When the hottest days of summer hit, many container garden plants slow down on making flowers and fresh foliage even if you keep up with watering. Beat the heat by filling your containers with these colorful plants that thrive as temperatures rise. Most are from warm places around the world, so are often grown as annuals in colder areas. However, you can overwinter many of them indoors and bring them back outdoors when warm weather returns.
Angel's Trumpet
In full bloom, a good-size angel's trumpet will stop you in your tracks. The hanging flowers are indeed trumpet-shaped and can reach more than 1 foot long, depending on variety. The blooms also release a pleasant, sweet fragrance after sunset. If you have pets or children, just be sure to keep these plants out of reach, because all parts are poisonous if ingested.
Light: Full sun
Water: Plant in moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 6 feet or more
Zones: 7-11
Agave
Though it's not grown for blooms, agave is a stunning plant that lends an architectural flair to any container. There are striped and solid varieties of agave in different shades of green and blue. Most varieties have extremely sharp leaf tips, so if you have small kids or pets, you might want to cut the points off or cover them to make them less likely to cause injury.
Light: Full sun
Water: Plant in well-drained soil
Size: To 4 feet or more, depending on variety
Zones: 5-11
Angelonia
This adaptable flower is sometimes called summer snapdragon. Its spikes of purple, white, or pink flowers appear all summer long, no matter how high the mercury rises. Some varieties of angelonia have larger blooms, while dwarf varieties are the perfect size for container gardens.
Light: Full sun
Water: Plant in moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 2 feet tall or more
Zones: 9-11
Bamboo
Although it can be a fast-spreading menace when grown in the ground, bamboo is a dramatic specimen plant when grown in a large container (where it can't escape). It makes a perfect, fast-growing screen for privacy. When planting bamboo, make the planting hole twice as wide as the root ball; if you're planting in a container, make sure it's big enough!
Light: Full sun
Water: Plant in moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 20 feet or more
Zones: 6-10
Banana
With its huge leaves, banana has big presence in the landscape. Place the plant in the center of a garden bed, or at the back of a garden against a fence for tropical height. While most are plain green, look for types with a mottling of dark red or white edges for extra interest.
Light: Full sun
Water: Plant in moist, well-drained soil
Size: From 1 to 15 feet, depending on type
Zones: 9-10
