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15 Thrilling Container Components

Adding height with pizzazz!

Contributors: Kerry Meyer

 

Angelface® Blue Angelonia
Summer Snapdragon


This easy care plant enjoys hot, humid summers. It blooms all season long with silvery lavender flowers on tall spikes, and won’t need to be deadheaded to keep flowering all summer. The unique color pairs beautifully with pastel pinks and silvers that are trending in gardens.

18-30” tall, full sun. annual

Angelface<sup>®</sup> Blue Angelonia Summer Snapdragon

Summer Snapdragon

Necessity Recipe

More Angelface® options:Angelface® Perfectly Pink, Wedgwood Blue, Angelface® White


Truffula Pink Gomphrena
Globe Amaranth


Full, bushy plants become covered in hot pink, cotton ball-shaped blossoms that pollinators adore. It  thrives in heat and humidity, and handles drought once its roots are established. Grow it in large containers or in the landscape where it will shine brightly from spring into fall.
Single Truffula<sup>™</sup> Pink Gomphrena Globe Amaranth

planted Truffula<sup>™</sup> Pink Gomphrena Globe Amaranth



Rockin’®
Fuchsia
Salvia
Salvia


If you want to see pollinators in your garden, plant this salvia. Commonly found only with purple flowers, this revolutionary new variety bears large, intense fuchsia flowers with black bracts. Their deep throats hold plenty of nectar for your favorite winged creatures. It forms a bushy, upright clump of deep green foliage.

24-36” tall, part sun to sun, annual   

Rockin’<sup>®</sup> Fuchsia Salvia Salvia

container Rockin’<sup>®</sup> Fuchsia Salvia SalviaThe Palace Recipe

Rockin’® Deep Purple is another great option.



ColorBlaze® Torchlight Solenostemon

Coleus


This flashy new coleus will brighten up container recipes and landscapes in sun and shade with its vibrantly patterned foliage. It is a robust coleus that forms an impressive clump. Grow it in large containers as a thriller or filler, or mass it in the landscape for low maintenance.

24-34” tall, sun or shade, annual

container ColorBlaze<sup>®</sup> Torchlight<sup>™</sup> Solenostemon Coleus

planted ColorBlaze<sup>®</sup> Torchlight<sup>™</sup> Solenostemon Coleus

See all ColorBlaze® options



Graceful Grasses® Prince Tut®
Cyperus
Dwarf Egyptian Papyrus

A nicely compact form of Egyptian Papyrus, about half the height of King Tut, but with the same large poms on the ends of the stems.  Fun and interesting, without being overwhelmingly huge. 

18-30” tall, part sun to sun, annual

Graceful Grasses<sup>®</sup> Prince Tut<sup>®</sup> Cyperus Dwarf Egyptian Papyrus

 container combo Graceful Grasses<sup>®</sup> Prince Tut<sup>®</sup> Cyperus Dwarf Egyptian PapyrusRustic Chic Recipe

More Graceful Grasses® Cyperus options



Golden Butterfly®
Argyranthemum

Marguerite Daisy

This sunny, golden yellow daisy is great for early season color and has better summer flowering than typical Marguerite daisy’s. It is good in the landscape and a wonderful container plant where it makes a great thriller.

18-36” tall, part sun to sun, annual


container Golden Butterfly<sup>®</sup> Argyranthemum Marguerite Daisyplanted Golden Butterfly<sup>®</sup> Argyranthemum Marguerite Daisy

Pure White Butterfly® is a good option.


Toucan® Coral Canna
Canna Lily

The tropical look continues to be popular with many gardeners. Toucan Cannas grow quickly to make bold thrillers in your large containers and thrive in the landscape. It bears tropical salmon pink flowers that attract pollinators atop its lush green foliage.

30-48” tall, part sun to sun, annual

container Toucan<sup>®</sup> Coral Canna Canna Lily

More Toucan® colors: Toucan® Dark Orange, Toucan® Scarlet and Toucan® Yellow


Senorita Blanca® Cleome
Spider Flower

It’s been over a decade since we introduced the first Senorita Cleome and they are still underutilized by gardeners. These tough and durable plants add height to landscapes and as thrillers in containers. With almost no pest and disease issues and tons of flowers, these are a garden powerhouse you shouldn’t wait any longer to try.

24-48” tall, part sun to sun, annual

Senorita Blanca<sup>®</sup> Cleome Spider Flower

Senorita Blanca<sup>®</sup> Cleome Spider Flower

Senorita Rosalita® is another color option.

Graceful Grasses® Fireworks Pennisetum
Variegated Red Fountain Grass

Rosy-red, pink and green striped foliage is a standout as the thriller in containers and great when planted in landscapes. Grasses tend to be tough, easy to grow and quite versatile. They also add movement to gardens, which is one more reason to include a few of them in your garden each year.

24-30” tall, part sun to sun, annual


Graceful Grasses<sup>®</sup> Fireworks Pennisetum Variegated Red Fountain Grass

 Variegated Red Fountain Grass combo

Fan the Flames Recipe




Graceful Grasses® ‘Sky Rocket’ Pennisetum Variegated Fountain Grass

Green and white striped foliage is versatile and will work as a thriller with any color scheme you might dream up. Great in both landscapes and containers, it is a great option to add height.

24-30” tall, part sun to sun, annual

single Graceful Grasses<sup>®</sup> ‘Sky Rocket’ Pennisetum Variegated Fountain Grass
planted Graceful Grasses<sup>®</sup> ‘Sky Rocket’ Pennisetum Variegated Fountain Grass


Rockin’® Playin’ the Blues® Salvia
Salvia

Bright violet blue flowers emerge from purple calyxes which hold their color after the flowers are spent, giving the illusion of being in bloom over a longer period. New flower spikes continue to emerge all season long above the bushy, bright green foliage, even in the hot, humid conditions of the deep south. Pollinators will delight in its flowers from spring through fall. 

2-4’ tall, part sun to sun, annual for many, zone 7-10 perennial

single Rockin’<sup>®</sup> Playin’ the Blues<sup>®</sup> Salvia Salvia

Multiple container Rockin’<sup>®</sup> Playin’ the Blues<sup>®</sup> Salvia SalviaSky High Recipe


Meteor Shower® Verbena
Verbena

Meteor Shower has a dense, well-branched habit which equates to a more attractive plant as a flowering thriller in containers and massed in the landscape. And since the plant sets little seed, it won’t become invasive like most Verbenas of this type. Heat and drought tolerance and being less tasty to deer sweeten its appeal.

 20-30” tall, part sun to sun, annual

container Meteor Shower<sup>®</sup> Verbena Verbena

planted Meteor Shower<sup>®</sup> Verbena Verbena


Pyromania® 'Solar Flare' Kniphofia

Red Hot Poker

The spiky flowers and upright habit gives a unique drama to your landscape, with rebloom extending the color late into the season. Grass-like foliage provides textural contrast to bold-leaved perennials, like Hibiscus. Chartreuse yellow buds mature to creamy white as the flowers open. The last member of the collection to bloom.

4-4.5’ tall, sun, perennial zones 5b-9 (with protection)

field of Pyromania<sup>®</sup> 'Solar Flare' Kniphofia  Red Hot Poker


Pyromania ‘Hot and Cold’ – Knophofia
Red Hot Poker

The spiky flowers and upright habit gives a unique drama to your landscape, with rebloom extending the color late into the season. Grass-like foliage provides textural contrast to bold-leaved perennials, like Hibiscus. This bicolor variety is one of our favorites! Tangerine orange buds open to creamy white flowers.

2.5-3’ tall, sun, perennial zones 5b-9 (with protection)

Pyromania<sup>™</sup> ‘Hot and Cold’ – Knophofia Red Hot Poker

Mixed container Pyromania<sup>™</sup> ‘Hot and Cold’ – Knophofia Red Hot PokerGlowing Street Lights Recipe


PyromaniaOrange Blaze’ – Knophofia
Red Hot Poker

The spiky flowers and upright habit gives a unique drama to your landscape, with rebloom extending the color late into the season. Grass-like foliage provides textural contrast to bold-leaved perennials, like Hibiscus. Bright orange flowers are densely packed onto the flower spike, and flowers are proportionate to the foliage. One of the most compact of the collection.

2-2.5’ tall, sun, zones 5b-9 (with protection)

 Pyromania<sup>™</sup> ‘Orange Blaze’ – Knophofia Red Hot Poker

Summer Sunburst RecipeSummer Sunburst Recipe

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 


 

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