Thriller Plants for Containers

Thriller plants 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 at Garden Crossings, so there’s a thriller to suit every style and season. Find the right thriller for your garden!

A modern white planter filled with tall purple flowers, bright yellow blooms, small blue flowers, and green foliage, arranged in a vibrant, colorful display.
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
The Heart to Heart® 'Rain or Shine' Caladium boasts a dense cluster of heart-shaped leaves in vibrant pink and purple, adorned with white spots and green edges - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.Heart to Heart® 'Rain or Shine' Caladium features deep reddish-purple, heart-shaped leaves speckled with pink and white, displayed in a textured beige pot against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Heart to Heart® Rain or Shine Caladium

$15.99
$15.99
The Heart to Heart® 'Snow Flurry' Caladium, featuring green and white heart-shaped leaves, stands out as a shade-loving container plant in a textured cream ceramic pot against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.Large, heart-shaped green leaves with bold white speckles and marbling overlap densely - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Heart to Heart® Snow Flurry 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
Vibrant Hearts on Fire' Bleeding Heart plant with bright yellow-green leaves and clusters of red flowers with white tips, photographed in a garden setting. - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.A flowering Hearts on Fire' Bleeding Heart with bright yellow-green leaves and clusters of red heart-shaped flowers, growing outdoors in mulch with a stone wall and greenery in the background. - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Hearts on Fire' Bleeding Heart (Dicentra)

$19.99
$19.99
Close-up of Illustris Elephant's Ear (Colocasia) showing dark green and purple leaves with bright green veins, set against a blurred background of foliage - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.A lush garden scene showcasing large, dark green Illustris Elephant’s Ear (Colocasia) leaves, pink flowers, ferns, and other watery foliage for a vibrant mix of colors and textures - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Illustris Elephant's Ear (Colocasia)

$16.99
$16.99

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)

$16.99
$16.99

Large, heart-shaped green leaves of the Island Giants™ Heart of the Jungle® Elephant's Ear (Colocasia) grow in a garden bed, surrounded by colorful foliage and flowering plants, with a stone path and lush grass in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.The Island Giants™ Heart of the Jungle® Elephant's Ear (Colocasia) features large, green heart-shaped leaves that stand out among red, yellow, and green foliage plants - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Island Giants™ Heart of the Jungle® Elephant's Ear (Colocasia)

$16.99
$16.99
A cluster of Jade Princess Ornamental Millet (Pennisetum), with long, dark brown flower spikes and bright green leaves, stands out in a landscaped garden with additional grasses in the background - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc.Dark red, fuzzy plumes of Jade Princess Ornamental Millet (Pennisetum) rise above bright green leaves, adding bold color and texture to any garden or landscape - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc.

Jade Princess Ornamental Millet (Pennisetum)

$24.99
$24.99
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
The Joybera Pink Gerbera features large, daisy-like pink flowers with dark centers and long green stems, surrounded by broad green leaves, all set against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulure, Inc.Close-up of Joybera Pink Gerbera flowers with water droplets on vibrant hot pink petals, surrounded by green leaves and other large daisy-like blooms, all illuminated by sunlight - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Joybera Pink 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 delicate pink flowers with long, narrow petals and dark green leaves grow on tall stems outdoors—the drought-tolerant Karalee® Petite Pink Butterfly Flower (Gaura) is also known as butterfly flower - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCClusters of bright pink flowers with long petals and slender green leaves, Karalee® Petite Pink Butterfly Flower (Gaura) thrives outdoors. Drought tolerant, it blooms densely with fresh blossoms - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Karalee® Petite Pink Butterfly Flower (Gaura)

$15.99
$15.99

A cluster of orange and red Katelli Bronze' Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum) flowers in full bloom, with some green buds scattered among the blossoms - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCA close-up of orange and yellow Katelli Bronze' Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum) flowers in full bloom, with densely packed petals and vibrant colors creating a lively, textured pattern - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulure, Inc.

Katelli Bronze' Improved Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum)

$11.99
$11.99

Cluster of yellow Key Lime' Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum) flowers in full bloom, surrounded by green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Key Lime' Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum)

$11.99
$11.99
Close-up of Lady Godiva™ Orange Calendula, an annual with vivid orange blooms and green leaves, adding bright color, with blurred orange flowers in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCThree vibrant Lady Godiva™ Orange Calendula blooms with layered petals are accented by nearby green and burgundy leaves, plus touches of variegated yellow and red foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Lady Godiva™ Orange Calendula

$10.99
$10.99
Bright yellow five-petaled flowers with dark centers, like those of the Lemon A-Peel® Black-Eyed Susan Vine, stand out amid lush green leaves, creating a vibrant scene dense with blooms and foliage - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.Lemon A-Peel® Black-Eyed Susan Vine displays lush green foliage and abundant bright yellow, dark-eyed blooms, thriving in a pot set against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Lemon A-Peel® Black-Eyed Susan Vine (Thunbergia)

$11.99
$11.99

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

Close-up of vibrant pinkish-red tubular flowers on Maestro® Coral Hummingbird Mint (Agastache) with green stems and leaves, highlighting detailed petals and striking colors - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.Maestro® Coral Hummingbird Mint (Agastache) features pink blooms and dark purple-green leaves. This pollinator-friendly plant creates a lush, colorful display with dense flowers, shown here against a crisp white background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Maestro® Coral Hummingbird Mint (Agastache)

$10.99
$10.99
A large ceramic pot filled with Maestro® Gold Hummingbird Mint (Agastache), a bushy plant with numerous small, bright yellow tubular flowers and green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Maestro® Gold Hummingbird Mint (Agastache)

$10.99
$10.99
A bee collects nectar from Meteor Shower® Verbena's lilac-purple clusters, surrounded by green stems and leaves with red flowers in the background on a sunny day - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Lilac-purple clusters of Meteor Shower® Verbena bloom on tall green stems against red and gray brick steps - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Meteor Shower® Verbena

$10.99
$10.99

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 Mini Bonsai' Basil (Ocimum) forms a dense cluster of compact, overlapping leaves in symmetrical rosettes, creating a lush, vibrant texture - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc. Decorative pot not included.The Mini Bonsai' Basil (Ocimum) features lush, dense green foliage in a black plastic pot, ideal for compact indoor herb gardens and displayed beautifully against a plain white background - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Mini Bonsai' Basil (Ocimum)

$9.99
$9.99
thriller mum flowers for containers

Planting Showstopping Thriller Plants in Your Containers

Looking to create a stunning focal point in your containers? For containers between 12 and 18 inches in diameter, one thriller plant gives you all the height and drama you need! It’s the perfect starting point for any upright container planting.

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.

Colorblaze® thriller plants for containers

Find the Best Thriller Plants for Your Containers

From colorful blooms to striking foliage, thriller plants bring life, drama, and structural contrast to any composition. Garden Crossings features full-shade, full-sun, and part-shade plants for a range of USDA hardiness zones, ensuring compatibility and performance in almost every gardener’s space. We even have deer-resistant varieties! Order online for delivery or pick-up.

FAQs

Your best thriller plants depend on your light conditions and hardiness zone. Canna lily, mandevilla, and purple fountain grass are great, sun-loving thrillers. Caladium and elephant ear are excellent for shady pots and containers.

You generally need just one thriller for each standard garden arrangement. This prevents roots from overcrowding. Large containers may need two.

Placement depends on how the container will be viewed. If it's viewed from all sides, like in the middle of a patio, put the thriller in the center so it's visible from every angle. If it's viewed from just one side, like against a house or fence, place the thriller in back (the same way you'd put tall plants at the back of a garden bed).