25 Proven Winners® Perennials that make a Statement in a Container

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Deco Containers are for more than just Annuals

Perennials are the rugged workhorses of the landscape, but have the underused ability to occupy so many more roles in the garden. This 'Eye Spy' Heucherella will brighten any shady deck corner all season long. Can you picture it doing the same in your yard? Here are a 25 perennials that command attention in the container, all by themselves.

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FUN AND GAMES® 'Eye Spy' Heucherella

Height: 8-10" | Width: 16-20" | Exposure: Part - Full Shade | Zones: 4-9

An excellent combination of bright chartreuse leaves and bubblegum pink flower, 'Eye Spy' will add interest all season long

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PRIMO® 'Black Pearl' Heuchera

Height: 8-10" | Width: 18-20" | Exposure: Full Sun - Full Shade | Zones: 4-9

This versatile dark beauty will stun in full sun or full shade. The leaves will be their darkest in full sun, but the plant will require more moisture than if it were placed in shade.

PRIMO® Heuchera are larger than their DOLCE® companions; both the size of the plant and the size of the individual leaves.

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PRIMO® 'Wild Rose' Heuchera

Height: 8-10" | Width: 18-20" | Exposure: Full Sun - Full Shade | Zones: 4-9

Matching the size of 'Black Pearl', 'Wild Rose' has rosy purple leaves with dark veining. Place 'Wild Rose' in filtered shade from the best color with the least work.

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DOLCE® 'Cherry Truffles' Heuchera

Height: 8-10" | Width: 26-30" | Exposure: Full Sun - Full Shade | Zones: 4-9

This ruffled variety is at its brightest in early summer and displays better sun tolerance than most red Heuchera. 'Cherry Truffles' belongs to the moderately sized DOLCE® series.

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DOLCE® 'Spearmint' Heuchera

Height: 8-10" | Width: 26-30" | Exposure: Full Sun - Full Shade | Zones: 4-9

'Spearmint' combines frosted green leaves with an impressive blooming performance. Unlike older varieties which bloomed only for a short period of time and had wild flower scapes, 'Spearmint' blooms continuously on upright scapes with flowers that dry red to the stems for an extended season of color.

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DOLCE® 'Apple Twist' Heuchera

Height: 10-12" | Width: 20-24" | Exposure: Part - Full Shade | Zones: 4-9

This ruffled chartreuse variety looks great all season. In cooler temperatures new foliage with have burgundy or red centers.

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'Serendipity' Allium

Height: 15-20" | Width: 10-15" | Exposure: Full - Part Sun | Zones: 4-8

Not to be confused with the spring flowering bulb Allium, 'Serendipity' flowers in midsummer and has smaller (but more numerous) blooms and has attractive globe-like seedheads. 'Serendipity' also does well with low moisture and because of the onion taste of the foliage, is not bothered by browsing deer or rabbits.

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ROCK 'N GROW® 'Boogie Woogie' Sedum

Height: 6-8" | Width: 16-18" | Exposure: Full Sun | Zones: 3-9

Sedums are excellent choices for perennials thanks to their ability to go for long periods of time with low moisture - a nice characteristic to get through the hot days of summer. 'Boogie Woogie' is a variety with clear, stable variegation and a blast of yellow flowers in midsummer.

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ROCK 'N GROW® 'Yellow Brick Road' Sedum

Height: 6-8" | Width: 22-24" | Exposure: Full Sun | Zones: 3-9

A groundcover type like 'Boogie Woogie', however 'Yellow Brick Road' has smaller, finer foliage that will trail over the edge of the container on long red stems. 'Yellow Brick Road' is also later to bloom and will be in peak flower in late summer.

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ROCK 'N GROW® 'Bundle of Joy' Sedum

Height: 10-12" | Width: 16-20" | Exposure: Full Sun | Zones: 3-9

This mushroom cap Sedum forms a perfect "bundle" whether planted in a container or the landscape. Later to flower than both 'Boogie Woogie' and 'Yellow Brick Road', 'Bundle of Joy' will be covered with pure white flowers in late summer - early fall.

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'Cat's Pajamas' Nepeta

Height: 12-14" | Width: 18-20" | Exposure: Full Sun | Zones: 3-8

This small scale Nepeta is perfect for containers. When in bloom in early summer, flower spikes cover nearly the entire plant. If cut back, a second flush of blooms will dazzle at the end of the season.

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AMAZING DAISIES® 'Banana Cream' Leucanthemum

Height: 15-18" | Width: 18-24" | Exposure: Full Sun | Zones: 5-9

Shasta Daisies are one of the most popular landscape perennials, but they do very well in containers too! One of the best is 'Banana Cream', which will send up blooms for many weeks in early summer (and longer if deadheaded).

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'Tuscan Sun' Heliopsis helianthoides

Height: 24-36" | Wideth: 20-24" | Exposure: Full - Part Sun | Zones: 3-9

Similar to a Shasta Daisy but hardier, native, and overall larger! 'Tuscan Sun' will bloom from mid to late summer and as a prairie plant, do well even in the heat as long as adequate moisture is provided.

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LAKOTA™ Fire Echinacea

Height: 12-16" | Width: 16-18" | Exposure: Full - Part Sun | Zones: 4-8

Another prairie plant well suited to container life is Coneflower LAKOTA™ Fire. This fiery red mix will be the highlight of your late summer garden. As a bonus, the seedheads are well liked by birds and will bring an extra color of wings to your patio in fall.

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'Crested Surf' Athyrium niponicum

Height: 20-22" | Width: 28-30" | Exposure: Part - Full Shade | Zones: 3-8

Go beyond the annual Boston Ferns with this vigorous variety of Japanese Painted Fern. 'Crested Surf' is not only one of the best growers out there, but also offers the unique characteristic of double cresting at the end of each frond.

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PRAIRIE WINDS® 'Cheyenne Sky' Panicum virgatum

Height: 3' | Width: 1½' | Exposure: Full Sun | Zones: 4-9

Ornamental grasses offer season long interest, color changes, and require minimal effort to maintain. 'Cheyenne Sky' has attractive red tips to the leaves before a spray of red seedheads cover the plant in fall.

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SHADOWLAND® 'Coast to Coast' Hosta

Height: 30" | Width: 36" | Exposure: Part - Full Shade | Zones: 3-9

This large gold hosta is an excellent choice for containers. The leaves are made of a thick substance with mature leaves adopting wavy edges and heavy puckering.

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SHADOWLAND® 'Waterslide' Hosta

Height: 14" | Width: 32" | Exposure: Part - Full Shade | Zones: 3-9

The moderately sized hosta has heavily rippled blue foliage. Although slow to start, patient growers of this variety are rewarded with a burst of long lasting blue color.

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SHADOWLAND® 'Wheee!' Hosta

Height: 11-18" | Width: 28-30" | Exposure: Part - Full Shade | Zones: 3-9

'Wheee!' begins the season with foliage that comes out of the ground waving. That wave only increases throughout the season making this hosta the perfect choice as either a stand alone specimen or as a accent.

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'Jack of Diamonds' Brunnera macrophylla

Height: 14-16" | Width: 28-32" | Exposure: Part - Full Shade | Zones: 3-8

Another excellent container option for shadier areas is 'Jack of Diamonds' Brunnera. After the initial spray of periwinkle flowers is concluded in spring, massive silver and green leaves will grow to a size of nearly 12" wide!

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'Chantilly Lace' Aruncus

Height: 24-32" | Width: 40-48" | Exposure: Full Sun - Full Shade | Zones: 3-7

This very versatile perennial grows well in sun or shade (growing larger but requiring more moisture in sun). Finely textured foliage holds interest before and after flowering.

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FRUIT PUNCH® 'Cherry Vanilla' Dianthus

Height: 8-10" | Width: 8-12" | Exposure: Full - Part Sun | Zones: 4-9

Dianthus offer a big splash of color in late spring, with blue-green foliage to serve as an accent the rest of the year. 'Cherry Vanilla' is among the best for this genus and has numerous large 1½" flowers when in peak.

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'Paint the Town Magenta' Dianthus

Height: 6-8" | Width: 12-14" | Exposure: Full - Part Sun | Zones: 4-9

This single flowered variety blooms up to two weeks earlier than doubles. An excellent choice for impact color in spring.

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'Opening Act Pink-a-Dot' Hybrid Phlox

Height: 22-26" | Width: 30-36" | Exposure: Full Sun | Zones: 4-8

This interspecific Phlox hybrid shines in early summer when it is completely covered in pink and white flowers. After the first flush of flowers, rebloom will persist until frost. An impressive powdery mildew resistance will keep 'Opening Act Pink-a-Dot' looking nice through the end of the year.

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'Stand By Me' Bush Clematis

Height: 34-38" | Width: 24-36" | Exposure: Full - Fart Sun | Zones: 3-7

And finally, not the most conventional container plant but a stunner non-the-less. 'Stand By Me' Clematis will begin blooming in spring and continue throughout the summer thanks to the numerous breaks in each stem. Once the blue flowers fade they are replaced with wispy white seedheads. Staking is recommended.