Porch plantings are a mainstay of Southern homes, providing a sense of welcome to visitors. From hanging baskets to containers, potted plants add color and style to a home’s entryway. Pairing lush foliage with lasting blooms makes for a dramatic first impression. We’ve rounded up some of the best potted plants for shaded porches to give your home a gardener’s touch.
When selecting plants for porch containers, consider the home’s architectural style and features. A wrap-around porch is begging to be dressed in hanging baskets, while modern entryways might call for oversized containers to define space. Sun exposure also impacts plant selection. Light intensity varies significantly from deep shade in the recesses to brighter conditions along the exterior. Southern exposures tend to experience brighter shade than north-facing porches, while adjacent trees impact light in both locations. The following plants vary in the amount of light they can handle. Let your porch size, style, and exposure guide your plant selections.
Caladium
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- Botanical Name: Caladium spp.
- Sun Exposure: Filtered, partial, or full shade
- Soil Type: Organically rich, moist
- Soil pH: Slightly Acidic (6.0-6.5)
With bold, multicolored, heart-shaped leaves, caladium adds flair to any container planting. The bright foliage colors range from pink to deep red set against a range of green hues. White and creamy accents add contrast. Plant them as a single specimen or combine multiple varieties for added drama. Caladiums also pair well with impatiens, begonias, and fuchsias.
New Guinea Impatiens
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- Botanical Name: Impatiens hawkeri
- Sun Exposure: Partial sun, filtered sun, shade
- Soil Type: Organically rich, well-drained, moist
- Soil pH: Acidic (5.5-6.5)
Season-long blooms and spectacular foliage are hallmarks of New Guinea impatiens. The glossy leaves are often tinged with bronze or purple hues against a vibrant dark green. Flowers are produced continuously throughout the season in shades of orange, coral, pink, red, white, and purple. New Guinea impatiens tolerate brighter light than traditional impatiens but require consistent moisture. Pinch plants back if they become leggy.
Boston Fern
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- Botanical Name: Nephrolepis exaltata
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade
- Soil Type: Moist, Well-drained
- Soil pH: Slightly Acidic (6.0-6.5)
Despite its common name, this evergreen fern is native to Florida as well as other tropical and subtropical areas, where it is often called sword fern. Boston fern is the go-to for hanging baskets lining Southern porches and for good reason. The fronds of this hardy fern arch gracefully downwards, and plants thrive in humid summers. Boston fern is winter hardy in USDA hardiness zones 10-13.
Purple Pixie® Dwarf Weeping Loropetalum
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- Botanical Name: Loropetalum chinense ‘Peack’
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Type: Well-draining, rich
- Soil pH: Acidic to Neutral (4.5 to 7.0)
This compact loropetalum is perfect for pots. Purple Pixie® has a weeping habit, with vibrant purple foliage that flows from containers, adding color and movement to porch plantings all year long. Loropetalum grows slowly, meaning it won’t outgrow its container too quickly. Plants also require very little care to keep them looking good.
Coral Bells
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- Botanical Name: Heuchera spp.
- Sun Exposure: Sun to Shade
- Soil Type: Well-drained, organically rich, moist
- Soil pH: Acidic (5.5-6.5)
Coral bells are grown for their evergreen to semi-evergreen foliage, but many species also produce attractive flowers beloved by butterflies and bees. These perennials are available in a diversity of foliage colors, from chartreuse to purple, copper to silver. The lighter hued varieties are perfect for brightening dark porches. Coral bells are winter hardy, providing colorful foliage all year long.
Fuchsia
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- Botanical Name: Fuchsia spp.
- Sun Exposure: Shade, part shade
- Soil Type: Moist, well-draining
- Soil pH: Neutral to slightly acidic (6.0 to 7.0)
Fuchsia might easily become your new favorite container plant. Stunning bicolor blooms dangle in clusters, twirling their ruffled petals like ballerinas. Hummingbirds adore the blooms as much as gardeners and are attracted to the brilliant hues. Fuchsias bloom in combinations of bright red, raspberry pink, and salmon against white or purple centers. Plant them in hanging baskets or elevated containers to allow their blooms to flow.
False African Violet
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- Botanical Name: Streptocarpus saxorum
- Sun Exposure: Full to Partial Shade
- Soil Type: Moist, Well-draining
- Soil pH: Acidic (5.5-6.5)
This stunning shade-blooming beauty is not well known but is gaining in popularity. Often grown as a houseplant, false African violet performs beautifully in hanging baskets and porch containers where it blooms with abandon all summer long without deadheading. Keep soil even moist for best performance, however good drainage is a must.
Elephant Ear
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- Botanical Name: Alocasia spp. and Colocasia spp.
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Type: Organically rich, well-drained, moist
- Soil pH: Acidic to neutral (5.5-7.0)
These tropical beauties are grown for their oversized foliage ranging from lime green to almost black. Alocasia species tend to grow upright while Colocasia species are more spreading. Both tolerate sunny and shady locations, making them ideal for the edges of porches where light can vary throughout the day.
Begonia
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- Botanical Name: Begonia spp.
- Sun Exposure: Partial shade, full shade
- Soil Type: Organically rich, well-drained, moist
- Soil pH: Acidic (5.5 and 6.5)
Begonias are a beloved flowering plant for shade. Begonias belong to a large group of plants, with several species and hybrids available commercially. In Southern landscapes, wax begonias and tuberous begonias are most commonly grown. Wax begonias tolerate more sun and bloom all summer long, while tuberous begonias have more attractive foliage. Modern breeding has introduced several hybrid cultivars, such as ‘Dragon Wings’ which offer improved flowering.
Bigleaf Hydrangea
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- Botanical Name: Hydrangea macrophylla
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun, Part Sun, Dappled Shade
- Soil Type: Well-draining, rich
- Soil pH: Slightly Acidic (5.5-6.2)
Shrubs make a big statement in porch containers and few shrubs are as showy as hydrangeas. While hydrangeas tolerate more sun, they benefit from afternoon shade when grown in containers, making them ideal for shady porches. Keep an eye on water, as containers dry out quickly when supporting a thirsty shrub. Transplant hydrangeas to the garden or a larger pot after a few years when their growth slows.
Triostar Stromanthe
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- Botanical Name: Stromanthe sanguinea ‘Triostar’
- Sun Exposure: Full to Part Shade
- Soil Type: Moist, Well-draining
- Soil pH: Slightly Acidic to Slightly Alkaline (6.0 to 8.0)
This stunning tropical plant brings plenty of color to shady containers. Native to the tropical rainforest, Triostar Stromanthe thrives in the high heat and humidity of the South. Dramatic, glossy foliage shines with stripes of green, cream, and pink. Set containers in adequate shade, as direct sun can cause leaf burn. Triostar pairs well with begonias and ferns.
Bush Violet
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- Botanical Name: Browallia speciosa
- Sun Exposure: Full to Part Shade
- Soil Type: Average to Moist, Well-Drained
- Soil pH: Acidic to Neutral (4.5 to 7.0)
Bush violet thrives in shady conditions of the porch, producing an abundance of bright purple blooms throughout the growing season. The tubular white, blue or purple flowers attract hummingbirds to the porch. There are several varieties to choose from, some with a bushier habit suitable for containers, others with a trailing habit ideal for hanging baskets. Young plants benefit from pinching back early in the growing season to encourage branching.
Azaleas
- Botanical Name: Rhododendron spp.
- Sun Exposure: Part Shade to Filtered Sunlight
- Soil Type: Well-draining, rich
- Soil pH: Acidic (4.5 to 6.0)
Thriving in part shade, azaleas make ideal container plants for the porch. When selecting azaleas to grow in containers, consider the seasonality of different species and hybrids. Some azaleas are deciduous while others have evergreen or semi-evergreen foliage. The popular Encore® Azaleas are both evergreen and reblooming, providing interest throughout the year. Consider selecting a dwarf variety and use a potting mix for acid loving plants.
Wishbone Flower
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- Botanical Name: Torenia fournieri
- Sun Exposure: Full Shade to Filtered Sun
- Soil Type: Well-draining, Rich
- Soil pH: Acidic (5.5-6.5)
Blooming all season long, this shade-loving annual will not disappoint. Tubular, two-toned blooms attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Flower colors range in combinations of pink, violet, deep purple, and white. Some cultivars have yellow markings on the throat. Newer hybrids offer larger flowers, improved heat tolerance, and a trailing habit. Pinch back young plants early in the growing season to encourage bushier growth.
Gardenia
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- Botanical Name: Gardenia jasminoides
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Type: Organically rich, well-drained, moist
- Soil pH: Acidic (5.0 to 6.5)
Gardenias bring a certain elegance to porch containers, with evergreen foliage and intoxicating fragrance. Container-grown gardenias do not tolerate direct sun, they perform best in filtered light or bright shade. Gardenias are sensitive to overwatering, so allow the soil to dry slightly between watering. For quintessential Southern style, you can’t go wrong with a gardenia.
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