Do your porch pots look the same each year? Try taking it up a notch this summer with large outdoor plants for pots that will make a big statement. Our experts have compiled a list of the loveliest large outdoor potted plants as well as care tips to help your containers shine all season long.
When choosing the best plants for container gardening, larger plants instantly give you the greatest impact. There are many eye-catching varieties like tropical annuals and perennials, evergreen shrubs, and even dwarf trees that do well in containers. Using large plants for container gardening can also help save on water.
Large containers filled with a good potting mix retain moisture longer than smaller containers. Just add a slow-release fertilizer when planting the container and you will be off and running for the season.
Let’s take a look at the best big plants for pots outside that will enliven any porch, patio, or balcony.
The Orinoco Double Walled Bowl Planter adds instant elegance and drama to any outdoor space. It's perfect for oversized plants and gardener who want to make a big statement.
Caring for Large Outdoor Potted Plants
Before choosing large outdoor potted plants, be sure to consider some basic care requirements first to avoid common container gardening mistakes and help your plants thrive.
Choose a container that is large enough for the supersize specimens you plan to grow. The width and depth size should be large enough to hold the mature size of the plant with at least a couple extra inches between the plant and the rim. The depth should be enough to allow for growth during the summer months.
The container can be plastic, ceramic, metal, pottery, or something repurposed—but be aware of the weight. When filled, the container will be very heavy, so if you need to move it, you can set it on a rolling plant caddy.
To make tending to your large outdoor potted plants even easier, grow them in a self-watering container like the TruDrop Rim Modern Round Planter from Crescent Garden, now available in the Gardening Know How Shop. The 30-inch (76 cm) planter is perfect for oversized outdoor plants and it comes in ten gorgeous colors that coordinate with any home exterior.
If your patio is in full sun, choose drought-tolerant container plants that prefer heat such as canna, ornamental grasses, and boxwood. If your supersize specimen is for a porch that gets some sun, choose part-shade plants such as bird of paradise, elephant ears, or hydrangeas. For a completely shaded porch, look for shade-loving plants for containers like fatsia.
Best Large Outdoor Plants for Pots
Take a look at our picks of the best large, low-maintenance plants for pots outside:
1. Bird of Paradise
Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) is a stunning tropical plant with blue-green foliage and flowers that resemble exotic birds.
One of the best plants for big outdoor pots, it typically grows up to 5 feet (1.5 m) tall and 4 feet (1.2 m) wide. Oblong leaves are held erect from the plant, and the blue and orange flowers shaped like a bird in flight bloom off and on all summer.
Place bird of paradise plants in part shade for best flowering. Hardy in zones 10 and 11, this large, tropical stunner is native to South Africa. Bring indoors in winter to keep it growing as a gorgeous houseplant.
2. Bougainvillea
Bougainvillea (B. spectabilis) is a shrubby vine that, with support of a trellis or obelisk, makes a striking container plant. It grows quickly in full sun and climbs with the aid of sharp thorns and twisting stems.
The tiny flowers of the bougainvillea are surrounded by colorful, paper-like bracts in red, pink, or orange. Water deeply and let the soil dry between waterings. Bougainvillea is native to Brazil and is hardy in zones 9 to 11. It can grow as a perennial in the southern U.S.
3. Canna Lily
Canna lilies (Canna x generalis) make a bold statement in a large container and—depending on the cultivar—can grow up to 6 feet (1.8 m) tall. Cannas grow quickly from rhizomes and will multiply in the container. If you are not in hardiness zones 8 to 11, dig up the rhizomes after the first frost to protect them indoors during winter.
The elongated leaves, which come in copper, green, and variegated colors, have a distinctly tropical feel. The bright blooms of canna lilies keep coming as long as you deadhead them. Cannas are native to tropical and subtropical areas of North and South America and India.
4. Elephant Ear
Elephant ears (Colocasia spp., Alocasia spp., and Xanthosoma spp.) are cultivated for their large, heart-shaped leaves and tropical flair. Colocasia and alocasia varieties are native to tropical southern Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Guinea, parts of Australia, or the Pacific Islands. 5. Evergreen shrubs is native to tropical America.
Most elephant ears top out at 5 feet (1.5 m) tall and wide. Grow them in part sun to dappled shade in moist, fertile, acidic soil. They like lots of water, but make sure the soil drains well. If you are outside of hardiness zones 9 to 11, lift the bulbs in fall and save them for next summer.
5. Evergreen Shrubs
Evergreen shrubs (Buxus spp., Thuja occidentalis, Hebe spp.) are not only some of the best outdoor plants for big pots, but they pack a punch during fall and winter, too. Just make sure to select an evergreen that is at least two hardiness zones colder than yours so it will survive the winter in a container.
Boxwoods and arborvitae come in all shapes and sizes perfect for containers, and thrive in full to part sun. Hebe shrubs have colorful evergreen foliage and bloom in summer or fall. ‘Bowles Hybrid’ blooms in summer and fall. Give them full to part sun.
6. Fatsia
Fatsia (Fatsia japonica), also known as Japanese aralia, is a broadleaf evergreen shrub with lobed leaves that give it a tropical look. Several variegated options add excitement to this plant’s already exotic appearance and a showy white bloom in fall adds more interest past summer.
Often grown as large, show-stopping houseplants, fatsias do well in containers and are ideal for a shady patio or porch. Plants can reach 19 feet (5.8 m) at maturity, but likely will not grow that tall in containers.
Fatsia prefers moist, well-drained soil and a part shade to full shade position. Hardy from 7b to 10b, this big foliage plant originates in South Korea and Japan.
7. Hydrangea
Just about any dwarf hydrangea variety will grow in a container—you simply need to match the amount of sun with the hydrangea.
Panicle hydrangea varieties can tolerate the most sun. So if you need a container for a sunny spot, choose a dwarf panicle hydrangea such as ‘Fire Light Tidbit’ or ‘Bobo’. For a shadier location, try a compact oakleaf hydrangea such as ‘Ruby Slippers.’
Hardiness depends on the cultivar, so keep that in mind if your plant is for a permanent container.
8. Purple Fountain Grass
Purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaseum ‘Rubrum’) grows up to 5 feet (1.5 m) tall with reddish purple leaves and colorful plumes.
It is hardy in zones 9 to 11 and treated as an annual in colder zones. Site this ornamental grass in full sun in well-draining soil. You can also leave it in a container for winter interest, if desired.
9. Cranberry Hibiscus
Cranberry hibiscus (Hibiscus acetosella) is a tropical subshrub, and though it is a hibiscus, it is grown for its foliage, not its flowers. The reddish purple, dissected foliage looks very much like a Japanese maple and is eye-catching in a large container.
This hibiscus quickly grows up to 5 feet (1.5 m) tall. It does best in full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Native to tropical east Africa, cranberry hibiscus is hardy to zone 8, but cuttings taken in fall can be rooted for next year to grow this plant for another season.
10. Weeping Fig
Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina) is a prized houseplant for its glossy green foliage and drooping branches, but it is also striking as a large container plant outdoors.
Native to southeastern Asia and Australia, weeping figs top out at 10 feet (3 m) indoors, but grow much taller outside. This container plant prefers lower light such as dappled shade, full shade, or part sun when grown outdoors.
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