Patios both big and small can make great spaces to grow a small garden — and you don’t need to be an expert grower to do so. All it takes is understanding your specific needs as well as what your patio can offer your plants.
Want to grow veggies and herbs? What about plants that attract hummingbirds and butterflies? How much light does your outdoor area receive? While there’s plenty to consider, the following list has you covered. Here are 22 gorgeous patio plants that are easy to grow and can beautifully upgrade the outer appearance of your home.
Warning
Some of the plants on this list are toxic for pets. For more information about the safety of specific plants, consult the ASPCA’s searchable database.
Petunias (Petunia × atkinsiana)
Petunias are won’t-let-you-down plants — they provide vibrance all season, come in a variety of colors, and are relatively low-maintenance options. Plant them in your favorite container and water regularly. Petunias are annuals, so you’ll replace them every year. But for a good challenge, try overwintering them.
Plant Care Tips
- Light: Full sun to part shade Water: Medium Soil: Moist, well-drained Zones: Annual or 10-11
Million bells (Calibrachoa)
These little blooms are reliable and showy in containers, giving you great color all season long. If you like to put together container “recipes” by mixing two or three plants together, million bells should definitely be on your list. They mix great with just about any plant, including sweet potato vine or ornamental grasses.
- Light: Full sun Water: Medium Soil: Well-drained Zones: Annual or 9-11
Coleus (Plectranthus scutellariodes)
For those with shady patios, coleus won’t disappoint. Known for its gorgeous foliage due to its tropical roots, there are many coleus options on the market to choose from, and nearly all will thrive in the shade. Buy these plants while they’re small because they’ll grow plenty throughout the season.
- Light: Part to full shade Water: Medium Soil: Moist, loose Zones: Annual or 10-11
Caladium (Caladium)
Also ideal for shady patios, caladium is native to Central and South America and can grow up to several feet high and wide, while its colorful leaves growing up to a foot in length. These plants grow from tubers, so at the end of the season, dig those up and save them for the next year. You can also try overwintering caladium as houseplants.
- Light: Partial to full shade Water: Medium Soil: Moist, rich, acidic Zones: Annual or 9-10
Cherry Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum)
Pretty much any and all tomato plants can grow on the patio — you just need the right-sized container. Cherry tomatoes are particularly appealing for patios for their size and the ability to pick and eat them right there. Check out some container growing tips for tomatoes before purchasing seeds.
- Light: Full sun Water: Medium Soil: Moist, well-draining Zones: Annual
Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
Basil is a must-have if you’re the kind of person who wants to step outside and snip some fresh leaves for your Caprese salad or Margherita pizza. There are many different varieties of this plant, and it is another great option to try in a cold frame or herb kit in winter as well.
- Light: Full sun Water: Medium Soil: Rich, well-draining Zones: Annual
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)
Spinach can be mixed in with your patio flowers or grown on their own. While it won’t do that great in the strong heat of summer, spinach typically does well in spring, early summer, fall, and winter (with a greenhouse or cold frame).
- Light: Full sun to part shadeWater: Medium Soil: Rich, fertile, well-draining Zones: Annual
Zinnias (Zinnia)
Zinnias are a classic sign of summer. They come in all colors except brown and blue, and grow up to four feet tall. Easy to start from seed, zinnias are a favorite among butterflies and bees, so your patio will become a popular place among those flying insects.
Strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa)
Strawberries offer more than delicious berries. They also provide great foliage in garden beds and on patios. Strawberry plants generally fall into one of two categories — Junebearing and everbearing. Junebearing plants produce one crop per year, often in spring, while everbearing plants produce a spring crop and continue offering berries into the summer and fall.
- Light: Full sun Water: Medium Soil: Moist, well-drained Zones: 4-9
Fuchsia (Fuchsia)
You don’t find too many flowery plants that do well in shade, but fuchsias do. These dangling, bright purple and pinks flowers have been said to look like little dancers, and it’s not hard to see why. These are perhaps the most eye-catching annuals you can grow.
- Light: Part shade to full shade Water: Medium Soil: Rich, medium moisture Zones: Annual or 10-11
Begonias (Begonia x semperflorens-cultorum)
Begonias are versatile annuals that thrive in a variety of light conditions. They have cool foliage (often bronze in colors) and flowers are white, pink, red or bicolor. Known for their ability to thrive in even the hottest conditions, they are forgiving if you forget to water from time to time.
- Light: Full sun to part shadeWater: Medium Soil: Moist, well-drained Zones: Annual or 10-11
Sweet Potato Vine (Ipomoea batatas)
At the beginning of the season, sweet potato vine might not look like much, but it’ll quickly grow up to 10 feet long. Its quick growth makes it perfect for a hanging basket or deck planters because it hangs down to add great visual interest. Look for this popular vine in bright green, black, or even multicolors.
- Light: Full sun Water: Medium Soil: Average, well-drained Zones: Annual or 9-11
Oregon grape holly (Mahonia japonica)
If you want color in winter, your best patio options are going to be in the evergreen family. The Oregon grape holly is an evergreen shrub that can grow up to seven feet tall. It produces fragrant yellow flowers that bloom in late winter to early spring.
- Light: Part shade to full sun Water: Dry to medium Soil: Moist, well-drained Zones: 6-8
Eggplant (Solanum melongena)
Not only can you harvest eggplant, which typically grows up to six fruits, but it also adds great visual interest in a pot or planter. Be aware that eggplant can be a little cold sensitive, so make sure the risk of frost has passed before you put it out on the patio. If cold is on its way, just bring it inside.
- Light: Full sun Water: Medium Soil: Well-drained Zones: Annual
Cannas (Canna)
Growing up to eight feet tall, cannas have tropical-looking flowers and foliage, making them a perfect option for framing a small patio space. There are great to group in beds or borders and can be effectively planted with both annuals and perennials. At the end of the season, dig up the rhizomes and overwinter them in a cool, dark place.
- Light: Full sun Water: Medium Soil: Moist, well-drained Zones: 7-10
Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea)
A low-maintenance, coarse perennial native to moist prairies, meadows, and open woods, purple coneflowers bloom in the summer and can easily grow in dry-to-medium, well-drained soil. These vibrant flowers attract birds, butterflies, and bees; the dead flower stems, in particular, can remain erect during winter, attracting goldfinches or other birds that feed on seeds if present.
- Light: Full sun to part shade Water: Medium Soil: Well-drained Zones: 3-8
Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
If you want to see more butterflies by your house, a milkweed plant on your patio can do just this. Swamp milkweed (pictured) is a clump-forming plant commonly found in swamps, river bottomlands, and wet meadows in Missouri. Great for low spots or other moist areas, swamp milkweed serves as a key food source for the larval stage of Monarch butterflies.
- Light: Full sun Water: Medium to wet Soil: Wet to well-draining Zones: 3-6
Lantana (Lantana camara)
Lantana blooms are small but come in bright and noticeable pinks, yellows, reds, purples, and even mixed colors on a single plant. They are native to the tropics and definitely have that look. These are popular plants to use in containers and when mixed with others.
- Light: Full sun Water: Medium Soil: Well-drained Zones: Annual or 10-11
Geranium (Pelargonium × hortorum)
Geraniums are reliable, easy to grow, and even drought-resistant. They are popular for containers and hanging baskets and have a long bloom season from early spring into fall. Hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees all love geraniums, so they help bring more life into your garden, too.
- Light: Full sun to part shadeWater: Medium Soil: Well-drained Zones: Annual or 10-11
Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum)
Chrysanthemums, commonly known as garden mums, are most popular in fall but can also thrive in spring and summer. They are considered short-day plants because their flowering response is triggered by the length of the days in late summer.
- Light: Full sun Water: Medium Soil: Well-draining Zones: 5-9
Pansies (Viola × wittrockiana)
Resilient and easy to care for, pansies are an excellent choice for patios from spring through fall, whether you have sun or shade. They really do well for handling cold weather, which is why you’ll often see them at the beginning and end of the growing season. Pansies are available in multiple colors and can be bicolored. Grow them on their own or with other plants.
- Light: Full sun to part shade Water: Medium Soil: Well-draining Zones: Annual
Elephant Ear (Colocasia)
Elephant ear plants really live up to their name. The giant foliage can grow up to six feet wide and high. Grow it in a pot (a big one) to create a tropical space on your patio. At the end of the season, save the bulb to overwinter and try growing it next year.
- Light: Full sun to part shade Water: Medium to wet Soil: Fertile, rich soil Zones: 8-10
