The best perennials to grow in containers are disease-resistant and simple to grow with long seasonal colour. Perennials tend to die back to the ground in cold weather and also go into a dormant state. Foliage and flowers grow back from the roots each year, providing years of curiosity once grown in containers.

Light Adaptable Perennials

Perennials that adapt to many different light conditions grow well in sun or shade. Plants like “Mon Amie Blue” forget-me-nots (Myosotis sylvatica “Mon Amie Blue”) and “Orchid Frost” spotted dead nettles (Lamium maculatum “Orchid Frost”) function well in containers. “Mon Amie Blue” forget-me-nots hit only 6 to 8 inches tall, creating small, blue flowers with white and yellow eyes from spring during summer. In U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 8, this perennial flower attracts bees, birds and butterflies to the container garden. “Orchid Frost” spotted dead nettles grow 6 to 12 inches tall with green-edged, silvery leaves and pinkish-purple flower clusters. In USDA zones 4 through 9, the stems spill over the border of the container.

Sun-Loving Perennials

Sun-loving perennials favor the hot conditions of all-day direct sunlight. Containers full of sun-loving flowers are good to grow on exposed gardens. 1 example is “Absolutely Amethyst” candytufts (Iberis hybrid “Absolutely Amethyst”), that blooms in the late spring having purple blossoms reaching 10 to 12 inches tall and disperses 8 to 10 inches broad in USDA zones 4 through 9. This variety is one of the very first non-white candytuft cultivars. “Coffee Cups” elephant’s ears (Colocasia esculenta “Coffee Cups”) grow best in USDA zones 8 through 11 with nearly black stems and large, cup-shaped leaves reaching 6 feet tall. Growing in a container keeps this plant in boundaries.

Full to Partial Sun Perennials

Perennials preferring glowing light can gain from some sun safety during the hot day. “Midnight Sun” moneywort (Lysimachia “Midnight Sun”) grows well in a container in USDA plant hardiness zones 4 through 10 with yellowish flowers and blackish-purple leaves. This fall-blooming perennial produces cascading stems 12 to 14 inches long. “Rozanne” hardy geranium (Geranium “Rozanne”) produces large, purple-blue blossoms with white throats in USDA zones 4 through 8 attracting butterflies to the container.

Shade-Loving Perennials

Shade-loving perennials that grow well in containers need protection from direct sunlight. The best time for direct sun exposure to these plants will be in the morning once the sun’s rays aren’t as strong. Dolce “Key Lime Pie” coral bells (Heuchera Dolce “Key Lime Pie”) reaches 8 to 16 inches tall and broad in USDA zones 4 through 9 with heart-shaped leaves with splotches of lime green. The upright spikes of tiny, bell-shaped pink blooms attract hummingbirds to the plant. The largest hosta suitable for growing in a container would be the “Empress Wu” hosta (Hosta hybrid “Empress Wu”). This shade-loving hosta reaches 4 feet tall and spreads 6 feet broad with enormous, dark green leaves and purple-lavender flowers in USDA plant hardiness zones 3 through 9.

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