11 BEST SUN PLANTS FOR POTS
CALIBRACHOA
Learn more about growing calibrachoa.
DAHLIA
Zones: 8-11
Exposure: Full sun
Habit: Upright, bushy habit
Height/Spread: 1 to 6 feet tall and 1 to 3 feet wide
Dahlias are among the most popular summer flowers, with thousands of varieties in various bloom colours and forms. They are most often grown in the ground; however, dahlias are also easy to grow in containers. Use them as a stand-alone accent or combine them with other late-season plants. SUN PLANTS
Learn more about growing dahlias.
DIANTHUS
Zones: 3-9, depending on variety
Exposure: Full sun
Habit: Mounding, spreading, or upright habit
Height/Spread: 4 to 36 inches tall and 4 to 24 inches wide
This easy-care annual or perennial lends cottage-style appeal with scented flowers in nearly every colour imaginable, from white to almost black. Place a container near a patio, deck, or entryway where the scent can be enjoyed up close. Combine with coral bells, geraniums, artemisia, or miniature roses. SUN PLANTS
Learn more about growing dahlias.
EUPHORBIA DIAMOND FROST
Zones: 10-11, treated as an annual in most regions
Exposure: Sun to partial sun
Habit: Mounding habit
Height/Spread: 12 to 18 inches tall and wide
Clouds of airy white flowers bloom throughout much of the growing season. This versatile annual can be integrated into any style garden. Plant as a “filler” element in a container with trailing creeping Jenny or sweet potato vine and add a taller accent such as purple fountain grass or ‘Victoria Blue’ salvia. SUN PLANTS
GERANIUM, PELARGONIUM
Zones: 9-12
Exposure: Full sun
Habit: Mounding, upright, or trailing habit
Height/Spread:
6 to 36 inches tall, 6 to 24 inches wide, trailing 12 to 36 inches long
Geraniums come in various flower colours and forms, including zonal and trailing ivy. Their scented foliage can be green, gold, variegated, or patterned. They are suitable for hanging baskets and window boxes. Combine them with “spillers” such as trailing vinca or silver dichondra and “fillers” such as sweet alyssum or annual lobelia. SUN PLANTS
Learn more about growing geraniums.
LANTANA
Zones: 9-11, grown as an annual in most zones
Exposure: Full sun
Habit: Mounding, spreading, or upright habit
Height/Spread: 4 to 36 inches tall and 4 to 24 inches wide
This easy-care annual or perennial lends cottage-style appeal with scented flowers in nearly every colour imaginable, from white to almost black. Place a container near a patio, deck or entryway where the scent can be enjoyed up close. Combine with coral bells, geraniums, artemisia, or miniature roses. SUN PLANTS
Learn more about growing lantana in containers.
MARIGOLD
Zones: 9-11, grown as an annual in most regions
Exposure: Sun to partial shade
Habit: Mounding or upright habit
Height/Spread: 6 to 48 inches tall and 6 to 24 inches wide
Scented marigolds are a staple of kitchen and cottage-style gardens, grown for their bright, pollinator-friendly flowers. Plant in a container with other cottage-style annuals such as red salvia, nasturtium, and calendula. Include as part of a mini herb container garden alongside basil, oregano, and thyme.
Learn more about growing marigolds.
PETUNIA
Zones: 10-11, grown as an annual in most regions
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Habit: Mounding, spreading, or trailing habit
Height/Spread: 6 to 24 inches tall, 12 to 36 inches wide, up to 36 inches long
This old-fashioned favourite has enjoyed new popularity as new hybrids in many colours and patterns have been introduced. A staple for window boxes, hanging baskets and containers, combined as a “spiller” with spiky dracaena or purple fountain grass, filling in with verbena, African daisy, or fascia. SUN PLANTS
Learn more about growing petunias.
PINE
Zones: 2-10
Exposure: Full sun
Habit: Upright or spreading habit
Height/Spread: 2 to 130 feet tall and 1 1/2 to 40 feet wide
This diverse group of evergreen conifers is grown for its attractive needles, year-round appeal and carefree nature. Slow-growing dwarf forms suitable for containers include dwarf mugo pine, ‘Blue Shag’ eastern white pine, and dwarf Scots pine. Please place it in a container as a stand-alone accent near an entryway or combine it with other seasonal plants with similar cultural needs. SUN PLANTS
SWEET POTATO VINE
Zones: 9-11, grown as an annual in most regions
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Habit: Mounding trailing habit
Height/Spread: 6 to 16 inches tall, 3 to 6 feet wide, up to 10 feet long
It is one of the best trailing annuals for containers, grown for its exotic-looking foliage in various leaf shapes and colours. Use a cascading accent in window boxes, hanging baskets, or containers with other warm-season annuals in complementary colours, such as coleus, petunias, purple fountain grass, or African daisy. SUN PLANTS
Learn more about growing sweet potato vines.
ZINNIA
Zones: 9-11, grown as an annual in most regions
Exposure: Full sun
Habit: Mounding or upright habit
Height/Spread: 6 to 48 inches tall and 12 to 24 inches wide
Bright, cheerful flowers and long bloom times make zinnias a favourite of gardeners. Place a decorative container on a sunny deck or patio with a mounding form such as ‘Profusion’ as a “filler”. Combine with upright salvia or canna lily and a “spiller” such as trailing lobelia, calibrachoa, or sweet potato vine. SUN PLANTS
Learn more about growing zinnias.
