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
Dense clusters of thin, green, grass-like stems with round white buds give Graceful Grasses® Fiber Optic Grass (Isolepis) a bushy, textured look - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of Graceful Grasses® Fiber Optic Grass (Isolepis) showing dense, green, thin upright stems with small brownish tips - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Graceful Grasses® Fiber Optic Grass (Isolepis)

$15.99
$15.99

Close-up of a cluster of small white flowers with pink stamens and green leaves on a Ground Hug® Aronia shrub. Some buds are unopened, set against a blurred green background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Top-down view of Ground Hug® Aronia, a dense cluster of green shrubs, showcases numerous small white flowers among its leaves, elegantly covering the ground outdoors - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Ground Hug® Aronia

$22.99
$22.99
Close-up of Heart to Heart® 'Blushing Bride' Caladium, showcasing heart-shaped leaves in vivid pink, green, and white with striking veins - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Heart to Heart® 'Blushing Bride' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99

Heart to Heart® 'Bold 'N Beautiful' Caladium features lush leaves with green edges, creamy centers, and pink-red veins - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC. Decorative pot not included. A cluster of Heart to Heart® 'Bold 'N Beautiful' Caladium with large, heart-shaped leaves—bright pink centers and green edges—thrives by a stone border in sun or shade, surrounded by mulch - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Heart to Heart® 'Bold 'N Beautiful' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99
The Heart to Heart® 'Bottle Rocket' Caladium features large, heart-shaped leaves with vibrant pink centers, white accents, and green edges. Set in a beige ribbed ceramic pot - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.A large black planter featuring Heart to Heart® 'Bottle Rocket' Caladium with tall, heart-shaped leaves in pink, white, and green shades, surrounded by clusters of small white flowers on a brick patio near a garden. - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Heart to Heart® 'Bottle Rocket' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99

Heart to Heart® 'Burning Heart' Caladium features large, heart-shaped leaves in reddish-brown with yellow speckles. This tropical houseplant stands out, while hints of green foliage and a black pot can be seen in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCHeart to Heart® 'Burning Heart' Caladium features large, heart-shaped red leaves with pink and white speckles that overlap to form dense, vibrant foliage - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Heart to Heart® 'Burning Heart' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99

A cluster of Heart to Heart® 'Chinook' Caladium plants featuring large, heart-shaped salmon pink leaves with white centers and green borders, thriving in dark soil - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCA beige speckled ceramic pot features the Heart to Heart® 'Chinook' Caladium, with large, heart-shaped salmon pink leaves accented by green and white veins spreading in various directions - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Heart to Heart® 'Chinook' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99

A close-up of Heart to Heart® 'Clowning Around' Caladium, showing its striking pink and green leaves in a pot, with purple and yellow flowers blooming in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC. Decorative pot not included.Close-up of Heart to Heart® 'Clowning Around' Caladium leaves featuring vibrant pink veins, green edges, and light pink and cream splotches for a striking tropical houseplant foliage pattern - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Heart to Heart® 'Clowning Around' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99

Close-up of Heart to Heart® 'Creme Brulee' Caladium’s heart-shaped leaves, showcasing pink, red, and green tones with visible veins - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Heart to Heart® 'Creme Brulee' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99
Close up of Heart to Heart® 'Flatter Me' Caladium leaves, featuring light green leaves with dark green edges with a red veined center - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Heart to Heart® 'Flatter Me' Caladium

$25.99
$25.99
Close-up of Heart to Heart® 'Heart and Soul' Caladium with vibrant green-edged, pink and white leaves dotted with red, growing in a brown pot - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC. Decorative pot not included.Heart to Heart® 'Heart and Soul' Caladium displays heart-shaped leaves with green edges, white centers, and pink veins, making it a striking decorative foliage plant - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC. Decorative pot not included.

Heart to Heart® 'Heart and Soul' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99
Close-up of Heart to Heart® 'Lemon Blush' Caladium, a favorite shade plant with vibrant leaves showing a bold blend of pink, red, and green hues, prominent veins, and soft edges set against a blurred green background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Heart to Heart® 'Lemon Blush' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99
Heart to Heart® 'Mesmerized' Caladium features green and pink, heart-shaped leaves with speckles - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC. Decorative pot not included.A beige ceramic pot with a subtle decorative rim and Wakefield branding holds the Heart to Heart® 'Mesmerized' Caladium, a tropical houseplant with heart-shaped green, red, and cream leaves - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Heart to Heart® 'Mesmerized' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99

Close-up of overlapping, heart-shaped leaves of the Heart to Heart® 'Midnight Oil' Caladium, featuring deep burgundy tones with hints of green and purple, smooth glossy texture, and pronounced veins - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Heart to Heart® 'Midnight Oil' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99
Heart to Heart® 'Radiance' Caladium features large, heart-shaped leaves with vibrant pink centers, white edges, and dark green borders. This tropical houseplant adds a striking pop of color with its decorative pink foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCA cluster of Heart to Heart® 'Radiance' Caladium, featuring striking pink foliage, grows in a garden bed amid soil and other leafy plants with green and yellow tones in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Heart to Heart® 'Radiance' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99
A vibrant garden display highlights Heart to Heart® Raspberry Moon Caladium, complemented by purple-veined Persian shield foliage and magenta petunias with white-edged blooms, arranged outdoors beside a tree trunk - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCThe Heart to Heart® Raspberry Moon Caladium is a shade-loving foliage plant with large, heart-shaped pink, light green, and red leaves in a textured beige ceramic pot, shown against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Heart to Heart® 'Raspberry Moon' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99

The Heart to Heart® Scarlet Flame Caladium, with large pink and red leaves edged in green, grows in dark soil next to green hosta plants - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCHeart to Heart® Scarlet Flame Caladium, featuring vibrant pink and green strap-shaped leaves, grows by a stone wall amid pink flowers, white blooms, and lush greenery - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Heart to Heart® 'Scarlet Flame' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99

A close-up of Heart to Heart® 'Splash of Wine' Caladium displays large, heart-shaped leaves with pink, white, and green patterns and prominent veins. The plant sits in a brown pot against a softly blurred background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC. Decorative pot not included.Close-up of Heart to Heart® 'Splash of Wine' Caladium leaves featuring pink centers, green veins, and creamy edges in an overlapping pattern. The vibrant, delicately veined foliage adds standout color to shade gardens. - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Heart to Heart® 'Splash of Wine' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99
Vibrant Heart to Heart® 'Tickle Me Pink' Caladium features heart-shaped leaves with pink centers, green edges, and white speckles. Overlapping foliage creates a lush, eye-catching display perfect for adding color indoors or out - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCThe Heart to Heart® 'Tickle Me Pink' Caladium features large, heart-shaped leaves with bright pink centers, marbled green and white patterns, and dark green edges for a vibrant, eye-catching display - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Heart to Heart® 'Tickle Me Pink' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99

A close-up of heart-shaped foliage from Heart to Heart® White Wonder Caladium, displaying white leaves with green edges and pink veins that overlap to create a striking, natural pattern - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.A Heart to Heart® White Wonder Caladium with heart-shaped, pale green leaves edged in dark green and veined in pink sits in a beige speckled ceramic pot against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Heart to Heart® 'White Wonder' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99

A close-up of a Heart to Heart® 'Xplosion' Caladium displays heart-shaped, vibrant green and red leaves with white speckles in a black pot, surrounded by lush greenery - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC. Decorative pot not included.The Heart to Heart® 'Xplosion' Caladium features large, heart-shaped leaves with green edges, deep red veins, and white splashes, presented in a textured light ceramic pot against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Heart to Heart® 'Xplosion' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99
Heart to Heart® Fast Flash Caladium displays vibrant pink-centered leaves with green edges and white speckles on a wooden surface - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCA Heart to Heart® Fast Flash Caladium with heart-shaped leaves, bright red centers, and dark green edges in a beige ceramic pot is shown against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Heart to Heart® Fast Flash™ Caladium

$24.99
$24.99

Close-up of Heart to Heart® Heart's Delight Caladium leaves, featuring deep red centers and bright green edges. Their unique heart-shaped patterns make this colorful plant a stunning addition to any garden - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.The Heart to Heart® Heart's Delight Caladium features large, vibrant pink heart-shaped leaves with green edges, displayed in a beige decorative pot against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Heart to Heart® Heart's Delight Caladium

$24.99
$24.99
Heart to Heart® 'Va Va Violet' Caladium features large, heart-shaped leaves with pink centers, light green edges, and white and green speckles - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCHeart to Heart® 'Va Va Violet' Caladium features vibrant heart-shaped leaves with pink centers and green edges with overlapping foliage that creates a striking, colorful display - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Heart to Heart® Va Va Violet™ Caladium

$24.99
$24.99