They add height, variety, and drama to mixed containers.
But grouping plants in containers takes a little finesse.
The general design concept for containers is “thrillers, spillers, and fillers.”
The Spruce / Kailey Whitman
Finish with rounded, moundingfiller plantsin between to make the container look full.
The Spruce / Kailey Whitman
Virtually any plant is good fora large potunder the right conditions.
And some plants can even survive the winter in a container if they are hardy to your growing zone.
The Spruce / Kara Riley
Always confirm water is still able to drain from the container.
Here are 20 of the best tall plants to grow in a container garden.
There are many agave species to choose from in a wide range of sizes and appearances.
The Spruce / Marie Iannotti
Several commonly grown varieties reach a few feet in height and width.
Agave can thrive in a relatively shallow, unglazed clay pot with excellent drainage.
It prefers gritty soil, such as a cactus mix.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
These areannual plants, so you will either need tostart seed earlyor buy plants every year.
But the nice thing about annuals is they allow you to experiment and be creative.
Choose one that will hold its shape nicely without a lot of pruning.
The Spruce / Gyscha Rendy
But in a container, bamboo is a conversation piece.
Some types prefer more temperate climates while others like heat and humidity.
This grass can grow about 4 to 6 feet tall with a spread of 2 to 3 feet.
Matt Lavin / Flickr / CC By 2.0
Still, it’s a vigorous grower, and its blooms look stunning crawling up a wall or trellis.
Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)
The Spruce / Cara Cormack
Boxwood shrubs can be formal or funky.
The real fun of using this plant is you could trim it to be anything you want.
The Spruce / Leticia Almeida
If you would like to exercise your creative flair, try aboxwood topiary.
When unpruned, it can reach heights of about 5 to 15 feet.
Choose a pot with good drainage because boxwoods can suffer from root rot.
The Spruce / Cara Cormack
Also, a little shade during the hottest part of the afternoon is preferable.
Cannas need lots of water and actually prefer wet feet, so be vigilant about keeping the container moist.
They are not hardy and need to be moved indoors for the winter.
The Spruce / K. Dave
In fact, many gardeners choose to grow them solely ashouseplants.
It is a bit scratchy, so wear gloves when working around it.
Choose a small tree when planting in a container.
The Spruce / Krystal Slagle
The term dwarf simply means it is slow-growing, but the tree can eventually reach 12 feet or taller.
On the plus side, it can take 25 years to mature.
This plant requires a delicate balance of even moisture and good drainage when grown in a container.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
If you live in adry climate, you might have to water frequently.
It reaches about 3 to 6 feet tall but only grows as an annual in most hardiness zones.
When grown in a container, be sure to water the plant regularly because it likes a moist environment.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
After flowering, it remains upright and tall but not floppy or weepy like many other types of grass.
It is perfect for the center of a container, growing from 3 to 5 feet.
It prefers damp soil and can even tolerate poor drainage.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
If you live outside of its hardiness zones, it’s possible for you to overwinter the plant indoors.
Place the container in a relatively cool room with sun exposure, and water it sparingly.
Bring it back outdoors once the danger of the last frost has passed.
The Spruce / David Beaulieu
These plants bloom throughout the entire growing season with no deadheading (removing spent blooms) necessary.
These multi-branched shrubs can easily betrained into flowering treesand grown in containers.
Just be sure to keep the plant warm, and give it lots of sunlight.
The Spruce / Kara Riley
Trim back leggy stems when necessary.
With its rigid, sword-shaped leaves, the plant can reach 4 feet tall when grown in a container.
Bring it indoors to a sunny spot before the first frost if you live outside of its hardiness zones.
The Spruce / Phoebe Cheong
Also, place the container in a location that has some shelter from strong winds.
Under ideal conditions, it can grow to about 6 to 8 feet.
In its natural environment, however, the plant can grow as tall as 60 feet.
Joshua McCullough / Getty Images
you’re free to trim it into a topiary or leave its natural shrubby shape.
The plant typically grows slowly in a container and doesnt mind being a little cramped.
However, double-check you use a pot thats sturdy enough not to tip over.
The Spruce / Cara Cormack
Sweet bay is not hardy butoverwinters well indoors.
Fuchsia-Root Rot.Pacific Northwest Pest Management Handbooks, 11 Sept. 2015, http://pnwhandbooks.stage.extension.oregonstate.edu/plantdisease/host-disease/fuchsia-root-rot
The Spruce / Leticia Almeida
The Spruce / Almar Creative
The Spruce / Leticia Almeida
