Plants for Pots and Containers

These are the plants in our nursery that do well in a pot rather than in the ground. Container growing changes what a plant needs: the root zone heats up and dries out faster, and drainage matters more than soil richness. Succulents and agaves suit that treatment because they are already adapted to fast draining ground, which is why so much of this list is rosette forming.

Mature height and width are on every product page, and they are worth reading before you choose a pot. A plant listed at three to four feet wide will need a container it can hold for years, not one it fills in a season. Smaller rosettes and trailing forms work in shallow bowls and wall pots; the larger agaves and palms want depth. Nothing here is sold as a houseplant, though the shade tolerant entries will hold on a covered patio.