For zone challenged gardeners (like me) I thought it might be helpful if we got together and posted a list of things that CAN be grown successfully in containers LONG TERM. Many people do not try cool plants because they think they cannot have them outdoors and a container is not feasible.

It CAN be done. Sometimes, though, the containers can get quite sizable. SO you have to make sure you have a place to overwinter, and enough people to help you drag stuff to that place.

These are plants that I personally have grown successfully in a container. The first number is the #gallon SMALLEST size that I have bloomed something in. The 2nd number is the largest I have had that plant in. Currently I grow most of these planted in the ground. I do have a Traveller's Palm in a container.

1. ALpinia purpurata...the beautiful Hawaiian ginger. Comes in many shades of pink, red, and white. 7 gallon-30 gallon

2. Heliconias. The 'lobster claws'. And I am not talking about the little orange or red dwarfs from Home Depot. I am talking about the big guns...roatrata, stricta, caribaea, bihai..... 7 gal-30 gal

3. Ravenella madagascariensis...Traveller's Palm...I have never bloomed this, but I have grown it to a moderately large fan spread in a 20 gal container

4. Etlingera gingers....specifically the smaller stature 'tulip torches'....10gal-30 gal

5. Costus stenophyllus, the snake ginger...15 gal -30 gal

6. Calathea crotalifera, the Rattleshaker....7 gal-20 gal

7. Bauhinia galpinii, the red bauhinia....7 gal

Can;t think of any others off the top of my head. Anyone else?

I had a Christmas Palm grown from seed in a 20 gallon pot on my deck for many years. The pot was on casters and in unusually cold weather I rolled it into a protected corner.

I have 2 Caryotas...a Gigas and a Urens, in containers. They definitely grow slower that way but are totally happy

I have quite a few pots of flowers on my lanai in lush Hawaii!

I recommend Hibisbus, Dianthus, Lavender, and Violas if you want easy blooms that stay around nearly all the time. The flowers I mentioned I've had at least six months now and they always have color without nearly any stress on my part. Of course, the Hibiscus is the exception as its blooms only last one day, but it usually has more budding right behind them!

Pictures:










I can go into detail if need be, but I LOVE container gardening and haven't had much issue with my flowers. They tend to be easygoing as far as I've seen.

I don't personally have to worry about winter, so I'm lucky, but if you have a winter where it doesn't freeze I can see these beauties pulling through, except the Hibiscus.

flowerylady. Your wonderful cool nights in Hawaii are helping to keep those plants happy and yours look very very happy indeed. The Dianthus, Lavender and Violas are late winter/spring flowers in the southeast, they tend to melt in the summer. I understand there are new varieties of lavender that can take our humidity it will be wonderful if they really can.

I had several beautiful Japanese Maples in large, probably 20 gal+, containers and they did well for many years but the winters are just too warm now here in the SE. They were varieties that were suited to this zone, 9a, but times are changing so....... I am down to only one and it is not looking too good, it has not even lost all its leaves from last season. If it is going to live it should put out new leaves within the next few weeks. Will let you know.

I have not had any palms in pots for years but I just sprouted a couple of Medjool date seeds, does that count?

Yeah those plants won;t make it here past about the end of April. They are used strictly as 'early' annuals here. We have lost almost all of our dogwoods. We have a single one left on our property out of about 15 we used to have....the next to last fell over dead last week. Their range used to end in extreme South Georgia but we got away with them for many years here in North Central Florida even though they were really not well suited for here, but the global climate change brought some sort of blight and almost all of the trees that used to be coming out and blooming here about now have died universally.

I have NO DOUBT that within 10 years it will be possible to grow heliconias, Alpinia purpurata, more cold sensitive palms, plumeria and all sorts of stuff here. There are already some Silver Bismarck palms growing really well around town in select locations, some Foxtail palms (surprise) and Christmas palms (another surprise) that used to just keel over here.

I am seeing the same here a bit south of Jax. There is a big Plumeria right out in the open that fascinates me, it should not be alive here. Bismarcks and heliconias are already pretty common here. I wonder how a Foxtail would do in a container???

It has always been a tad iffy for the Silver B here, but these specimens are OLD and like that plume, right out in the open. It makes me want to get one

Me too, I was down in S. FL last week visiting a friend in the Port Charlotte area, there were places selling palms on every corner. My plan was to hit a few nurseries but we kept busy sightseeing. When I win the lottery I want to live on Boca Grande Island, isn't the water pretty.

I'll be your groundskeeper LOL

Sounds like a plan.