The 10 Best Thriller Plants to Grow in Your Containers

By Calin Oancea and Florin Gabriel

4/11/20246 min read

There are a lot of amazing thriller plants that fit well into containers. Some of our top picks are:

Salvia, Swiss Chard, Purple Fountain Grass, Canary Island Foxglove, Cordilyne, and Dracaena.

These plants, which we have experience with because we saw and inspected the thriller plants in real life and saw how they fit into hanging baskets will bring outstanding color and texture to your garden beds.

In this article, we will go through 11 of the best thriller plants for your containers.

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a thriller plant with big leaves in a container
a thriller plant with big leaves in a container
multiple drought resistant purple Salvia flowers in full sun
multiple drought resistant purple Salvia flowers in full sun

Salvia

Height: 120 cm (1.3-4 ft)

Salvia is a great full sun annual plant for dry gardens. We saw that it likes well-drained soil and is a magnet for bees and butterflies. Salvia's easy care and hardiness make it a great plant gardeners often choose gardeners.

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a leafy Cordyline plant in a container
a leafy Cordyline plant in a container

Cordyline

Height: 1-3 m (3-10 ft)

Cordyline's sword-like foliage in vibrant reds, pinks, and greens makes the container bush a focal point in any container or landscape. The tropical plant which is commonly known and called "Ti Plant" performs well in both sun and shade, which gives you flexibility when you place it.

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two tall Dracaena plants with long leaves
two tall Dracaena plants with long leaves

Dracaena

Height: Varies with species

Dracaena adds architectural interest to containers with its striking sword leaves. The tall garden plants work best in shade or partial sun, it's an excellent choice for thriller plants for shade containers. The plant is toxic to dogs and cats and is native to Asia, Africa, and Australia.

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three Swisss Chard leaves arund many weeds
three Swisss Chard leaves arund many weeds

Swiss Chard

Height: 50 cm (20 in)

After growing Swiss Chard in our own garden, we concluded that this leafy garden bed plant that is actually a vegetable loves full sun to partial shade and fertile, moist soil. Swiss Chard is not only edible but also ornamental, with vibrant-colored stems. It's great for edible landscaping and improving soil health.

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a Purple Fountain Grass plant in full sun
a Purple Fountain Grass plant in full sun

Purple Fountain Grass

Height: 90-150 cm (3-5 ft)

Purple Fountain Grass is a thriller and ornamental grass with long red leaves and fluffy, fox-tail-like plumes. It thrives in full sun, making it a perfect choice for thriller plants for containers in sunny locations. It likes moist and well-drained soil and its flowers bloom in summer and fall.

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multiple Carny Island Foxglove Plants for containers
multiple Carny Island Foxglove Plants for containers
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Canary Island Foxglov

Height: 90-120 cm (3-4 ft)

With its tall spikes of tubular orange flowers, Canary Island Foxglove is a stunning addition to any container. Suited for both sun and partial shade, it's a thriller that brings a tropical flair.

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a bunch of Angelonia plants with purple flowers
a bunch of Angelonia plants with purple flowers

Angelonia

Height: 30-40 cm (12-18 in)

Angelonia, or "summer snapdragon," features spires of flowers in shades of purple, pink, and white. Ideal for thriller plants for containers full sun, it's heat and drought-tolerant, ensuring your containers look fresh all summer. It is a low maintenance choice that dosen't require much plant care and effort to grow.

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Snapdragons

Height: 30-120 cm (1-4 ft)

Snapdragons bring vertical interest and a burst of color with their tall flower spikes. Adaptable to sun and partial shade, they're a classic choice for adding height to your containers, which also fit well with spiller plants.

a Snapdragon thriller plant in sun
a Snapdragon thriller plant in sun
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a bunch of pink Cleome blooms in garden beds
a bunch of pink Cleome blooms in garden beds

Cleome

Height: 90-150 cm (3-5 ft)

Cleome, or "spider flower," features unique, spidery thriller plant blooms atop tall stems. This sun-loving plant adds an exotic touch to containers with its distinctive flowers and foliage.

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Upright Fuchsia

Height: 30-60 cm (12-24 in)

Upright Fuchsia varieties stand out as thriller plants for shade containers, offering elegant, pendulous flowers in stunning shades of pink, purple, red, and white besides of the other spiller and filler plants. They prefer a cooler, partly shaded spot.

one flowering Upright Fuchsia thriller plant
one flowering Upright Fuchsia thriller plant
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colorful shade Coleus leaves in a hanging basket
colorful shade Coleus leaves in a hanging basket

Coleus

Height: 30-60 cm (1-2 ft)

Coleus can be easily combined with other shade-loving plants for a vibrant display. This leafy plant with its colorful foliage thrives in partial shade and well-drained soil, it can be a great addition to shaded hanging baskes.

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Calin Oancea
Calin Oancea
Green Box
Green Box

Article By:

Calin has been in the garden industry for 5 years and knows a lot about gardening and plants. He owns this website and is responsible for most of the content.

Reviewed By:

Florin, a more technical guy, is responsible for the design, reviewing the articles and making improvements, and optimizing for SEO so that everything we publish looks deam good.