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
The Hippo® Red Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes) features striking pink and red speckled, heart-shaped leaves in a pot, paired with lush green foliage and small yellow flowers - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.A lush Hippo® Red Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes) with vibrant red and green speckled leaves sits in a simple round light gray ceramic pot, set against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Hippo® Red Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes)

$10.99
$10.99
Close-up of Hippo® Rose Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes) leaves, covered in vivid pink spots. The lush, overlapping foliage creates a colorful display - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.The Hippo® Rose Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes) features bright pink and green leaves with black speckles and is ideal for adding a vivid pop of color to shade gardens with its striking foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Hippo® Rose Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes)

$10.99
$10.99

A close-up of a Hippo® White Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes), with green leaves dotted with white, surrounded by small purple and yellow flowers - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of Hippo® White Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes) leaves with white speckles, framed by small purple, pink, and cream flowers - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Hippo® White Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes)

$10.99
$10.99
Close-up of Honeybells Cuphea features clusters of vibrant red and yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers with green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulure, Inc. Decorative pot not included.Honeybells Cuphea, a dense shrub with tubular red flowers and green leaves, grows beside a wooden path, creating a vibrant border ideal for pollinator gardens - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulure, Inc.

Honeybells Cuphea

$10.99
$10.99

Close-up of an Icicles Licorice Plant (Helichrysum) with silvery, spiky foliage grows in a garden bed, surrounded by lush green plants and purple leaves edged in yellow-green - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A potted Icicles Licorice Plant (Helichrysum) displays dense, narrow silvery foliage with soft, feathery texture and a few small pink flowers along the edges, accented by surrounding green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Icicles Licorice Plant (Helichrysum)

$10.99
$10.99

A close-up of the Lady Godiva™ Yellow Calendula, an eye-catching annual, blooms brightly among green foliage and buds - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCTwo Lady Godiva™ Yellow Calendula flowers bloom among green leaves, with smaller buds nearb - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Lady Godiva™ Yellow Calendula

$10.99
$10.99

Close-up of Laguna® Cloud White™ Lobelia features clusters of delicate white flowers with small yellow centers and slender green stems, offering a heat-tolerant, densely blooming display - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.A dark blue ceramic pot filled with lush green stems and white blooming Laguna® Cloud White™ Lobelia, set against a plain white background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Laguna® Cloud White™ Lobelia

$10.99
$10.99

A dense cluster of vibrant blue Laguna® Compact Blue With Eye Lobelia flowers with delicate green leaves appears alongside a small group of white flowers at the bottom of the image - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Laguna® Compact Blue With Eye Lobelia from Proven Winners has vivid blue blooms with white centers and lush green foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Laguna® Compact Blue With Eye Lobelia

$10.99
$10.99

A cluster of Laguna® Royale Azure Lobelia displays vibrant blue annual blooms with small, delicate petals and white-yellow centers, densely packed amid lush green foliage - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.Laguna® Royale Azure Lobelia is a lush potted annual with many small, delicate blue flowers and green foliage, presented in a shiny dark blue ceramic pot with lighter blue accents - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Laguna® Royale Azure Lobelia

$10.99
$10.99
A cluster of Laguna® Royale Lilac Lobelia displays light purple flowers with slender petals and green stems and leaves in the background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.A dark gray decorative pot holds a lush mound of Laguna® Royale Lilac Lobelia, featuring small light purple flowers and green foliage from Proven Winners, set against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Laguna® Royale Lilac Lobelia

$10.99
$10.99
A vibrant cluster of small, star-shaped pink flowers and slender green leaves from Laguna® Royale Pink Lobelia fills the image, showcasing this annual's colorful and lively floral display - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.A large ceramic pot filled with dense, pink blooming Laguna® Royale Pink Lobelia, isolated on a white background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Laguna® Royale Pink Lobelia

$10.99
$10.99
A vibrant cluster of low-maintenance Laguna® Sky Blue Lobelia grows in the foreground, paired with pale pink hydrangea blooms and lush green foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Laguna® Sky Blue Lobelia features dense clusters of small, delicate blue flowers with green stems and leaves - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Laguna® Sky Blue Lobelia

$10.99
$10.99

Close-up of a dense cluster of vibrant electric purple Laguna® Ultraviolet™ Lobelia flowers with green stems and leaves fills the image with bright, cheerful color - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A cluster of vibrant electric purple Laguna® Ultraviolet™ Lobelia flowers with delicate petals and green stems, densely packed and blooming outdoors - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Laguna® Ultraviolet™ Lobelia

$10.99
$10.99

Lavender Lace Cuphea features dense green foliage and clusters of vibrant purple and pink blooms, forming a lush ground cover that attracts hummingbirds and thrives in heat and drought-tolerant gardens - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCLavender Lace Cuphea features dense green foliage and vibrant purple blooms. Its narrow, pointed leaves create a lush background for delicate flowers that attract hummingbirds - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Lavender Lace Cuphea

$10.99
$10.99

Close-up of dense, soft, round leaves with a silvery-green hue and velvety texture—hallmarks of the Licorice Splash Licorice Plant (Helichrysum) - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.Close-up of densely packed, fuzzy green leaves with creamy white edges on the Licorice Splash Licorice Plant (Helichrysum), an ornamental known for its variegated foliage and drought tolerance - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Licorice Splash Licorice Plant (Helichrysum)

$10.99
$10.99

A cluster of small, round, purple Lil' Forest™ Plum Bachelor Button (Gomphrena) flowers with green leaves forms a dense, vibrant display - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.A woven basket holds vibrant cut flowers, featuring Lil' Forest™ Plum Bachelor Button (Gomphrena), yellow daisies, and orange tubular blooms, all set against a plain white background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Lil' Forest™ Plum Bachelor Button (Gomphrena)

$10.99
$10.99

Clusters of vibrant orange and yellow flowers on the Luscious® Basket Tangeglow® Lantana are set against dark green leaves, creating a colorful and textured pattern on this compact, mounding plant - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.Clusters of vibrant yellow and orange flowers cover the Luscious® Basket Tangeglow® Lantana, a compact, drought-tolerant plant with lush green leaves. Buds appear in the background. Ideal for sunny gardens - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Luscious® Basket Tangeglow® Lantana

$10.99
$10.99

Luscious® Berry Blend™ Lantana displays clusters of small yellow, orange, and red flowers with green leaves, standing out against a vibrant red background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.A large yellow ceramic pot brimming with lush green foliage and clusters of vibrant red, orange, and yellow Luscious® Berry Blend™ Lantana flowers - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Luscious® Berry Blend™ Lantana

$10.99
$10.99

Luscious® Citron™ Lantana features clusters of small pale yellow blooms among dark green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Clusters of vibrant yellow Luscious® Citron™ Lantana flowers with green leaves flourish in garden beds with dark mulch - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Luscious® Citron™ Lantana

$10.99
$10.99

Luscious® Citrus Blend™ Lantana features drought-tolerant, rounded clusters of red, orange, and yellow blooms set against dark green, serrated leaves for a vibrant display amid dense foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Luscious® Citrus Blend™ Lantana features clusters of red, orange, and yellow flowers amid green leaves with unopened pink buds - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Luscious® Citrus Blend™ Lantana

$10.99
$10.99

Luscious® Goldengate™ Lantana features tiny vibrant golden yellow blooms and lush green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Luscious® Goldengate™ Lantana, a bushy, drought-tolerant plant with clusters of small golden yellow blooms, grows by a stone border, accented by tall grasses and dark-leaved plants behind it - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Luscious® Goldengate™ Lantana

$10.99
$10.99
The Luscious® Marmalade Lantana features bright orange flower clusters of small tubular blooms, is drought tolerant, and displays green serrated leaves with unopened buds against a softly blurred garden background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Clusters of vibrant orange and yellow Luscious® Marmalade Lantana flowers with lush green leaves create a dense floral pattern - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Luscious® Marmalade Lantana

$10.99
$10.99

Clusters of Luscious® Pinkberry Blend™ Lantana, known for drought tolerance, display vibrant pink and yellow blooms among green leaves as a small insect rests on one cluster in bright sunlight - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of Luscious® Pinkberry Blend™ Lantana, a drought-tolerant flower with clusters of small pink, yellow, and orange blossoms amid lush green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Luscious® Pinkberry Blend™ Lantana

$10.99
$10.99
Clusters of bright yellow Luscious® Royal Lemon Tart™ Lantana flowers, a compact and drought-tolerant annual, are set against lush green leaves with visible buds among the fully bloomed clusters - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.Luscious® Royal Lemon Tart™ Lantana hanging basket with bright yellow, pink, and purple blooms and lush green leaves, offering a colorful, drought-tolerant display against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Luscious® Royal Lemon Tart™ Lantana

$10.99
$10.99