Add These 13 Flowers to Your Outdoor Planters for Summer-Long Color

Azalea Autumn Starburst

For a summertime bloom with big impact, go for a compact flowering shrub, like azalea. "These larger plants are stunning in large pots, adding gravitas with their stature and bringing curb appeal that can be seen from the street," says Kip McConnell, business development director for Southern Living Plant Collection.

While not all azaleas are suitable for container planting, dwarf varieties, like Encore Azalea Autumn Starburst, will thrive in this setting. This bi-color re-blooming beauty stuns with its white and coral blooms from spring through fall.

• Zones: 6 to 10
• Size: 3 feet tall x 3.5 feet wide
• Care requirements: Full sun; acidic, well-draining soil

Heart Throb Hydrangea

Another compact grower that thrives in containers, this hydrangea variety has showy blooms that will add seasonal color to your planters. "With flowers that shift color across the seasons, it makes for a stunning summertime display," McConnell says.

• Zones: 5 to 9
• Size: 3 feet tall x 3 feet wide
• Care requirements: Full to partial shade; well-draining soil

Ever Amethyst Agapanthus

A semi-dwarf bloom, Ever Amethyst is ideal for attracting birds and butterflies to your yard. The flower blooms and re-blooms with multiple spikes of vibrant purple flowers. "For bold color and an unusual, firework-like bloom in summer, agapanthus is a showstopper," McConnell says. "These towering flowers offer masses of super-saturated blue, white, or purple flowers atop slender stems."

• Zones: 8 to 11
• Size: 2 feet tall x 2 feet wide
• Care requirements: Partial sun; well-draining soil

Crape Myrtle

Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia) isn't just for sprawling landscapes—these flowering trees are also available in semi-dwarf varieties you can plant in containers for a pop of color. One smaller variety to try is Delta Jazz Crapemyrtle, which has a unique crown filled with curved, deep burgundy leaves that create a stunning backdrop for the star of the summer show: brilliant pink blooms, says Linda Vater of Southern Living Plant Collection.

• Zones: 7 to 9
• Size: 8 to 12 feet tall x 4 to 6 feet wide (container varieties)
• Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-draining soil

Chinese Fringe Flower

Enhance the color in your containers with this evergreen shrub, which is the perfect pick to anchor your other plantings. The striking deep pink/purple foliage of Chinese fringe flower (Loropetalum Chinese) will hold its color well into fall when the last summer blooms are long gone. Look for dwarf varieties, which will work well in containers.

• Zones: 7 to 9
• Size: 6 to 8 feet tall x 6 to 8 feet wide
• Care requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil

Tuberous Begonias

Tuberous begonias (Tuberosa group), which are perennials often planted as annuals, make for a great container addition. Their big, rose-like flowers add a powerful punch alone in a small planter and are even more striking when mixed with other shade lovers. Keep tuberous begonia in bright but indirect light and water sparingly or as needed. Remove tired flowers as they fade and any wilted leaves that appear.

• Zones: 9 to 11
• Size: 6 to 12 inches tall x 12 to 18 inches wide
• Care requirements: Full to partial sun; well-draining soil

Asiatic Lilies

Lilies (Lilium) provide a vertical element to containers and are easy to pair with annual filler plants. There are a few different varieties of lilies, including Asiatic, which are the earliest to bloom and easiest to care for. "For people who find the typical lily fragrance too strong, these have little to no scent," says Peggy Anne Montgomery, horticulturist with FlowerBulbs.com.

• Zones: 4 to 8
• Size: 2 to 6 feet tall x 4 to 6 inches wide
• Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-draining soil

Dahlias

While many summer bloomers tend to fade in late summer, dahlias really shine and will color gardens through fall, says Montgomery. These plants come in every color and shape imaginable, from low-growing varieties to those with dinner plate-sized blooms. "They are the late summer and fall garden divas and make exceptionally long-lasting cut flowers," she says. "Pay close attention to the height on the plant tag. Smaller varieties are perfect for containers."

• Zones: 8 to 10
• Size: 1 to 6 feet tall x 2 feet wide
• Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-draining soil

Calla Lilies

Cala lilies (Zantedeschia aethiopica) have a sophisticated yet exotic appearance that will add interest to your summer planters. "New varieties flower in nearly every color, including the deepest shades of purple to almost black," says Montgomery. "While they might not be hardy in much of the United States, they can be dug and stored in the fall or simply used as annuals." Cala lilies bloom for about eight weeks after being planted.

• Zones: 9 to 10
• Size: 12 to 36 inches tall x 10 to 24 inches wide
• Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-draining soil

Canna Lilies

Canna lilies are the perfect addition to large containers. "Extravagantly large foliage, in gorgeous shades of red, orange, bronze, and multi-colors, canna lilies are perennial flowers that thrive in the heat of July and August," says Montgomery. "Despite the common name, they are not related to lilies, but it’s easy to see they are family members of bananas and gingers."

• Zones: 8 to 11
• Size: 4 to 7 feet tall x 2 feet wide
• Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; moist soil

Coppertips

Coppertips (Crocosmia) are excellent small bulbs to plant in summer containers. "They put up tall, thin stems and leaves that will grow up through the containers' annuals without crowding them," says Montgomery. "Then, in mid-summer, they deliver a surprise of shocking red, orange, or yellow flowers to the delight of hummingbirds." Plant them beneath your annuals in mixed containers.

• Zones: 5 to 9
• Size: 2 to 3 feet tall x 1 to 2 feet wide
• Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-draining soil

Abelia

Abelia is a low-maintenance shrub that thrives in containers. "Unlike many flowering plants that fade in the summer heat, abelia is a blooming machine, with continuous blooms throughout the summer into early fall," says Vater. For a compact variety, try Suntastic Peach Abelia, which has vivid pink, white, and green variegated foliage and white tubular flowers.

• Zones: 6 to 10
• Size: 2 to 3 feet tall x 3 to 5 feet wide
• Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-draining soil

Gardenia

Gardenias have an intoxicating fragrance and stunning white blooms contrasted by picture-perfect evergreen foliage. "Gardenias are the epitome of summer sophistication, with a lush green backdrop that spotlights their captivating blooms," says Vater. "Their sweet scent creates a truly indulgent summer ambiance."

• Zones: 7 to 10
• Size: 3 to 4 feet tall x 3 to 4 feet wide
• Care requirements: Full sun; organically rich, acidic, well-draining soil