Container Gardening with Native Plants (2024)

Alternative Plant Choices

Thrillers

Commonly called Ozarkbluestaror shining blue star. A clump-forming plant that features pyramidal clustersofsoft light blue flowers. Grows 2-3’ tall.

Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Height: 2.00 to 3.00 fee

Grows best in moist soil in full sun or light shade. Greenish yellow to brown seed heads look like spiked clubs. Grows to 2-3’ tall. Fruits remain on plant in winter. Grass-like leaves are semi-evergreen.

Sun:Full sun to part shade
Water:Medium to wet
Height:2.00 to 3.00 feet

Grows in full sun to part shade.A compact, dense, rounded shrub which typically grows 2-3’ tall. Cylindrical clusters of tiny, fragrant,white flowers appear on long stalk in late spring. Dried leaves were used as a tea substitute in American Revolutionary War times.

Sun:Full sun to part shade
Water:Dry to medium
Height:3.00 to 4.00 feet

Likes moist to wet soils in part shade. This species of turtlehead is stiffly erect and typically grows 2-3' tall. Snapdragon-like white flowers tinged with pink bloom from late summer into autumn.

Sun:Part shade
Water:Medium to wet
Height:2.00 to 3.00 feet

Best grown in moist soils in full sun to part shade. Hooded, snapdragon-like, deep rose flowers appear in late summer into autumn reaching 2-3' tall.

Sun:Full sun to part shade
Water:Medium to wet
Height:2.00 to 3.00 feet

Likes full sun and dry, sandy soils. Features bristly-edged, sword-shapedleaves that resemble yucca plants.Whitish flower heads appear in tight clusters atop stiff stems typically rising to 3-4’.

Sun:Full sun
Water:Dry to medium
Height:4.00 to 5.00 feet

Likes fertile, slightly acidic, consistently moistsoilin full sun. Tolerates part shade.Commonly called copper iris because of the unusual copper color of its flowersthatappear in late spring.

Sun:Full sun to part shade
Water:Medium to wet
Height:2.00 to 3.00 feet

Typically growing 2-4’ tall, thisliatrisspecies is the tallest in cultivation. It features rounded, fluffy, deep rose-purple flower heads atopthickly leafed, rigid flower stalks.Blooms in summer.

Sun:Full sun
Water:Dry to medium
Height:2.00 to 5.00 feet

Grows inhummus, medium to wet soils in full sun to part shade. Needs constant moisture. Features cardinal red flowers on stalks rising typically to a height of 2-3’. White androse-coloredforms are alsoavailable.

Sun:Full sun to part shade
Water:Medium to wet
Height:2.00 to 4.00 feet

Grown in full sun to part shade. Typically grows 3-5’ tall and features daisy-like flowers with yellow rays and dark brownishpurple center disks on branched stems. Long summer-to-early-fall bloom period.

Sun:Full sun to part shade
Water:Medium
Height:3.00 to 5.00 feet

Grown in full sun. Tolerates heat and humidity. This ornamental grass grows 2-4’ tall with slender green leaveswith a tinge of blue at the base. Purplishbronze flowers appear on stems rising above the foliage in August.Attractive seed heads and bronze foliage color lastinto late fall.

Sun:Full sun
Water:Dry to medium
Height:2.00 to 4.00 feet

Easily grown in full sun. A vigorous, clump-forming perennial with gray-green leaves and stems. Grows to 2-4’ tall and features blue-purple flowers. Flowers are densely packed and bloom a few at a time from bottom to top, May to September.

Sun:Full sun
Water:Dry to medium
Height:2.00 to 4.00 feet

Grows in full sun to part shade. Features flat-topped clusters of tiny yellow flowers in late spring atop stems growing to 3’ tall. Has simple, heart-shaped basal leaves.It is alarval food sourcefor the Missouri woodland swallowtail butterfly (Papiliojoanae).

Sun:Full sun to part shade
Water:Medium
Height:1.50 to 3.00 feet

Fillers
	Allium cernuum nodding onion Bulb Easily grown in average, dry to medium soil in full sun to light shade. Plants typically grow 12-18” tall.Clumps featurenarrow, grass-like leavesand tinypink (to lilac)bell-shaped flowers which appear in loose, nodding clusters. Blooms in summer. Sun:Full sun to part shade Water:Dry to medium Height:1.00 to 1.50 feet
	Antennaria parlinii puss* toes Herbaceous perennial Grows in full sun to part shade. One of the few native Missouri plants which grows well in dry, shady locations. Non-showy, fuzzy, whitish flower heads bloom in early spring. Flowers are crowded into terminal clusters. Commonly called puss*toes because of the supposed resemblance of each tight flower cluster to the soft pads of a cat’s paw.Great addition to trough gardens. Sun:Full sun to part shade Water:Dry to medium Height:0.50 to 1.00 feet
	Aquilegia canadensis columbine Herbaceous perennial Wide range of soil toleranceifdrainage isprovided. Prefers light to moderate shade. Features drooping, bell-like, red and yellow flowers. Delicate foliage remains attractive throughout the summerifsoils are kept moist. Flowers are quite attractive to hummingbirds. Sun:Full sun to part shade Water:Medium Height:2.00 to 3.00 feet
	Carex albicans oak sedge Rush or Sedge Part to full shadebut will grow in full sun.Featuresdainty, grass-like, bright green leaf blades. Flowers bloom in late spring on stems rising to as much as 20” tall. Sun:Part shade to full shade Water:Medium Height:1.00 to 1.50 feet
	Coreopsis lanceolata lanceleaf coreopsis Herbaceous perennial Grows in full sun. Prompt deadheading of spent flower stalks encourages additional bloom. Typically grows to 2' tall. Features solitary, yellow, daisy-like flowers with flat yellow center disks.Blooms in summer. Sun:Full sun Water:Dry to medium Height:1.00 to 2.00 feet
	Cuphea viscosissima blue waxweed Annual An annual best grown in full sun. Plant new seeds in containers each year around the time of the last spring frost date. Produces purplishred flowers from July to Octoberroughly10-20” tall that are attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds. Sun:Full sun Water:Medium Height:1.00 to 2.00 feet
	Echinacea angustifolia coneflower Herbaceous perennial An adaptable plant that is tolerant of heat and humidity. Removal of spent flowers promotes reblooming. Grows 1-2’ tall on rigid, upright, hairy stems. Flowers feature light pink to pale purple petals with orange-brown center cones. Blooms in June and July.Goldfinches are attracted to the seeds. Sun:Full sun Water:Dry to medium Height:1.00 to 2.00 feet
	Geranium maculatum wild geranium Herbaceous perennial Grows in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist,hummussoils. Forms a mound of foliage that grows to 24” tall and 18” widewithpink to lilac flowers in spring. Sun:Full sun to part shade Water:Medium Height:1.50 to 2.00 feet
	Helenium flexuosum purple-headed sneezeweed Herbaceous perennial Easily grown in full sun. Avoid overfertilization which may cause plants to grow too tall.Cut back in May-early June to reduce plant height and to encourage branching and more flowers. An erect, clump-forming plant that branches near the top.Typically grows 1-3’ tall.Daisy-like flowers (to 1.5” across) with drooping, bright yellow rays and brownishpurple center disks.Blooms from summer to fall. Sun:Full sun Water:Medium to wet Height:1.00 to 3.00 feet
	Helianthus occidentalis willow-leafed sunflower Herbaceous perennial Grows in full sun.One of the shortest of the many native sunflowers. Basal leaves form a 4-8” foliage clump. Sunflowers with orange-yellow rays and yellow disks appear on stiff flower stems 2-3’ tall.Blooms from mid-summer to fall. Sun:Full sun Water:Dry to medium Height:2.00 to 4.00 feet
	Heucheraparvifloravar.puberula littlefloweralumroot Herbaceous perennial Best grown in organically rich soils in full sun to part shade. Best foliage color may occur in sunny spots with some afternoon shade. Foliage grows in a basal mound to 12” tall with slender flowering stems that rise to 18”. White to pink flowers appear from late July to September.. Sun:Full sun to part shade Water:Medium Height:0.75 to 1.00 feet
	Heuchera richardsonii alum root Herbaceous perennial Best grown in full sun to part shade. Features a 12-18" tall basal clump of heart-shaped green leaves. Tiny, greenish, bell-shaped flowers develop in open, airy panicles on slender, wiry stems to a height of 18-24" in spring to early summer. Sun:Full sun to part shade Water:Dry to medium Height:1.00 to 2.00 feet
	Iris cristata crested iris Herbaceous perennial Best grown in moist, well-drained soils in part shade. Will tolerate close to full shade. Pale blue, lilac,or lavender iris flowers with gold crests on the falls are borne on very short stems. Narrow, sword-shaped, medium green leaves arise from a network of branching rhizomes. Sun:Full sun to part shade Water:Medium Height:0.50 to 0.75 feet
	Maianthemum stellatum falsesolomon’sseal Herbaceous perennial Best grown in part shade. Plants grow to 10-20” tall on an arching single stem. Each is topped in May-Junewithwhite to greenish-white star-shaped flowers.Fruits mature from green with blue-black stripes to blackish-red to black. Sun:Part shade Water:Medium Height:1.00 to 2.00 feet
	Polemonium reptans Jacob’s ladder Herbaceous perennial Likes moist, well-drained soil in part shade. Typically grows to 12” tall.Features light blue, bell-shaped flowers in loose, terminal clusters on weak stems in mid to late spring.Oval leaflets are arranged like the rungs of a ladder. Sun:Full sun to part shade Water:Medium Height:1.00 to 1.50 feet
	Pycnanthemum tenuifolium slender mountain mist Herbaceous perennial Easily grown in average well-drained soil in full sun to part shade.This erect, many-branched perennial grows 2-3’ tall with needle-like leaves and profuse clusters of small, white flowers. Blooms in late summer. Sun:Full sun to part shade Water:Dry to medium Height:2.00 to 3.00 feet
	Rudbeckiamissouriensis Missouri Coneflower Herbaceous perennial Easily grown in dry to medium, well-drained soil in full sun. Typically grows 2-3’ tall and features daisy-like flowers with yellow rays and black center disks on branched stems. Blooms from summer to early fall. Sun:Full sun Water:Dry to medium Height:2.00 to 3.00 feet
	Symphyotrichum oblongifolium aromatic aster Herbaceous perennial Grows best in full sun. A bushy, compact plant with hairy stems. Forms mound 1-2’ tall with small daisy-like flowerswithviolet blue rays and yellow center disks. Blue-green leaves are fragrant when crushed. Sun:Full sun Water:Dry to medium Height:1.00 to 3.00 feet

Spillers

Features two downy, heart-shaped to kidney-shaped, dark green leaves. Cup-shaped, purplish brown flowers appear in spring on short, ground-level stems. Flowers are attractive but bloom singly on or near the ground, usually hidden by the foliage.

Sun:Part shade to full shade
Water:Medium to wet
Height:0.50 to 1.00 feet

Grows in medium-moisture, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. A small-fruited, wild strawberry. It forms a compact, stemless, 4-8” tall plant that spreads by runners. Small, 5-petaled white flowers with yellow centers appear throughout summer.

Sun:Full sun to part shade
Water:Medium
Height:0.25 to 0.75 feet

Grows in well-drained soils in full sun. It is a clumping, sprawling plant that grows to 6-18” tall. Flat-topped clusters of 5-petaled, rose-pink to rose-purple flowers appear atop stems in late spring to late summer.

Sun:Full sun
Water:Dry to medium
Height:0.50 to 1.50 feet

Can be grown in well-drained soil in lightshade butperforms best in full sun. A mat-forming phlox that grows to only 6” tall and spreads by trailing. Produces pale blue to almost white flowers in spring.

Sun:Full sun to part shade
Water:Dry to medium
Height:0.25 to 0.50 feet

Grows in full sun to part shade. Prefershummus, slightly acidic soil. An ornamental, strawberry-like plant. Mat-forming growth habit which spreads by runners and will spill over the rim of the container. Features 5-petaled yellow flowers which bloom singly or in clusters in spring. Foliage is evergreen. Fruits are inedible.

Sun:Full sun to part shade
Water:Medium
Height:0.25 to 0.50 feet