Low Maintenance Plants For Containers

 

Whether you’re adding charm to a balcony or creating a garden feature, container plants can bring beauty with ease—if you choose the right ones. Some pots dry out quickly or need regular feeding, so opting for resilient plants makes a huge difference, especially if your lifestyle is busy.

Take time to match your plants and containers to your space. Consider the size, aspect (sun or shade), and overall style. Love the Mediterranean look? A terracotta pot with an olive tree might be perfect—if your garden is sunny and sheltered. If it’s shady, swap the olive for lush hostas instead.

Below, you’ll find low-maintenance container plants grouped by light conditions to help you build the perfect low-effort garden.

Containers in Full Sun: Bring on the Heat

 

Full sun can dry pots out fast, so choose drought-tolerant plants that thrive with minimal water. Silver foliage and Mediterranean favourites work beautifully in terracotta or rattan pots.

 

Best plants for sun-loving containers:

1. Olea europaea. Olive trees are very resilient and evergreen. They will produce flowers in summer, followed by fruit, although they will not ripen in Ireland. Choose a specimen with a clear stem so you can underplant it and add colour to the pot.

2. Helichrysum italicum. The curry plant is easy to grow and aromatic. It produces small yellow flowers in clusters, in summer, that can be used to make massage oils.

3. Campanula portenschlagiana. The bellflower is extremely free-flowering over the summer months. It makes beautiful mounds of purple flowers from April to July.

4. Agapanthus. The African lily performs well in pots as it prefers to have its roots contained. There are evergreen and deciduous varieties to choose from, and colours vary from white to purple. We recommend free-flowering varieties such as ‘Amourette’ or ‘Eydori’ for outstanding displays in pots.

5. Lavandula. English or French lavender, it is up to you! Both types boast of strong fragrance and blooms that are adored by pollinators. It requires minimal maintenance outside the yearly trim in September (leave 30% of the foliage) to keep it well-shaped and tidy.

6. Verbena Polaris. Vervain has become ever popular with the rise of pollinator-friendly and wild gardens. ‘Bonariensis’ is certainly a favourite in mixed borders, thanks to its height. But the short varieties like ‘Lollipop’ or Polaris are better for containers.

7. Senecio ‘Angel Wings’. Impossible to not fall under the charm of the soft Senecio. Elegant, evergreen and low maintenance, this plant has it all!

8. Sedums. These alpines make excellent ground covers in rockeries, but they can also adorn your containers, especially shallow ones. Most varieties flower in summer without any effort from your side.

9. Verbena. The annual vervain is a ground cover or trailing plant that flowers in clusters in many different colours.

10. Brachyscome. The Swan River Daisy has dainty flowers but don’t be fooled, it is a powerhouse when it comes to blooming. It is half hardy so treat it as an annual.

11. Senecio maritima. The Silver Ragwort has attractive, silver and velvety foliage. The starry, yellow flowers appear in June and July. Great for containers in coastal areas, it can be a permanent feature of your window boxes.

12. Geranium. The bedding geranium is an all-time favourite for low maintenance containers and window boxes. The deadheading is limited to breaking off the flowering stem when the blooms are spent. It also has a good tolerance to drought.

13. Leucanthemum. Shasta daisies are very cheerful with their larger blooms. They are also loved by pollinators. Choose a short variety for containers unless you want to use them as cut flowers.

14. Lysimachia. The creeping jenny will not flower but its foliage makes up for it! It is also evergreen so it can be kept from one season to the next. It tolerates some dryness; however, it will stunt its growth.

15. Polygala. This shrub is a stunner. Not many plants can flower nearly all year-round but Polygala just does that. You will need a sheltered spot, in a sunny position, for this Mediterranean specimen.

16. Festuca. The Blue Festuca is one of the most popular ornamental grasses. It is mound-forming, growing only to 40cm high, bears small inflorescences in late summer and really does not need much attention!

 

 

Containers in Partial Shade: Filtered Light & Colourful Foliage

 

Partial shade offers gentler light and often holds moisture better—ideal for lush foliage and structured evergreens. Many of these plants can also handle full sun, but with more water.

 

Top low-maintenance plants for partial shade:

1. Acer. The Japanese maple is majestic and delicate but you might find it surprisingly easy to grow. A position in dappled shade is best as strong sun (and wind) will scorch the leaves. The only pruning required is for shape or tidying and should be kept to a minimum.

2. Carex. This evergreen sedge is a fantastic ground cover, boasting of attractive variegated foliage and small brown flowers in late summer.

3. Phormium. The New Zealand flax ‘Platt’s Black’ will make a garden statement. This architectural evergreen grows only to a metre high and is manageable in a pot.

4. Hydrangea. This garden favourite is an absolute stunner and is unrivalled when it comes to the size of its flowerheads. Prefer the Macrophylla type or the short varieties of Paniculata (like ‘Bobo’ or ‘Whitelight’) for containers. They require little maintenance but you will have to mind the watering as they really don’t like to dry out.

5. Leucothoe. These evergreen shrubs are short and undemanding. Most varieties offer brilliant red foliage when young, that turns green as it matures. They do prefer acidic compost, which is easy to achieve in containers.

6. Lysimachia. The creeping jenny will not flower but its foliage makes up for it! It is also evergreen so it can be kept from one season to the next. It grows probably better in partial shade where it needs less water.

7. Pittosporum. Another evergreen shrub for pots. If some varieties can grow quite large and into small trees, a few varieties remain small and make perfect specimens for containers where they can showcase their naturally round shape. Amongst these, ‘Bannow Bay’ with a pink tinged foliage, ‘Irene Paterson’ with near white new leaves or ‘Golf Ball’, with fresh green leaves.

8. Fuchsia. A traditional plant praised for its bicolour flowers that remind little ballerinas. Upright and trailing varieties will brighten up pots and window boxes. Many are hardy but smaller plants may be treated as annuals.

9. Hebe. The shrubby veronica is an ally for gardeners by the sea. Not only can it withstand coastal conditions, but it is also a great source of food for pollinators.

Containers in Shade: Create a Lush Woodland Feel

 

Shade doesn’t mean dull. With clever choices, you can turn shady spots into vibrant jungles. These plants thrive with little sun and lend exotic texture with minimal effort.

 

Best shade-loving plants for pots:

1. Dicksonia antarctica. The tree fern is less demanding than you think. The main rooting system is actually the trunk itself so it does not need a very big pot, although you want to choose something heavy enough for stability. Make sure that it gets plenty of water during dry spells, especially in its crown.

2. Fatsia ‘Spider’s Web’. This beautiful Japanese aralia presents a delicate variegation. The more sun it gets, the whiter the young foliage will be. It produces round clusters of small flowers in autumn loved by pollinators and followed by black fruits.

3. Begonia ‘Bonfire’. This begonia is a stunner in hanging baskets or in pots. Begonias do not need manual deadheading unlike most bedding plants. However, it is best not to grow it on a patio where the flowers could stain the stone.

4. Hosta. The plantain lilies come in an array of colours and sizes. Mostly grown for their lush foliage, most varieties also produce flowers in shades of mauve or white. They are not only loved by gardeners but also slugs and snails, so be sure to use deterrents for these.

5. Liriope. The lily turf is a grass-looking, evergreen perennial. In autumn, purple spikes appear. They are tolerant to drought and very low maintenance.

6. Heuchera. Another perennial grown for its outstanding foliage. From lime green to near black leaves, there is a vast choice of colours to choose from. They have a good tolerance to dryness but they are attractive to vine weevil grubs so be sure to mulch thickly with grit to prevent the adult weevil from laying its eggs in the pot.

7. Euonymus. The Japanese spindle is an evergreen shrub. Most varieties have interesting and colourful foliage, like ‘Blondy’ on the right in the picture, and remain fairly small, making them perfect for containers. ‘Green Spire’ is a great alternative to box hedging as it is pest and disease free and offers a better resistance to drought.

8. Dryopteris. Ferns are a must-have in any shady garden. ‘Brilliance’ in the picture is particularly interesting thanks to its copper-coloured new foliage. It is also quite resistant to drought once established.

9. Viburnum tinus. The laurustinus is an ally for the gardener, beginner and amateur alike. This dense evergreen shrub flowers from February when little food is available for the pollinators. The fragrant flowers are followed by berries in autumn.

 

Key Advice for Low-Maintenance Container Success

• Right compost matters:

  • Add sand or grit for drought-tolerant plants (lavender, olive).

  • Use ericaceous compost for acid-lovers like hydrangeas and leucothoe.

  • Mature shrubs thrive in John Innes No. 3.

• Slow-release fertiliser:
  Feed for up to 6 months—no extra feeding needed.

• Mulch & moisture tips:
  Mulching helps retain water. Use water-retaining granules like Stay Wet for thirsty plants. Going away in Summer, consider installing a watering system on timer, rain is rarely enough to water plants in pots.

• Pot material matters:

  • Terracotta: porous, best for dry-loving plants.

  • Plastic/Glazed: retains water, ideal for shade or moisture-loving species.

  • Fibreclay: modern look, decent moisture retention, lighter than ceramic.

• Style it up:
  Your containers are a design element. Pair with water features, ornaments, or matching pots to create your perfect mini oasis.