Native Minnesota Plants for Container Gardens

Asked May 10, 2018, 1:32 PM EDT

I'm starting a bunch of small containers on my deck this spring, and was wondering if you could recommend some native Minnesota plants that might work well in anything from a small pot to a 22" barrel. I'm really looking for color, but anything that looks alive would be great! I considered just buying a Minnesota wildflower seed mix and trying that, but thought I'd ask. Thanks! Adam

Ramsey County Minnesota container gardening native plants horticulture

1 Response

Planting colorful native plants in planters will be challenging. We usually plant annuals in planters, because we want color throughout the growing season. Perennials usually flower only for a short period. But annuals, almost by definition, are not native. They are plants that live and die in a single season, so they can't be established in the landscape.

That said, some plants that might work: columbine, aster, black-eyed susan, poppy, Jacob's ladder, wild geranium, purple coneflower, coreopsis. You will have to mix and pair so that something is always in bloom. Check this site: