Container All-Stars

By Rachael Liska, Editor

Annual Phlox

They're the Micheal Jordans of container gardening. Plants on top of their game...plants that make it look easy...plants that can't help but take hold of the spotlight—we call them "all-stars."

These container champs make us gardeners look good. Which is why we come back to them year after year when planning out displays. Whether it's the instant beauty they provide of the low-maintenance care they offer, they never fail to get us on our feet and cheering. Read on to discover which top container-plant picks made our list...

Annual Phlox

Phlox drummondii

With a lovely cascading habit and a plethora of colorful blossoms, Intensia® pink phlox has no problem holding its own in containers. Plant this vigorous bloomer in sun or partial shade for a show that's sure to last spring through fall. Plus, it's low-maintenance, requiring no deadheading.

Coralbells

Heuchera

Coralbells come in a variety of colors, including lime green, red, purple and peach, making them perfect for pots. A great choice for gardeners dealing with shady growing conditions, they also grow well in sun.

Coleus

Solenostemon scutellarioides

Grown for its colorful foliage (like Red Ruffles, pictured here), coleus offers a seemingly endless variety of leaf shapes and hues to gardener. From spicy to subdued, there's one for you. Plant in partial sun or shade.

Calibrachoa

Calibrachoa

Its small, fast-growing, petunia-like flowers know how to steal the show all season, making Calibrachoa a hot choice for containers. Planted here with ivy and coleus, it makes a pretty filler. But it's also commanding enough to stand alone, too. Try strong performers like the Superbells® series.

Western Arborvitae

Thuja plicata

A deer-resistant, cold-hardy arborvitae, this plant also boasts a dark green, glossy color that makes it perfect for holiday containers. Its pyramid shape provides supreme vertical interest.

Copperleaf Plant

Acalypha wilkesiana

With its multicolored foliage, instant drama is what this striking plant delivers. Plant Bourbon Street with flowers like this red Calibrachoa for a lush, tropical-inspired display. Best in sun of partial shade.

Coral Begonia

Begonia x corallina

Its dramatically dark and broad foliage are why Burning Bush is a choice plant for gardeners who want to make a statement. Great in combinations, it can also stand alone in containers.

Lobelia

Lobelia erinus

Its tiny blue blooms really know how to pack a punch, especially when paired with striking coleus and white petunias. Gardeners looking for low-maintenance options should opt for heat-tolerant varieties.

Petunia

Petunia x hybrida

Boasting trumpet-shaped flowers that last from late spring to frost, petunias come in most every shade imaginable and are super easy to grow. Use to soften the edges of your container or plant in a hanging basket.

Evergreen Candytuft

Iberis sempervirens

A spring-blooming beauty, candytuft's charming white flowers are fragrant, attracting bees and butterflies. Great for containers, it works well as a ground cover, too.

Foamflower

Tiarella cordifolia

Putting on a spectacular show in late spring, foamflower's dainty, blossom-dressed spikes offer a delicate note to containers. Just be sure to position your display in light to heavy shade, since this perennial doesn't tolerate sun.

Ivy

Hedera helix

Thriving in sun or shade, ivy's pretty trailing habit in containers can't be beat. Pictured here, its handsome triangular-shaped leaves look lovely planted with feather grass, deadnettle and Nemesia.

Feather Grass

Stipa

A heat-loving perennial, feather grass's slender, arching leaves topped with feathery plumes add vertical interest, texture and movement to the container garden as this plant billows in the breeze.