Every item on this page was hand-picked by a House Beautiful editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.
This is the vibrant greenery your alfresco oasis needs.
Now that we're deep in the summer season, your garden is likely overflowing with abundant greens and delicious veggies. If you're gearing up to host friends and family for a weekend pool party, we urge you not to forget about your outdoor patio plants! It's important to extend your decorating to your porch, since outdoor patio plants add a lush look and vibrancy to any space—at a relatively inexpensive cost.
With the right greenery, you can bring a rainbow of beautiful blooms to your patio and even attract pollinators like hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees to admire while you lounge on your new outdoor furniture set. Like with any other plants for your yard, make sure you keep your patio plants' sunlight needs in mind. And since your patio plants will be situated in planters and pots, keep an eye on the forecast so that they get enough regular watering, especially if a heat wave is on the horizon.
Whether you're working with an urban balcony or a wraparound porch, these 21 outdoor patio plants can beautify your alfresco space instantly.
Additional copy by Meghan Shouse and Kate McGregor.
If your patio is swathed in sunlight, then choosing a tropical plant to add some color could be a great option. The croton petra is a medium-sized plant that thrives in bright light, and it's actually fairly easy to take care of, making it a wonderful beginner plant. The vibrant foliage only gets brighter when the sun hits it.
For extremely unique and beautiful blooms, choose a fuchsia plant for your patio. These colorful flowers come in a range of color combinations and are native to Central and South America. There are over 100 species of fuchsia that range in size from smaller compact varieties to large and sprawling ones. Each species has its own necessities, but they typically thrive in full or partial sun.
Star jasmine is a low-maintenance plant that's beloved for its sweet scent. It likes to climb, so plant it either against a wall or allow it to scale a trellis or pillar, so it can reach its full, 5-foot-tall height. This plant will require fertilizing once a month in the offseason to maximize healthy growth come summer. It does best in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 to 10.
Fragrant and beautiful, lavender is a great choice for an outdoor patio plant, as it thrives in containers. Use lavender to border your patio or plant one among a group of annuals for a pop of purple. Lavender plants do best in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 10.
The aptly named butterfly bush (Buddleia) is a pollinator favorite. Its vibrant purple blooms typically grow to be about four or five feet tall. These plants require full sun and do best in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9.
A bit unruly, verbena is great for those looking to add a wildflower appearance to their patio's surroundings. Because it's a perennial, this plant will require some deadheading and maintenance in the offseason. Verbena requires full sun and does best in USDA Zones 7 to 10.
The contrast between lantana's bright florals and deep green foliage makes this outdoor patio plant a perfect choice for season-long color. Plant this annual on its own in a container to place alongside your other greenery, or group with other annuals in your flower boxes for a vibrant display. This plant prefers partial to mostly full sun, but it may need extra watering in bright sun and heatwaves.
To invite some cottage vibes into your patio, plant a hanging container with English ivy. This hardy plant grows quickly and can provide ample shade once its vines wrap around a pergola or overhead trellis.
One of the most popular annuals, petunias do just as well when planted in a container or window box as they do in the ground. Incorporate the color of your choice (they're often available in reds, yellows, whites, and purples), into your outdoor patio plant display for a vibrant mix.
Caladiums are grown for their handsome heart-shaped leaves in shades of pink and green. In warm climates, these are perennial plants that'll return year after year. But in colder parts of the country, they’re treated as annuals—you can also lift the bulbs after a frost, save them, and replant next year.
The Boston fern looks amazing in hanging pots and tall planters. It's inexpensive and will look good all summer well into late fall if you keep it watered. Give this outdoor patio plant part sun, shielding it from the intense afternoon light. After you buy one, repot it into a larger container to encourage its roots to spread.
Available in every color from hot pink to deep purple to bright yellow, this annual flower drapes nicely out of planters, window boxes, and hanging baskets. You also won’t have to deadhead it or remove spent blooms to keep it flowering all summer. Give this outdoor patio plant full sun.
You may be familiar with wax begonias, which bloom reliably all summer long. But rex begonias are known for their beautiful foliage colors, rather than the flowers. Look for the Jurassic variety, a type of rex hybrid, which has dramatic color and striking leaf shapes. Give them full shade.
The prolific white, sunny yellow, or bright orange flowers of the black-eyed Susan vine will cheer you up all summer long. This vigorous climbing plant needs a large pot and trellis to scale, and it needs full sun.
If you’re looking for a pretty shade plant, the torenia has dark purple, pink, or white flowers with yellow throats. The tubular shape means hummingbirds can’t resist this plant! Give this outdoor patio plant full shade, although it will tolerate some morning sun.
This tropical vine has shiny dark green foliage and hot pink, red, or white blooms that keep coming all season. In warm climates, it’s considered a perennial. Give your mandevilla a trellis to climb and full sun, but offer it some afternoon shade in hot regions.
No outdoor patio plant is more sturdy than an old-school marigold. Pests don’t bother them, they come in many shades of yellow, orange, and cream, and they bloom until the first hard freeze. Give marigolds full sun on your outdoor patio.
Cuphea hyssopifolia, or false heather, has tubular-shaped flowers that hummingbirds adore. It’s a sun-lover and a fast-grower, so give it plenty of space to stretch out. It does benefit from some afternoon shade in hot climates. Keep it fed for summer-long blooms.
Sweet alyssum is a low-growing plant that drapes beautifully over stone walls and out of pots and window boxes. Its tiny white, pink, or purple flowers have a honey-like scent that pollinators love. Give this outdoor patio plant part to full sun.
If you’re looking for a different type of outdoor patio plant, try growing a citrus tree. Many dwarf varieties, such as calamondin, grow well in pots, and they’re so pretty with fragrant white blooms and fruit. Citrus trees are happiest in full sun, and you can bring the plants indoors when temperatures drop.
12 Heat-Resistant Flowers for Summer
The Best Garden Plants to Attract Hummingbirds
How to Grow and Care for a Mandevilla Plant
25 Beautiful Plants That Thrive in the Shade
