100+ Plants for Containers

• By
• GardenWise

GardenWise suggests a list of plants that are suitable for planting in containers:

Perennial Grasses and Sedges

Carex oshimensis ‘Evergold’ — variegated Japanese sedge Deschampsia cespitosa — tufted hair grass Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’ — blue fescue Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ — golden Japanese forest grass Helictotrichon sempervirens — blue oat grass Imperata cylindrica ‘Rubra’ — Japanese blood grass Millium effusum ‘Aureum’ Bowles’ — golden grass Miscanthus sinensis ‘Yaku Jima’ — dwarf maiden grass Molinia caerulea ‘Variegata’ — purple moor grass Pennisetum alopecuroides — fountain grass

Ferns

Adiantum pedatum — maidenhair fern Asplenium scolopendrium — hart’s-tongue fern Athyrium nipponicum ‘Pictum’ — Japanese painted fern Blechnum penna-marina — alpine water fern Blechnum spicant — deer fern Dryopteris erythrosora — autumn fern Dryopteris wallichiana — Wallich’s wood fern Polypodium glycyrrhiza — licorice fern Polystichum polyblepharum — Japanese tassel fern Polystichum setiferum — hedge fern

British Columbia Native Perennials

Allium cernuum — nodding onion Aquilegia formosa — Sitka columbine Armeria maritima — thrift or sea pink Asarum caudatum — wild ginger Campanula rotundifolia — common harebell Clarkia amoena — farewell-to-spring Cornus canadensis — bunchberry Phlox diffusa — spreading phlox Smilacina racemosa — false Solomon’s seal Viola sempervirens — evergreen violet

Evergreen Shrubs Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’ — edging boxwood Choisya ternata ‘Sundance’ — Mexican mock orange Erica carnea ‘Kramer’s Rote,’ ‘Porter’s Red,’ ‘Myretoun Ruby’ — winter heath Ilex crenata ‘Convexa’ — Japanese holly Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ or ‘Munstead’ — English lavender Leucothoe walteri ‘Rainbow’ — variegated doghobble Phyllostachys nigra — black bamboo Pieris japonica ‘Variegata’ — lily-of-the-valley shrub Rhododendron ‘PJM’ Rhododendron yakushimanum ‘Ken Jancek’

Trailing Perennials

Ajuga ‘Chocolate Chip’ — dwarf carpet bugle Campanula garganica ‘Dickson’s Gold’ — golden Adriatic bellflower Campanula porscharskyana — Serbian bellflower Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald ’n Gold’ Gypsophila repens ‘Rosea’ — creeping baby’s breath Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ — golden creeping jenny Muehlenbeckia complexa — wire plant or wire vine Hedera helix (small-leaf cultivars) — English ivy Veronica peduncularis ‘Georgia Blue’ — speedwell Vinca minor ‘Illumination’ — variegated periwinkle

Vegetables

arugula beets/beet greens bush and pole beans cucumbers eggplant lettuce peppers radishes spinach tomatoes

Herbs

Allium schoenoprasum — chives Mentha piperita — peppermint Mentha spicata — spearmint Ocimum basilicum — basil Origanum ‘True Dwarf Greek’ — Greek oregano Petroselinum crispum — parsley Rosmarinus officinalis — rosemary Salvia officinalis and S.o. ‘Tricolor’ — sage Satureja montana — winter savory Thymus citriodorus — lemon thyme Thymus vulgaris — common thyme

Fragrant Plants

Cosmos atrosanguineus — chocolate cosmos Heliotropium arborescens — heliotrope, cherry pie Hosta ‘Royal Standard’ — hosta Hyacinthus orientalis — hyacinth Lathyrus odoratus — sweet pea Lilium Oriental hybrids — Oriental lily Lonicera x purpusii hybrid — honeysuckle shrub Matthiola longipetala ssp. bicornis — night-scented stock Narcissus ‘Thalia’ — daffodil Sarcococca confusa — sweet box

Deciduous Shrubs

Enkianthus campanulatus ‘Red Bells’ — redvein enkianthus Fothergilla gardenii — witch alder Fuchsia magellanica ‘Sharpitor’ — variegated Magellan fuchsia Magnolia stellata — star magnolia Potentilla fruticosa — shrubby potentilla Rhododendron schilppenbachii — royal azalea Rosa gallica var. officinalis — apothecary’s rose Spiraea japonica ‘Gold Mound’ — Japanese spirea Syringa meyeri ‘Palabin' — dwarf Korean lilac Viburnum carlesii ‘Compactum’ — Korean spice viburnum

Conifers for Containers

Cryptomeria japonica ‘Tansu’ — dwarf Japanese cedar Cupressus arizonica ‘Blue Ice’ — Arizona cypress Picea omorika — Serbian spruce Pinus albicaulis ‘Algonquin Pillar’ Pinus aristata — Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine Pinus strobus ‘Horsford’ — dwarf eastern white pine Pinus sylvestris ‘Beacon Hill’ — dwarf Scots pine Pinus thunbergii ‘Yatsubusa’ — Japanese black pine Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’ — Hick’s yew Tsuga canadensis ‘Hussii’ — dwarf eastern hemlock

Trailing Seasonals

Begonia x tuberhybrida (hanging basket cultivars) Bidens ferulifolia ‘Golden Goddess’ Brachyscome iberidifolia — Swan River daisy Centradenia inaequilateralis ‘Cascade’ — centradenia Helichrysum petiolare and H.p. ‘Limelight,’ ‘Variegata’ — licorice vine Mimulus aurantiacus — orange bush monkey flower Pelargonium peltatum — ivy-leaf geranium Rhodochiton atrosanguineum — rhodochiton Scaevola aemula ‘Blue Wonder’ — fanflower, half-flower Ipmoea batatas ‘Blackie’ and ‘Margarita’ — sweet potato

Trees

Acer buergerianum — trident maple Acer palmatum ‘Shishigashira,’ ‘Sangu kaku’ — Japanese maple Acer shirasawanum ‘Aureum’ — golden full moon maple Acer circinatum — vine maple Heptacodium myconioides — seven-son flower Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Variegatus’ — variegated false holly Cornus mas — Cornelian cherry Cornus alternifolia ‘Argentea’ — variegated pagoda dogwood Sorbus vilmorinii — Chinese mountain ash Styrax japonicus — Japanese snowbell

Dramatic Exotics

(overwinter in a frost-free place) Abutilon megapotamicum ‘Striatum’ — variegated flowering maple Alocasia macrorrhiza — giant taro Alpinia zerumbet ‘Variegata’ — variegated shell ginger, pink porcelain lily Bougainvillea ‘Barbara Karst’ — bougainvillea Caladium bicolor — angel’s wings Canna ‘Bengal Tiger,’ ‘Black Knight’ and ‘Phasion’ (tropicanna) Colocasia esculenta ‘Fontanesii’ — taro Cyperus papyrus — papyrus Melianthus major — honeybush Phoenix roebelenii — miniature date palm

Bulbs

Allium cristophii — star of Persia Chionodoxa luciliae — glory of the snow Crocus chrysanthus ‘Cream Beauty’ Galanthus nivalis and G. elwesii — snowdrop Galtonia candicans — summer hyacinth Iris reticulata and I. danfordiae cultivars — netted iris Leucojum aestivum — summer snowflake Muscari botryoides and M. b. ‘Album’ — grape hyacinth Narcissus ‘Tête-à-tête,’ ‘Baby Moon,’ ‘Thalia’ — daffodil Tulipa — most tulips except the really tall cultivars if site is windy

Seasonal Climbers

Asarina barclaiana ‘Angel’s Trumpet’ — twining snapdragon Asarina scandens ‘Jewel Mixed’ — twining snapdragon Jasminum officinale fiona 'Sunrise' — golden poet’s jasmine Lathyrus odoratus — sweet pea Passiflora caerulea — passion vine Plumbago auriculata (synonym P. capensis) — cape leadwort

Related stories:

• How to Start a Container Garden
• Picking the Best Pot for Your Plants