Top Patio Plants for a Vibrant Outdoor Space Full Guide of 2023

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Transform your outdoor space with the right patio plants! If you’re looking to add a vibrant touch to your patio, then look no further than these top 20 picks for an extraordinary display.

From low-maintenance succulents and colorful petunias, to majestic palms and shrubby roses, there’s something here for everyone.

And don’t worry about having green thumbs; most of these lovely plants are easy enough even for beginner gardeners.

Patio Plants for Vibrant Outdoor Spaces

With patio plant options from petite ground covers to tall privacy screens, you’ll want to start by considering low-maintenance varieties that can thrive with minimal care. For feeding and watering, using efficient irrigation, fertilizing regularly, and providing good drainage will help patio plants flourish in outdoor spaces all season long.

Best Low-maintenance Patio Plants

You’ll find choosing low-maintenance options like the compact Drift Peach Rose or drought-tolerant Sweetheart Patio Cherry Tomato can provide vibrant color and yield without demanding constant care for your outdoor space.

• Cacti
• Bird of Paradise
• Strawberry plants
• Herbs like rosemary and thyme
• Succulents

Patio plants with low water and maintenance needs allow you more time to relax and enjoy your outdoor living space. Selecting compact, drought-tolerant varieties suited to containers simplifies upkeep.

With smart plant choices, you can create a vibrant oasis requiring minimal effort.

Good Tall Patio Plants

Towering over your garden, these tall and majestic additions bring a sense of grandeur to any landscape.

Tall Patio Plants Ideas	Why They Work	Care Tips
Climbing roses	Romantic, fragrant blooms	Full sun, prune in winter
Clematis vine	Showy flowers in summer	Partial sun, keep roots cool
Mandevilla	Exotic trumpet-shaped blooms all season	Full sun, protect from frost
Jasmine	Fragrant white blooms	Full sun to partial shade
Honeysuckle	Sweetly scented vines	Full sun to light shade

Choose vertical patio plants wisely for stunning height in small spaces. Proper placement and care will yield beautiful results.

Feeding and Watering Patio Plants

It’s essential to regularly fertilize with plant food and use drip irrigation for efficient watering of your patio plant collection. Invest in a drip system to target root zones. Water early in the mornings before heat builds up.

Feed containers monthly with slow-release pellets or diluted liquid fertilizer. Vary applications based on specific needs. Group thirsty plants together. Install self-watering pots like Earthboxes for traveling.

Consistency keeps roots healthy and plants thriving in the outdoor garden space you curated.

Begonias

Sparkling petals alight your soul as begonias bloom beneath the warm sun. With over 1,000 species, these colorful, shade-loving plants bring eye-catching texture and charm to your patio, deck, or balcony.

• Planted in containers, begonias thrive in bright, indirect light on the porch or under eaves.
• Look for varieties like Dragon Wing Red, Pink Bronze Leaf, and Nonstop Orange that suit your style.
• Attract alluring pollinators like hummingbirds and butterflies with these beauties.

Bring a bold begonia arrangement to your outdoor space, drawing your attention to nature’s wonder. Let vibrant hues mingle amidst intriguing leaves, kindling your inner light as you connect with the beauty around you.

Caladium (Angel Wings)

You’ll feel transported to the tropics when angel wings caladium unfurl their brilliant leaves in shaded garden nooks. With heart-shaped foliage available in vivid hues of pink, red, white, and green, these tropical beauties lend a splash of color and whimsy.

Though most caladiums thrive in shade and moist soils, Angel Wings varieties tolerate more sun if properly acclimated. Give them rich organic matter for strong growth. This low maintenance plant spreads steadily, making it ideal for borders or adding charm beneath trees.

Caladium’s tubers must be lifted and stored dormant over winter in zones below 9, then replanted each spring. For endless enjoyment, propagate Angel Wings by dividing tubers. With so many mesmerizing leaf patterns and luminous colors to choose from, these exotic Elephant Ears will bring the allure of paradise right to your patio.

Citrus

Have you considered planting citrus trees on your patio for long flowering and fruiting? With the right care and conditions, wouldn’t growing your own lemons, limes, and oranges be so rewarding?

With proper sun exposure, irrigation, soil nutrition, and pest prevention, you can experience the joy of homegrown citrus right outside your door. Just imagine plucking fresh fruit for cocktails or cooking whenever you crave it.

Gerbera

You’ll delight over a pot brimming with colorful gerbera daisies on your patio this summer. These cheerful beauties thrive with simple care – ensuring continuous bloom in vibrant shades.

Explore the many varieties to find your perfect match, like the elegant Gerbera Revolution. Check the soil stays moist but doesn’t get soaked. Pinch off spent blooms to keep your gerbera flowering strong.

Position gerberas in a sunny spot protected from harsh afternoon sun and wind. Enjoy these flowers as bouquets or floating in a bowl. For easy propagation, divide gerbera clumps in spring before planting the new shoots.

Their bright hues pair perfectly with other patio plants like marigolds or succulents for an eye-catching display.

Hostas

Hostas create beauty as your boogie-woogie bomber planes of eye-catching greenery. These shade-loving perennials offer textured foliage and long-lasting color to enrich patio plantings.

• Hosta varieties come in wide-leaf, narrow-leaf, blue-green, gold, and variegated forms.
• Look for mini hostas like ‘Cat’s Eye’ for container gardens.
• ‘Komodo Dragon’ and ‘Empress Wu’ provide dramatic large leaves.
• Foliage ranges from chartreuse to deep blue-green.

Petunias

Petunias are ready to take your patio garden’s visual interest in a fresh direction! While hostas deliver lush textures, petunias offer a vibrant burst of floral colors.

Variety	Height	Spread	Uses
Wave Series	6-12	24-36	Cascading from containers
Supertunia	12-15	24-36	Hanging baskets, mixing
Surfinia	6-12	24-36	Groundcover, edges, spiller

Feed and deadhead spent flowers regularly for nonstop tones. Pair with sweet alyssum, million bells, violas and more for stunning combinations. With proper sunlight, water and care, petunias will thrive prolifically all season long.

Go bold or mellow with pastels – the options are limitless! You’ll love seeing your patio transform into a vibrant floral artwork.

Pieris

Take note that pieris are deer-resistant perennials suitable for your patio. The Japanese andromeda, also known as pieris, are hardy evergreen shrubs prized for their showy spring flowers and attractive foliage.

Popular pieris varieties like ‘Mountain Fire’ and ‘Little Heath’ offer vibrant red new growth that intensifies into the summer.

Give pieris bright shade to maintain the best foliage color. These shrubs thrive in organically rich, acidic soil and require pruning after flowering to promote new growth. Their shallow root system makes pieris ideal candidates for patio planters and mixed containers.

Top dress with pine needles to boost acidity. Monitor for pests like lace bugs and scale. With proper care, pieris offer enduring structure and seasonal interest on your patio.

Roses

Select repeat-blooming rose varieties to maximize flowers from spring through fall. Prepare the soil by mixing in compost or manure to improve drainage and nutrients. Plant bare-root or container roses in full sun, allowing plenty of space between plants for air circulation.

Water roses consistently, providing 1-2 inches per week. Fertilize monthly with rose food or balanced organic options. Prune roses in late winter, removing dead wood and shaping the bush. Monitor for common rose pests like aphids and treat organically when spotted.

With the right care, roses will perfume your patio with their romantic, nostalgic charm.

Choose fragrant varieties like hybrid teas and floribundas to scent your outdoor living space. Pair pots of roses with herbs, strawberries and colorful patio plants for a lush, vibrant effect.

Succulents

Hardiness and low moisture needs make succulents ideal patio plants for your outdoor space. Group succulents together in bright outdoor locations to create a showy drought-tolerant display. Their sculptural forms and varied textures make them perfect for planters, hanging baskets, fairy gardens, and rock gardens.

Choose rosette-forming varieties like Echeveria and Aeonium or trailing succulents such as String of Pearls and Burro’s Tail for patio containers. Mix heights, colors, and leaf shapes for visual interest. Succulent care is easy with proper soil, drainage, and infrequent watering.

Let the soil dry out between light soakings. Trim back leggy growth in late winter.

Succulents thrive outdoors with sunshine and well-draining soil. Explore endless succulent varieties to elevate your patio.

Viola

You’d think violas were pansies with their need for constant watering and daily deadheading.

• Extreme cold hardiness down to freezing temps
• Self-seeding so plants spread
• Fragrant, edible flowers

Give violas afternoon shade in hot climates. Water when soil feels dry. Deadhead to prolong bloom, but allow some flowers to go to seed. Choose poly-faced pots to prevent roots from overheating. Pair violas with cool season edibles like lettuces, spinach, and radish.

They’re also great underplantings for azaleas and rhododendrons. Let violas self-sow and enjoy these cheery flowers as they pop up in walkways and borders.

Kalanchoe

Feeling down? Embrace the beauty of Kalanchoe’s vibrant flowers to refresh your spirit on the patio.

With over 125 species, Kalanchoe offers a stunning array of colors like red, orange, pink, purple, and white to lift your mood. For prolific flowering, provide bright light and well-drained soil. Water when the top inch is dry.

Propagate new plants from leaf cuttings and plantlets that form along the leaf margin.

Give this succulent a haircut after blooming to encourage reblooming. Protect it from common diseases like powdery mildew.

Discover inner tranquility gazing upon Kalanchoe’s cheery flowers and appreciate its symbolism of perseverance.

Croton

Monitor Croton’s light exposure obsessively to maintain radioactive colors. My friend, your spectacular Crotons crave sunlight like a diva craves attention. Carefully acclimate these beauties to full, direct light over a few weeks, easing them from the shadows of winter.

Too much sun too fast will bleach their brilliant hues. Varieties like ‘Petra’ and ‘Gold Dust’ dazzle with wildly vivid yellows, oranges, reds, pinks, and purples when saturated with light.

Use free-draining potting mix, provide ample water in summer, and feed monthly. Light pruning in spring shapes Crotons, though leaves may drop temporarily when disturbed. Give them a sunny patio corner and watch them glow neon! With the right care, these dynamic divas will stop traffic as they shine in the spotlight.

Dracaena

Transitioning from crotons, here’s how to elevate your outdoor space with lovely dracaenas. These bold houseplants shine on patios with their colorful foliage. Luckily, dracaena care is a breeze in the right conditions.

Give dracaenas bright, filtered light indoors and dappled outdoor shade. Water when the top inch dries out and mist often.

Choose dracaena varieties like Dracaena fragrans ‘Massangeana’ for dramatic yellow striped leaves or Dracaena marginata for purple-red edges.

Propagate new plants from stem cuttings. With basic dracaena care, these easygoing plants will certainly elevate your patio’s design.

Majesty Palm

Stay keen, Majesty palms need plenty bright, indirect light and specific soil to flourish in your patio.

Place this tropical beauty where it catches morning or late day sun, shielding from intense midday rays. Use an enriched, fast-draining potting medium—like peat, perlite and pine bark—for healthy roots.

This versatile container plant grows up to 40 feet in nature, but stays a manageable 4-6 feet in pots before needing dividing. Ensure enough water to keep soil consistently moist, not soggy. Allow the top inch to dry between thorough soakings.

Apply controlled release palm fertilizer twice yearly to nurture it. With ideal conditions and care, Majesty palm’s regal, fan-shaped fronds and compact habit grace your patio or deck with exotic tropical allure.

Fuchsia

Pop those vibrant fuchsias everywhere outside so your patio explodes with more color than a fireworks grand finale on the Fourth of July. These carefree beauties thrive in pots or garden beds. Simply provide well-draining soil, partial shade, and ample water.

Prune back leggy growth in early spring. Propogate by taking 4-6” cuttings in summer.

Give your patio maximum flower power with prolific fuchsias. Let them lend whimsy and wonder to your outdoor oasis.

Ornamental Grasses

Your ornamental grasses add great texture and movement to the outdoor space. Varieties like switch grass, fountain grass, and maiden grass provide visual interest with their wispy foliage and feathery plumes.

Set against hardscape elements, these flowing grasses contrast beautifully with the straight lines of walls and walkways.

With care, ornamental grasses will enhance your landscape for years to come. Your favorites might include:

Variety	Height	Color
Switch Grass	3-5 ft	Blue-green
Fountain Grass	2-3 ft	Green with pink tips
Maiden Grass	4-6 ft	Green with silver plumes
Pampas Grass	6-10 ft	White plumes

The key is choosing the right grass for the right location, then following seasonal maintenance tips to keep them looking their best.

Hydrangea

Let’s get those gorgeous hydrangeas thriving on your patio!

Hydrangeas love morning sun and afternoon shade. Group them with other acid-loving plants like azaleas and rhododendrons.

1. Give them rich, moist, acidic soil. Amend with compost and aluminum sulfate if needed.
2. Prune established plants in late winter. Remove spent blooms and any crossing branches.
3. Change flower color! Pink indicates alkaline soil while blue flowers show acidity.

With the right conditions, these easy-care shrubs will reward you with huge, colorful blooms all season long. Hydrangeas make a statement in containers or planted beds. Let their billowy flowers be the focal point of your outdoor space.

Lobelia

Don’t be like the delicate lobelia that wilts with the slightest annoyance – persevere in the face of adversity! Lobelia contains over 300 species in a rainbow of colors perfect for borders, beds, and hanging baskets.

Give these carefree beauties filtered sun, average moisture, and well-draining soil. Deadhead spent blooms to encourage more flowers. Try the Compact Blue variety in containers or English lobelia in shades of blue, pink, purple and white for hanging baskets.

For unique foliage, explore L. cardinalis or Fan lobelia. Lobelia readily self-seeds, making them a charming addition year after year. Though delicate in appearance, lobelia blossoms continuously from spring to frost, unfazed by summer’s heat.

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Torenia

Now for a lovely addition to your patio containers – the charming Torenia! You’ll enjoy this carefree beauty’s vibrant trumpet-shaped blooms in shades of blue, violet, pink, and white.

Torenia thrives in partial shade to full sun and moist, well-draining soil. Some choice varieties include Summerwave blue, Catalina blue eyes, and Duchess satin pink. Torenia care is simple – just keep evenly moist and pinch back for continual flowering.

With its delicate flowers and easy maintenance, Torenia adds graceful color to garden beds, window boxes, and hanging baskets.

Berries

Your strawberry plants will thrive in tall pots on the patio, producing sweet berries all summer long. Select ever-bearing varieties like Tristar or Seascape for continuous harvest through summer and fall.

Use at least a 12 deep container for the spreading roots and line the bottom with landscape fabric to prevent soil from leaking. A strawberry planter with pockets lets you divide different varieties for a longer berry season.

Add compost and slow-release fertilizer when first potting up your plants. Then feed monthly with a water-soluble fertilizer like Bonnie Plant Food. Keep the soil consistently moist. Mulch around your berry plants to retain water and prevent diseases.

And don’t forget to sample the juicy fruits of your labor – homegrown strawberries are simply divine! For more patio berry ideas, try planting compact blueberry bushes like Top Hat or Sunshine Blue. Their bushy shape looks attractive in pots while the berries provide a nutritional superfood.

Raspberry canes and blackberry bushes can also be grown in large containers if properly pruned and supported.

Aglaonema

Aglaonemas’ striking foliage makes them gorgeous additions to your outdoor living area.

• ‘Silver Queen’ has dramatic silver and green striped leaves with pink undersides.
• ‘Black Lance’ has slender dark green leaves with silver veins.
• ‘Maria’ has showy white stripes on glossy green leaves.
• ‘Crete’ has bold gray-green leaves with silvery edges.
• ‘Red Emerald’ has rich burgundy-red leaves.

Whether in pots or under shade trees, aglaonemas dazzle with exotic leaf patterns and colors while tolerating both bright and low light. Keep soil moist in summer; allow to dry between waterings in winter when grown outdoors.

Around fifteen tropical aglaonema varieties thrive in dappled sun, enriching your outdoor space with their wild-grown beauty. Let your inner landscape designer shine by combining aglaonemas’ vibrant hues with your architecture and outdoor decor.

Angelonia

The heat-resistant Serena angelonia blooms all season long when you give it full sun and regular watering. Though technically a perennial in zones 8-11, this versatile plant thrives in containers and garden beds across a range of growing zones.

Its airy spikes of purple, lavender, and white add delicate color to sunny spots. For optimal growth, provide fertile, well-drained soil and deadhead spent blooms. Give it afternoon shade in extremely hot climates. Water when the top inch of soil feels dry and feed monthly with a balanced fertilizer.

Its versatility and low-maintenance nature make Serena angelonia a pleasing choice. Choose compact Crested varieties like Angelface for containers. Properly cared for, angelonia offers nonstop flowers to give your garden a touch of the tropics.

Cherry Tomatoes

Grow sweet bursts of cherry tomatoes right outside the kitchen! Planting cherry tomato varieties brings the taste of summer right to your patio or balcony. Select compact, container-friendly cultivars like Sun Gold, Sweet Million, or Sweet 100.

• Full sun exposure (6+ hours)
• Rich, well-draining soil
• Even moisture – water at base, avoid wetting leaves
• Support from cages, stakes, or trellises
• Occasional feeding with all-purpose fertilizer

For best results, choose disease-resistant plants from local nurseries and plant after chance of frost. Pinch off suckers and lower leaves periodically. Harvest ripe cherry tomatoes frequently for continuous production through summer.