Thriller Plants for Containers

Thriller plants for containers are the stars of the show. They're tall, bold, and dramatic enough to anchor any planting and draw the eye straight to your container. In the classic thriller-spiller-filler formula, the thriller goes in the back or center to add height and visual impact. You'll find them in annuals, perennials, edibles, and shrubs, so there's a thriller to suit every style and season.

For containers between 12 and 18 inches in diameter, one thriller plant gives you the height and drama you need. It's the perfect starting point for any upright container planting. Larger containers over 18 inches may need two or more thriller plants to fill the space properly. When you use multiples, stick with the same variety as that repetition creates a cleaner, more intentional look.

A modern dark planter filled with tall purple flowers, bright yellow blooms, small blue flowers, and green foliage, arranged in a vibrant, colorful display.
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
Island Giants™ Coffee Cups Elephant's Ear (Colocasia) large green leaves with dark stems growing in a garden with bright grass, pink flowers, trees, and a brick-edged bed in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC. A vibrant Island Giants™ Coffee Cups Elephant's Ear (Colocasia) with large heart-shaped leaves, displayed in a glossy black textured pot, isolated on a white background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Island Giants™ Coffee Cups Elephant's Ear (Colocasia)

$26.99
$26.99

Close-up of a Joybera Orange Gerbera flower, with large vibrant orange blooms and wide petals, covered in water droplets and surrounded by lush green leaves after rain, creating a fresh and lively garden scene - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.The Joybera Orange Gerbera features four vibrant orange blooms with dark centers, green stems, and leaves against a white background. Buds accompany the large blooming daisies for a lively garden look - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulure, Inc.

Joybera Orange Gerbera

$10.99
$10.99
Joybera Red Gerbera boasts bright red blooms with dark centers and lush green leaves, making it perfect for gardens or vibrant container displays, shown here against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulure, Inc.Close-up of a single Joybera Red Gerbera, a striking container plant, featuring vibrant red petals covered in water droplets and surrounded by lush green leaves. Sunlight highlights its beauty among similar blooms - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Joybera Red Gerbera

$10.99
$10.99
Clusters of pink and white Little Lime Punch® Panicle Hydrangea bloom beside round purple alliums, creating a vibrant garden scene highlighted by lush green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A healthy Little Lime Punch® Panicle Hydrangea, a hardy flowering shrub, shows clusters of pale yellow and white blooms in a mulched garden bed, set off by green leaves and purple flowers in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Little Lime Punch® Panicle Hydrangea

$22.99
$22.99

Mexican Feather Grass (Nassella), with its feathery green blades, grows among clusters of vibrant red flowers and tan rocks, set against a blurred green lawn and a backdrop of other plants - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A small clump of thin, wispy Mexican Feather Grass (Nassella) grows from brown mulch, set against a background of broad green leaves and yellow flowers - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Mexican Feather Grass (Nassella)

$10.99
$10.99

Close-up of a group of Persian Shield Strobilanthes displays striking iridescent purple leaves with metallic silver highlights and deep green veins, overlapping to create a captivating, vibrant scene - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Persian Shield Strobilanthes features vivid purple, metallic-sheened foliage with dark green edges, pronounced veins, and a textured surface, complemented by surrounding red and yellow flowers and lush greenery - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Persian Shield Strobilanthes

$11.99
$11.99

A clump of Prairie Winds® 'Cheyenne Sky' Switch Grass (Panicum), with green and reddish-purple blades, grows in a mulched garden bed surrounded by other flowering plants in the softly blurred background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A large clump of Prairie Winds® 'Cheyenne Sky' Switch Grass (Panicum) with tall, thin green blades and reddish-purple seed heads grows in a garden bed, surrounded by other green plants - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Prairie Winds® 'Cheyenne Sky' Switch Grass (Panicum)

$27.99
$27.99

Close-up of Prairie Winds® 'Desert Plains' Fountain Grass (Pennisetum) with tall green blades and fuzzy seed heads, growing densely in a sunlit outdoor setting that highlights the plants’ texture - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A large clump of Prairie Winds® 'Desert Plains' Fountain Grass (Pennisetum) displays slender green leaves and bottlebrush-like flower spikes, growing in a garden bed with mulch and surrounding greenery - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Prairie Winds® 'Desert Plains' Fountain Grass (Pennisetum)

$18.99
$18.99

Prairie Winds® 'Totem Pole' Switch Grass (Panicum) stands tall in a garden bed with green foliage and red lilies with a house visible in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A clump of tall, bluish-green Prairie Winds® 'Totem Pole' Switch Grass (Panicum) grows in a garden bed among flowering plants and greenery - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Prairie Winds® 'Totem Pole' Switch Grass (Panicum)

$19.99
$19.99

Pure White Butterfly® Marguerite Daisy (Argyranthemum) features large petals of pure white blooms with bright yellow centers above green foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A cluster of Pure White Butterfly® Marguerite Daisy (Argyranthemum), a continuous bloomer, showcases pure white daisy flowers with bright yellow centers amid lush green foliage, seen in sunlight - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Pure White Butterfly® Marguerite Daisy (Argyranthemum)

$10.99
$10.99

A close-up of Rainbow Rhythm® 'Sound of My Heart' Daylily shows ruffled pale pink petals with a deep purple eyezone and yellow-green center - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of two Rainbow Rhythm® 'Sound of My Heart' Daylily (Hemerocallis) blooms with ruffled pink and purple petals, yellow centers, and green leaves in a mulched garden - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Rainbow Rhythm® 'Sound of My Heart' Daylily (Hemerocallis)

$19.99
$19.99
A close-up of Solera™ Dark Red Zonal Geranium (Pelargonium) blooms with lush green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulure, Inc.A brown pot holds vibrant Solera™ Dark Red Zonal Geranium (Pelargonium) flowers and lush green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulure, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Solera™ Dark Red Zonal Geranium (Pelargonium)

$11.99
$11.99
A close-up of the Summerific® 'Candy Crush' Rose Mallow (Hibiscus) in full bloom, showcasing vibrant pink petals with a deep red center, surrounded by green leaves and flower buds in sunlight - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A large pink Summerific® 'Candy Crush' Rose Mallow (Hibiscus) flower with a deep red center and prominent stamen blooms among green leaves and buds, bringing vibrant charm to any garden - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Summerific® 'Candy Crush' Rose Mallow (Hibiscus)

$18.99
$18.99

Close-up of a Summerific® 'Evening Rose' Rose Mallow (Hibiscus) features vibrant pink blooms with striking yellow stamens, set against green and purple-tinged foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Summerific® 'Evening Rose' Rose Mallow (Hibiscus) features large, vibrant pink blooms and deep green leaves, thriving in garden beds bordered by grass and greenery - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Summerific® 'Evening Rose' Rose Mallow (Hibiscus)

$18.99
$18.99

Four Sun Parasol® Giant White Mandevilla flowers with yellow centers bloom among green leaves, their delicate petals highlighted by sunlight, showcasing this drought-tolerant annual against a softly blurred background - Photo Courtesy of Pixabay

Sun Parasol® Giant White Mandevilla

$15.99
$15.99

Close-up of a vibrant Suncredible® Saturn™ Sunflower (Helianthus) with a dark brown center and reddish-orange ring blooms outdoors among green leaves and everblooming sunflowers beneath a blue sky - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A patch of Suncredible® Saturn™ Sunflower (Helianthus), prized for drought tolerance, blooms brightly in front of tall ornamental grasses and colorful plants on a sunny day, with a blurred car and trees in the distant background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Suncredible® Saturn™ Sunflower (Helianthus)

$11.99
$11.99
A vibrant Suncredible® Yellow Sunflower (Helianthus) with a dark brown center stands out among green leaves and blurred yellow blooms - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A vibrant garden bed highlights a row of Suncredible® Yellow Sunflower (Helianthus) in the back; vivid pink flowers in the middle; and lush green plants in front, against trees and shrubs - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Suncredible® Yellow Sunflower (Helianthus)

$25.99
$25.99

Two vibrant pink Sundenia® Coral Dipladenia flowers with yellow centers bloom among green leaves on a black trellis - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Sundenia® Coral Dipladenia

$11.99
$11.99

Close-up of a single Sunpatiens® Compact Deep Red Impatiens featuring vibrant red petals and lush green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc.A Sunpatiens® Compact Deep Red Impatiens with vibrant red blooms and green foliage sits on a tiled floor by a wooden fence. The plant is in a decorative black and beige woven pot, ideal for container gardens - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Sunpatiens® Compact Deep Red Impatiens

$10.99
$10.99

Close-up of Sunpatiens® Compact Deep Rose Impatiens featuring deep rose, five-petaled blooms with hints of purple at the edges, clustered among dark green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of Sunpatiens® Compact Deep Rose Impatiens, featuring vibrant pink blooms with five overlapping petals and lush green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Sunpatiens® Compact Deep Rose Impatiens

$10.99
$10.99

A white, wavy ceramic pot holds lush green leaves and vibrant orange Sunpatiens® Compact Orange Impatiens - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.Two Sunpatiens® Compact Orange Impatiens with five rounded petals each bloom close together among glossy, dark green, serrated leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Sunpatiens® Compact Orange Impatiens

$10.99
$10.99

Close-up of SunPatiens® Compact Red Candy Impatiens, showing vibrant red-to-pink gradient petals and dark green leaves in the background - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulure, Inc.Sunpatiens® Compact Red Candy Impatiens showcases clusters of vibrant pink and red gradient petals amid lush green leaves, creating a colorful, lively display ideal for sunny spots - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Sunpatiens® Compact Red Candy Impatiens

$10.99
$10.99
Close-up of Surefire® Cherry Cordial™ Begonia features bright red flowers and dark green, glossy leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCSurefire® Cherry Cordial™ Begonia boasts vibrant red flowers and dark glossy green leaves, creating a lush display among green foliage and purple blooms beside a light-colored fence - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Surefire® Cherry Cordial™ Begonia

$10.99
$10.99