Balcony Containers: 15 Best Flowering And Cropping Plants For Balcony Growing

Planting on a balcony can have its challenges but, with a few considerations, it can be an uplifting and rewarding experience. You can move houseplants outside, choose a themed garden, or even plant edibles! Choosing plants for balcony growing depends primarily on the quality of your light source. You can grow plants that thrive in sun or shade, depending on which direction your balcony faces.

In order to establish the best container plants to grow on your balcony, keep an eye on your balcony for a couple of days to see how much sun or shade is available. Even if you have traditional full sun exposure (south or west facing), other buildings or trees may shade your balcony at certain times of day. Once you understand how much light saturates your space, and when, you can choose the best balcony plants for a full sun, partial sun or shady location.

Best Plants For Balcony Growing Success

When choosing plants for balcony planters and pots, you can either select a single species or combine several plants in one large container. If it’s the latter, just make sure the plants share the same cultural requirements (sun exposure, water, fertility needs and so on). For instance, if you plant three full-sun perennials in a container, you need to fertilize them regularly and water them daily in hot climates.

Container choice is important, too. Terracotta pots are porous and allow water to drain faster than plastic or ceramic containers, but they also dry out faster. Plastic or composite containers hold in moisture longer, so choose these pots for moisture loving plants. Any pot you use for your balcony container gardening scheme should have drainage holes.

You may also want to consider hanging or trailing plants, or those that grow vertically and can be trellised. This will save room in smaller spaces, making way for furniture and other needs. Some of the best plants for balcony growing are as follows:

1. Geraniums

Geraniums (Pelargonium x hortorum) are popular container annuals with clusters of flowers in red, orange, pink or white that bloom all season. For a range of colors on your balcony, try ‘Maverick Mix’ seeds from the Gardening Know How Shop.

They grow 1-2ft (0.3-0.6m) tall and wide. Plant container geraniums in loamy soil in full to part sun for great balcony plants. Geraniums thrive in USDA zones 10-11.

2. Lantana

Choose the sterile varieties of Lantana camara or a native species. There are lots of color combinations in palettes of pink, yellow, red or white, as well as groundcover or shrub forms. Plant in well-drained fertile soil. Lantana grows 1-6ft tall (0.3-1.8m) tall, depending on the variety, and blooms from spring to frost in USDA zones 7-11.

3. Fuchsia

Fuschia (Fuschia hybrida) Fuchsias are a must-have hanging basket plant for a part shade balcony. You can grow fuchsia up to 2ft (0.6m) in multiple color combinations such as red and purple, pink and white. Plant in moist, well-draining soil. Blooms from late spring to fall. These plants flourish in USDA zones 9-10.

4. Crossandra

Crossandra (C. infundibuliformis) develop bright orange, salmon, red, yellow or pink blooms which stack upward. This balcony plant creates clusters of flowers all season long. The glossy green foliage makes an eye-catching contrast to the flowers. Crossandra can grow up to 3ft (1m) tall in USDA zones 9-11.

5. Petunias

Petunias (Petunia x hybrida) come in every color (and bicolor), available in hundreds of cultivars that bloom all season. Plant petunias in a light potting mix in full sunshine to partial shade. These plants grow 6-18 inches (15-45cm) tall and flourish in USDA zones 10-11. Petunias like ‘Double Cascade Mix’ from the Gardening Know How Shop grow flowers in shades of violet, lavender, indigo and white.

6. Impatiens

Impatiens (I. walleriana) are annual bedding or container plants that form mounds of colorful single or double flowers. They bloom in pink, red or white from spring to frost, and can reach 2ft (0.6m) tall and wide. Plant in moist, well-drained soil in partial shade to full shade. For the best plants, grow impatiens in USDA zones 10-11.

7. Coleus

Coleus (C. scutellarioides) is grown for its colorful leaves, in combinations of green, white, pink, red and maroon. The spikes of flowers add another element of interest if planting on a balcony.

Plants can reach 36 inches (90cm) tall, depending on the variety. Newer coleus plant cultivars can be planted in sun or shade. They need well-draining, moist, rich soil and thrive in USDA zones 10-11.

8. Begonia

Begonia (Begonia spp.) are the stalwarts of a balcony container garden, with many varieties working in sun or shade. Stems are succulent, so they don’t need as much water as other balcony plants. Some are upright, while others have a trailing habit.

Plants typically grow 8 inches to 2ft (20cm-0.6m) tall, with varying flower colors including red, orange, pink, yellow and white. Foliage color varies as well. Begonias prefer moist, well drained soil in partial sun and prefer USDA zones 10-11.

9. Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas that bloom on new wood, such as H. paniculata and H. arborescens, are great plants for balconies. They can be pruned in early spring to control shape. Types that bloom on old and new wood also do well in containers.

If you live in an area with very cold winters which might nip buds on old wood, cover the container with frost cloth. These great balcony plants thrive in USDA zones 3-9. Try growing compact panicle hydrangeas such as ‘Limelight Prime’ and ‘Little Lime Punch’, both available from the Gardening Know How Shop.

10. Fatsia Japonica

Fatsia japonica is an attractive shrub that looks more like a houseplant with its dark green, lobed foliage. It can grow 5-8ft (1.5-2.4m) tall. Creamy white flowers are produced in fall, replaced in winter by black fruit. Plant fatsia japonica in well-draining and slightly alkaline soil in the shade. These plants flourish in USDA zones 8-11.

11. Boxwood

Boxwood (Buxes spp.) is the traditional broadleafed evergreen that makes a great balcony plant, especially the dwarf cultivars. Littleleaf boxwood has the smallest leaves of all the boxwoods, and ‘Little Missy’ is the smallest cultivar. Plant these container evergreens in well-draining soil and partial sunshine in USDA zones 5-9.

12. Dwarf Japanese Cedar

Dwarf Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica ‘Globosa Nana’) is a unique specimen tree for a balcony. This is a compact evergreen shrub with a round shape and bright, blue-green color. It can reach 4-5ft (1.2-1.5m) in height. Plant it in moist, well-drained soil in full or partial sun. These balcony cedars do best in USDA zones 5-9.

13. Green Peppers

If you’re interested in growing cheap container edibles on your balcony, green peppers are a fine choice. They just require at least a five-gallon container to grow well. Provide full sun (at least six hours a day) and water as soon as the soil begins to dry out. These crops are heavy feeders, so plan on fertilizing every two weeks.

14. Leaf Lettuces

Grow leaf lettuces in wide, shallow containers, using a well-draining potting mix with added nitrogen. Leaf lettuces grow quickly and you’ll be snipping off leaves in no time. Make successive sowings of seeds every three or four weeks to keep the crops coming well into fall. Keep the soil moist and provide five or six hours of sun a day.

15. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are easily grown in containers with a stake or cage for added support on a full-sun balcony. Vego Garden’s EZ Tomato Planter With Trellis, available in the Gardening Know How Shop, combines strong support with a self-watering facility.

Choose a five-gallon container for standard toms to accommodate those deep roots. Cherry tomatoes do well in two-gallon pots. Use a soilless mix that drains well. Look for disease-resistant dwarf or determinate cultivars. ‘Celebrity’, ‘Patio Princess’ or ‘Little Sun Yellow’ are easy tomatoes to grow on balconies. Plan on daily watering and regular fertilizing.

Frequently Asked Questions

This article features products available from third party vendors on the Gardening Know How Shop. Keep in mind that our plant inventory is limited - so if you’re thinking of purchasing, don’t wait!