Filler Plants for Containers

A filler plant is the mounding, bushy element that ties a container together. It fills the gaps between your thriller and spiller, giving the whole planting a full, lush, finished look. In the thriller-spiller-filler formula, fillers do the heavy lifting in the middle of the pot. They add color, texture, and density that transforms a sparse container into something that looks intentional and abundant.

The number of filler plants you need depends on your pot size. A 12-inch pot typically needs one to two plants, while a 14-inch pot looks best with two to three. For an 18-inch pot, plan on three to five filler plants for full, even coverage. Larger containers of 20 inches or more may need four to six or more plants. That extra coverage is what gives an oversized pot a truly complete, abundant look.

Grey pot with tall purple grass, purple blooms, and white flowers cascading over the side in a garden setting
Close-up of a vibrant Dalina® Grande Tequila Dahlia with orange petals tipped in red and a yellow center, surrounded by green leaves and other yellow-orange dahlias - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulure, Inc.Close-up of vibrant yellow-orange Dalina® Grande Tequila Dahlia flowers in full bloom among green leaves and buds, bathed in warm sunlight - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Dalina® Grande Tequila Dahlia

$10.99
$10.99

A dense cluster of small white flowers with narrow petals and green leaves, likely Diamond Frost® Euphorbia, a drought-tolerant plant, is surrounded by other plants with purple and pink blooms in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCBright red flowers, a cluster of small purple blooms, and white Diamond Frost® Euphorbia with lush green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Diamond Frost® Euphorbia

$10.99
$10.99

Dense green foliage and clusters of small, delicate white flowers with narrow petals - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.A dense cluster of small white Diamond Mountain® Euphorbia flowers creates a striking centerpiece, surrounded by vibrant red and pink blooms with dark green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Diamond Mountain® Euphorbia

$10.99
$10.99

A large potted Diamond Snow® Euphorbia, covered in dense clusters of tiny white flowers, is displayed outdoors on a grassy lawn with a label on the right - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC. Decorative pot not included.A dense bush of small white flowers, like Diamond Snow® Euphorbia, sits next to vibrant pink and white petunias, adding striking color contrast - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Diamond Snow® Euphorbia

$10.99
$10.99

Close-up of Double Up™ Pink Begonia: vibrant, ruffled pink blooms form a dense, textured display amid glossy green leaves with reddish edges - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCDouble Up™ Pink Begonia features vibrant, ruffled pink blooms and glossy green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Double Up™ Pink Begonia

$10.99
$10.99

A close-up of Double Up™ Red Begonia, featuring vibrant red blooms and glossy green leaves in a blue pot. Blurred greenery background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCClose-up of vibrant Double Up™ Red Begonia blooms with ruffled petals and yellow centers, surrounded by dark green leaves. Densely clustered, these flowers create a striking display ideal for sun or shade - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Double Up™ Red Begonia

$10.99
$10.99

Close-up of Double Up™ White Begonia featuring ruffled double blooms and dark green, textured leaves. The clustered flowers create a lush, vibrant display - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.Close-up of Double Up™ White Begonia featuring heat-tolerant, ruffled double blooms and dense white flowers amid dark green and reddish-brown leaves, creating a lush, textured appearance - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Double Up™ White Begonia

$10.99
$10.99
Close-up of the Dreamtime® Jumbo Pure White Strawflower (Bracteantha) highlighting its layered, pointed white petals and vibrant yellow-orange center, with green leaves and other white garden flowers in the background - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc.

Dreamtime® Jumbo Pure White Strawflower (Bracteantha)

$10.99
$10.99

A close-up of Dreamtime® Jumbo Red Strawflower (Bracteantha) displays its vibrant red petals with yellow centers amid green foliage. The dense, pointed petals create a papery texture - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc.Close-up of Dreamtime® Jumbo Red Strawflower (Bracteantha) with vivid red and pink papery petals, yellow centers, green leaves, and unopened buds - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Dreamtime® Jumbo Red Strawflower (Bracteantha)

$14.99
$14.99

A close-up of the Dreamtime® Jumbo Rose Strawflower (Bracteantha) highlights its vibrant pink layered petals and bright yellow-orange center against green foliage - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc.A close-up of the Dreamtime® Jumbo Rose Strawflower (Bracteantha) with layered petals, set among green leaves and blurred blooms - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc.

Dreamtime® Jumbo Rose Strawflower (Bracteantha)

$10.99
$10.99

Dreamtime® Jumbo Yellow Strawflower (Bracteantha) features vibrant bright yellow blooms with orange centers and papery petals, clustered among green leaves for a cheerful, colorful display - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc.Bright yellow blooms of the Dreamtime® Jumbo Yellow Strawflower (Bracteantha), with papery petals and brown centers, stand out among green leaves in sunlight, with some flowers fully open and others still in bud form - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Dreamtime® Jumbo Yellow Strawflower (Bracteantha)

$14.99
$14.99

Three pale, star-shaped flowers with light purple veins bloom among green leaves. Endless™ Flirtation Bush Violet offers delicate, five-pointed petals - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCA close-up of a white browallia with faint purple veins, green leaves, and blurred red flowers in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Endless™ Flirtation Bush Violet (Browallia)

$10.99
$10.99

Close-up of vibrant Endless™ Illumination Bush Violet flowers with green leaves, accompanied by a few narrow red-orange blooms - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCA cluster of vibrant purple star-shaped flowers, Endless™ Illumination Bush Violet (Browallia) is a stunning blue-toned annual - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Endless™ Illumination Bush Violet (Browallia)

$10.99
$10.99

Close-up of vibrant Fall in Love® 'Sweetly' Japanese Anemone flowers with yellow centers, pink petals and green foliage, surrounded by buds, creates a colorful, lively garden scene with this stunning fall-blooming perennial - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A vibrant garden bed brims with blooming pink flowers featuring yellow centers, including Fall in Love® 'Sweetly' Japanese Anemone, surrounded by lush green foliage and accented with small purple flowers in the lower right corner - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Fall in Love® 'Sweetly' Japanese Anemone

$18.99
$18.99

A close-up of vibrant green and yellow-veined leaves, some edged with purple, from Fancifillers™ Guacamole Plectranthus near dark purple foliage and pale pink flowers - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of vibrant yellow-green, serrated leaves and deep green veins with purplish stems in the background, showcasing the lush foliage of Fancifillers™ Guacamole Plectranthus - Photo Courtesy of Mast Young Plants.

Fancifillers™ Guacamole Plectranthus

$10.99
$10.99
A cluster of Frill Factor™ Adrenaline Blush Pinks (Dianthus) blooms, featuring pale pink, fringed petals tightly grouped for a soft and textured effect - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.A dense mound of pale pink, fringed Frill Factor™ Adrenaline Blush Pinks (Dianthus) blooms in a garden bed, with another cluster of fragrant pink flowers visible in the background and green grass surrounding them - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Frill Factor™ Adrenaline Blush Pinks (Dianthus)

$19.99
$19.99
A cluster of vibrant pink fringed Frill Factor™ Aftershock Pinks (Dianthus) flowers in bloom, with thin, feathery petals and green stems barely visible beneath the dense blossoms - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.A dense mound of Frill Factor™ Aftershock Pinks (Dianthus) blooms in a garden bed, creating a striking pink perennial display amid mulch and green grass, with taller plants and foliage providing a lush backdrop - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Frill Factor™ Aftershock Pinks (Dianthus)

$19.99
$19.99
The Frog in My Throat Hosta, a large variety with striking green and white leaves, thrives in soil covered with pine needles - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.The Frog in My Throat Hosta is a large hosta with variegated leaves showcasing creamy yellow centers surrounded by green edges. Viewed from above against a dark backdrop and lush greenery - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Frog in My Throat Hosta

$19.99
$19.99
Yellow-green leaves with dark red veins sit below delicate clusters of light pink flowers on tall stems—this close-up features Fun and Games® 'Eye Spy' Foamy Bells (Heucherella) - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A cluster of Fun and Games® 'Eye Spy' Foamy Bells (Heucherella), a shade perennial with light green leaves, dark veins, and stems topped with delicate pink flowers, thrives beautifully in a lush garden setting - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Fun and Games® 'Eye Spy' Foamy Bells (Heucherella)

$18.99
$18.99

Close-up of Fun and Games® 'Hopscotch' Foamy Bells (Heucherella) leaves overlap in red, orange, and brown shades, highlighting jagged edges and textured surfaces - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of autumn-colored leaves in orange, red, and brown, of Fun and Games® 'Hopscotch' Foamy Bells (Heucherella), glistening with small water droplets - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Fun and Games® 'Hopscotch' Foamy Bells (Heucherella)

$18.99
$18.99

Close-up of rusty red leaves of Fun and Games® 'Red Rover' Foamy Bells (Heucherella) with a cluster of pink and white buds surround the perennial amid lush green foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of a cluster of Fun and Games® 'Red Rover' Foamy Bells (Heucherella) leaves, resembling coral bells, display rich burgundy-red hues grow densely above dark soil - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Fun and Games® 'Red Rover' Foamy Bells (Heucherella)

$16.14
$18.99 $16.14

A vibrant red dahlia blooms among green, serrated leaves, complemented by more red flowers - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCThe Funky® Orange Begonia features bright orange double blooms with layered petals and lush green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Funky® Orange Begonia

$10.99
$10.99

A close-up of Funky® Pink Begonia shows double pink blooms with layered petals and jagged green leaves, more pink flowers softly blurred behind - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCClose-up of Funky® Pink Begonia's double pink blooms in a wicker hanging basket, amid green leaves and buds. The softly blurred background suggests a porch setting with lush greenery outside - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Funky® Pink Begonia

$10.99
$10.99

Funky® Red Begonia features bright red double blooms with layered petals and yellow stamens, set against lush green leaves. A visible bud hints at more color - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.A close-up of Funky® Red Begonia, featuring vibrant double blooms and lush green leaves in a hanging basket, set against the softly lit panels of a greenhouse - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Funky® Red Begonia

$10.99
$10.99