• A good container plant should have the following characteristics:
• Foliage is attractive.
• Blooms that last a long time, at least several weeks.
• Roots that do not mind being crowded.
• A form that complements other plants in the container and the container itself. Consider a plant’s size at maturity, height, and breadth. Is it upright or trailing?
• Moderate drought tolerance. It should be able to survive a missed watering.

Choose healthy plants

• Healthy, robust plants are key to successful container gardening. When choosing plants for a container, look for the following:
• Look for healthy roots. Tip the plant out of its pot and check to be sure it is not rootbound. Look for white and cream-colored roots; roots that are brown or dry indicate the plant is rootbound. Roots that form a tight mesh are pot bound and will take longer to establish in their new container.
• Look for signs of insects or grubs. Check the undersides of leaves. Avoid plants that have speckled leaves or leaves with holes; these are signs of insect feeding. Avoid plants with yellowed or mottled leaves; these plants could be diseased.
• Choose a small healthy-looking plant over a larger plant that is weak or leggy looking. Weak and leggy plants may have been growing in low light; these plants will be prone to fungal disease.

Solo plants or plant combinations

• A single plant in a container can have a strong effect as long as it is full and healthy. A solo plant should be to scale for its location and for its container.
• When combining plants in a container, follow this formula: plant at least three different plants, one tall and spiky, one low and trailing, and one medium-height as filler. Follow this formula as you add additional plants to the original three.
• Follow a color scheme. Consider how plants will complement one another when they are in bloom. Look at a color wheel. Colors adjacent to one another are complementary; choose plants with blooms that are complementary. Colors directly opposite one another on the color wheel are also good choices; they contrast each other, helping the other to stand out.
• Consider foliage color when choosing plants; there are different shades of green. Some leaves have shiny surfaces, some have hairy and mute surfaces. Consider leaf size, shape, and texture as well.
• Combine plants with the same growing needs. Plant full-sun plants with other full-sun plants, shade plants with shade plants, drought-tolerant plants with others that are drought-tolerant, plants that want wetness with others that prefer moist soil.

Tall, spiky flowers for containers

Medium height flowers for containers

Low, trailing flowers for containers

Drought-tolerant plants for containers

Also of interest:

Container Garden Care

Planting a Container

Gardening in Containers