15 Plants Perfect for Growing on Your Front Porch (2024)

Gardening

Gardening Basics

Container Gardening

• 01 of 15

  Hostas

  

  These lush flowering perennials are a gardener's BFF. They thrive in shade and partial shade, come back every year, and bloom with attractive purple flowers in summer. Plant them in the ground around porches and pathways or in containers to add some green by your entryway.
  

  • Name: Hosta (Hosta)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
  • Flower Color: Purple, white
  • Light: Full to part shade
  • Mature Size: 2.5 ft. tall, 1-3 ft. wide

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• 02 of 15

  Geraniums

  

  Garden geraniums, also called zonal geraniums, add a cheerful pop of color to front yards and container gardens. They'll grow best with bright sunlight, so they're ideal for porches with southern or western exposure, but they can also do well in part shade. Geraniums have a hard time with summer heat, so move containers out of the sun during the hottest parts of the year.
  

  • Name: Geranium (Pelargonium × hortorum)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 9-11
  • Flower Color: Red, pink, white, fuchsia, purple, bi-color
  • Light: Part shade to full sun
  • Mature Size: 6-24 in. tall and wide

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  See Also

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• 03 of 15

  Rosemary

  

  Rosemary and other hardy perennial herbs like lavender, sage, thyme, and oregano make excellent plants for a sun-drenched front porch. Plus, you'll have a kitchen herb garden right outside your door. Bring plants inside in the fall and put them in a sunny window to keep the harvest going through the winter months.
  

  • Name: Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 6-11
  • Flower Color: White, pink, blue
  • Light: Full sun
  • Mature Size: 4-6 ft. tall, 6-8 ft. wide

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• 04 of 15

  Hen and Chicks

  

  Succulents are known to need full sun, but some types—including hen and chicks, also called sempervivum—can do well in a spot with part shade, like your front porch. Their colorful rosettes naturally multiply to fill a container and will send up late-summer flower spikes in the right conditions.
  

  • Name: Hen and chicks (Sempervivum tectorum)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8
  • Leaf Color: Purple, gray, green, burgundy, red, yellow
  • Light: Part shade to full sun
  • Mature Size: 4-6 in. tall, 6-18 in. wide

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• 05 of 15

  Wax Begonias

  

  Wax begonias are widely planted as bedding plants, along pathways, and in containers for good reason. These attractive annuals flower reliably even in shade or part shade, giving a north-facing or east-facing front porch a pop of color in summer.
  

  • Name: Wax begonias (Begonia semperflorens-cultorum)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 8-11
  • Flower Color: Pink, red, burgundy, white
  • Light: Deep shade to full sun
  • Mature Size: 6-12 in. tall and wide

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• 06 of 15

  Chrysanthemums

  

  When summer fades into cool, crisp fall, mums are a must for your festive front porch. Once the season starts, you can pick them up at farmstands, hardware stores, and supermarkets, in addition to nurseries and garden centers. Note that chrysanthemums are toxic to pets.
  

  • Name: Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
  • Flower Color: Yellow, orange, red, burgundy, purple, white, pink
  • Light: Part shade to full sun
  • Mature Size: 2-4 ft. tall, 2-3 ft. wide

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• 07 of 15

  Boston Fern

  

  Lush, feathery Boston ferns are a classic front porch plant because they're beautiful, low-maintenance, and prefer shady conditions. Plant them in urns flanking your porch stairs or front door, or put them in hanging baskets along the edge of your porch's roof.
  

  • Name: Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 10-13
  • Leaf Color: Green
  • Light: Deep shade to part shade
  • Mature Size: 2-3 ft. tall and wide

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• 08 of 15

  See Also

  Outdoor Plants Collection For Patio & Porch

  Coneflower

  

  Attract beneficial insects like bees and butterflies to your porch with this bright, colorful native perennial. Look for coneflower in a variety of shades, including the classic pinkish-purple. Plant it in a container at least one foot deep and wide to accommodate its roots.
  

  • Name: Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
  • Flower Color: Pink, purple, red, burgundy, white, yellow, brown, orange
  • Light: Part shade to full sun
  • Mature Size: 3-4 ft. tall, 1-2 ft. wide

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• 09 of 15

  Fuchsia

  

  Fuchsia, known for its colorful, chandelier-like flowers, is the perfect addition to a shady front porch. Plant it in containers or hanging baskets to attract hummingbirds. Keep in mind that fuchsia grows best with moist soil, good humidity, and warm—but not too hot—temperatures.

  • Name: Fuchsia (Fuchsia x hybrida)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 10-12
  • Flower Color: Pink, purple, red, yellow, orange, white
  • Light: Deep shade to part shade
  • Mature Size: 1.5-3ft tall, 1-2 ft. wide

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• 10 of 15

  Coral Bells

  

  These pet-friendly perennials are a staple in home gardens, borders, and ornamental beds. Their colorful foliage remains evergreen all year in regions as cold as zone 3. Although their tiny, bell-shaped flowers are small, they're great for attracting pollinators like hummingbirds and butterflies.

  • Name: Coral bells (Heuchera)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
  • Leaf Color: Green, red, purple, yellow, orange, copper
  • Light: Part shade to full sun
  • Mature Size: 6-18 in. tall, 6-18 in. wide

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• 11 of 15

  Coleus

  

  Also known more for its foliage than its flowers is coleus, a popular bedding and container annual that comes in a wide range of colors and combinations. Bring container plants indoors and provide them with a grow light to keep them going beyond one season. Note that coleus is toxic to pets.

  • Name: Coleus (Coleus scutellarioides)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 10-11
  • Leaf Color: Red, pink, green, yellow, orange, brown, purple, white, variegated
  • Light: Deep shade to part sun
  • Mature Size: 6-36 in. tall and wide

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• 12 of 15

  Petunias

  

  Petunias come in a wide range of colors and growth habits, from grandiflora varieties known for their oversized blooms to trailing types that spill over the edges of containers. They're ideal for an east-facing or south-facing front porch that doesn't get harsh afternoon sun, as too much heat can inhibit reblooming.

  • Name: Petunia (Petunia x hybrida)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 10-11
  • Flower Color: Red, pink, purple, yellow, orange, white, black, variegated
  • Light: Part shade to full sun
  • Mature Size: 6-18 in. tall, 12-36 in. wide

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• 13 of 15

  Dwarf Hydrangeas

  

  Want the beauty of hydrangeas but don't have the yard space for full-sized varieties? Grow compact and dwarf hydrangeas in pots on your front porch instead. Put them in a spot that gets at least four hours of direct sun daily, and water and fertilize potted plants more often than you would in-ground hydrangeas. Hydrangeas are toxic to people and pets.

  • Name: Dwarf hydrangea (Hydrangea spp.)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
  • Flower Color: Purple, pink, green, white, blue
  • Light: Part shade to full sun
  • Mature Size: 3 ft. tall and wide

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• 14 of 15

  Clematis

  

  This vine with large, colorful blooms will climb just about anything, from mailbox posts to light poles to a trellis on your porch. Plant in well-drained soil, water to maintain moist soil, and keep the planter in a spot that gets four to six hours of sunlight per day—ideally somewhere with morning sun and afternoon shade. Note that clematis is toxic to people, dogs, cats, and horses.

  • Name: Clematis (Clematis)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
  • Flower Color: Purple, pink, burgundy, white, red, blue, variegated
  • Light: Part shade to full sun
  • Mature Size: 6-18 ft. long

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• 15 of 15

  Golden Creeping Jenny

  

  The rule of thumb for a beautifully planted container is to include a thriller, a filler, and a spiller that will trail elegantly over the edge of your pot. Creeping Jenny checks that last box with bright yellow leaves that help show off other plants in the same container. Note that the green type can be invasive in the United States, so it's best to plant 'Aurea', a yellow cultivar.

  • Name: Golden Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea')
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9
  • Leaf Color: Yellow, lime green, chartreuse
  • Light: Part shade to full sun
  • Mature Size: 2-4 in. tall, 1-2 ft. wide