7 Great Container Plants for Early-Spring Appeal

In cold climates early spring is still too early for planting containers with summer-blooming annuals. It’s best to wait until you are past your average last frost date. But that in-between time can seem like an eternity, especially when the sights and sounds of early spring are already upon us.

If you just can’t wait another six weeks or so, here are a number or plants that can stand a little chill. Their flowers and/or foliage will bring spring cheer while you're waiting for warmer temperatures, and they'll last well into summer.

Primrose

"Primula" comes from the Latin word “primus,” which means "first," aptly referring in this case to the early-spring blooming time. Primrose is a semievergreen perennial that comes in a wide variety of colors. Its short stature makes it appropriate for the front of a container.

Botanical name: Primula vulgaris
USDA zones: 4 to 8 (find your zone)
Light requirement: Partial shade
Water requirement: Medium moisture
Size: 3 to 6 inches tall and 3 to 9 inches wide


Hellebore, or Lenten Rose

Hellebore is an evergreen, early-blooming perennial that works well in a shady container. It can begin to bloom in late winter, even with snow still on the ground. Once the blooms have finished, you can relocate it to your landscape for blooms in years to come.

Botanical name: Helleborus xhybridus
USDA zones: 4 to 9
Light requirement: Partial to full shade
Water requirement: Medium moisture
Size: 1 foot to 1 1/2 feet tall and wide


Tulip

Tulips and other spring-blooming bulbs add bright color to containers. While you can plant the container with the bulbs in fall, leaving it in a protected site, it’s easiest to purchase already-blooming pots in the spring and nestle the plants in your container.

Botanical name: Tulipa
USDA zones: 3 to 8
Light requirement: Full sun
Water requirement: Medium moisture
Size: 6 inches to 2 feet tall and 6 to 9 inches wide


Spotted Dead Nettle

A good option for edging your containers in spring is spotted dead nettle. While it won’t bloom until May or June, its attractive foliage will look lovely spilling over the edge of your pot. The variety in this photo is 'White Nancy'.

Botanical name: Lamium
USDA zones: 3 to 8
Light requirement: Partial sun to shade
Water requirement: Medium moisture
Size: 6 to 9 inches tall and 2 to 3 feet wide


Columbine

While its foliage stays compact, the delicate, nodding flowers of columbine reach upward, to 2 feet. The flowers are highly attractive to hummingbirds yet resistant to deer and rabbits.

Botanical name: Aquilegia
USDA zones: 3 to 8
Light requirement: Part sun to shade
Water requirement: Medium moisture
Size: 1 foot to 3 feet tall and 6 inches to 1 1/2 foot wide


Siberian Bugloss, or Brunnera

This early- to midspring bloomer features eye-catching heart-shaped leaves. Its flowers are light blue, similar to those of forget-me-not. Relocate it to a moist, shady spot in your garden once the season is through.

Botanical name: Brunnera
USDA zones: 3 to 8
Light requirement: Partial shade
Water requirement: Medium moisture
Size: 1 foot to 1 1/2 feet tall and wide


English Ivy

This is a favorite for its draping habit in containers. As an evergreen, it has leaves that look terrific in early spring and can tolerate frost. It’s best to keep this ivy in containers, as it can be invasive in some parts of the country.

Botanical name: Hedera
USDA zones: 5 to 9
Light requirement: Partial to full shade
Water requirement: Medium moisture
Size: 1/2 to 1 foot tall and up to 10 feet wide

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