Annuals are ideal container plants. Courtesy of FreeFoto.com
As for choosing plants to place in containers, the sky is the limit. With sufficient attention to detail, almost any small-stature plant that can grow in the garden can be convinced to grow in a container. Part of the fun of container gardening is experimenting with new plants.
However, some plants are definitely more adapted to containers than others. The cornerstone of container gardening are annuals. They can be induced to produce quick, long-lasting color, allowed to decline and die at season’s end, then replaced the following year. In the mean time, the pots can be taken out of the weather, emptied, cleaned, and stored for the next season.
Here are some annual flowers that are easy to grow in containers:
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Alyssum | Lobularia maritima |
| Browalia | Browalia speciosa |
| Lobelia | Lobelia erinus |
| Marigold | Tagetes spp. |
| Nasturtium | Tropaeolum majus |
| Pansy | Viola x wittrockiana |
| Petunia | Petunia x hybrida |
| Salvia | Salvia spp. |
| Snapdragon | Anitrrhinum majus |
| Verbena | Verbene a hybrida |
| Zinnia | Zinnia elegans |
Geraniums are perennial in pots, if protected in winter. Courtesy of FreeFoto.com
Perennials, including bulbs,also make great container specimens. However, they require both larger containers to provide long-term plant needs and attention to winter care to remain healthy during the dormant period. Tender perennials, such as begonia, dianthus, geranium, impatiens, and lantana will need to be moved indoors before frost. Hardy perennials will need some winter protection but can take (even need) cold temperatures. Good perennial subjects for container gardening include the following:
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Season of Bloom |
| Alumroot | Heuchera sanguinea | Spring |
| Basket of Gold | Aurinia saxatilis | Spring |
| Cardinal Flower | Lobelia cardinalis | Summer |
| Chrysanthemum | Dendranthema x grandiflora | Fall |
| Coleus* | Coleus x hybrida | (foliage) |
| Dahlia* | Dahlia x hybrida | Summer |
| Daylily | Hemerocallis spp. | Summer |
| False Rock Cress | Aubrieta deltoidea | Spring |
| Fringed Bleeding Heart | Dicentra eximia | Fall |
| Geranium* | Pelargonium x hortorum | Summer |
| Globeflower | Trollius europaeus | Spring |
| Impatiens* | Impatiens spp. | Summer |
| Lantana* | Lantana camara | Summer |
| New York Aster | Aster novae-belgii | Fall |
| Pincushion Flower | Scabiosa caucasica | Summer |
| Red Valerian | Centranthus rubber | Summer |
| Rudbeckia | Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii | Fall |
| Stonecrop | Sedum spp. | Summer |
*Tender perennial, susceptible to frost, requires special winter maintenance.
Grasses can thrive in containers. Photo courtesy of Judy Sedbrook
Small to moderate-sized ornamental grasses make great container plants, especially mixed with other plants that add color and texture. Appropriate grasses for containers include:
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Blue Fescue | Festuca spp. |
| Blue Oat Grass | Helictotrichon sempervirens |
| Blue Wildrye | Elymus glaucus |
| Bulbous Oat Grass | Arrhenantherum elatius |
| Fountain Grass* | Pennisetum spp. |
| Feather Reed Grass | Calamagrostis x acutiflora |
| Japanese Blood Grass* | Imperata cylindrica |
| Purple Moor Grass | Molinia caerulea |
| Reed Canary Grass | Phalaris arundinacea |
| Sedge | Carex spp. |
| Spangle Grass | Chasmanthium latifolium |
| Tufted Hair Grass | Deschampsia caespitosa |
*Tender perennial, damaged by frost and requires special winter maintenance.
Bulbs bloom well in pots. Courtesy of FreeFoto.com
Bulbs are good candidates for container gardens. Being perennial, overwintering maintenance concerns apply. Bulb plants that work well include:
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Agapanthus* | Agapanthus africanus |
| Begonia (Wax Leaf)* | Begonia x semperflorens-cultorum |
| Brodiaea* | Brodiaea laxa |
| Caladium* | Caladium x hortulanum |
| Daffodil | Narcissus spp. |
| Fritillaria | Fritillaria imperialis |
| Glory of the Snow | Chionodoxa luciliae |
| Hyacinth* | Hyacinthus orientalis |
| Lily-of-the-Valley | Convallaria majalis |
| Ornamental Onion | Alliums spp. |
| Tulip | Tulipa spp. |
*Tender bulb, damaged by frost and requires special winter maintenance.
The University of Vermont provides a long list of plants suitable for container planting.