Many potted plants have to be moved to a safe winter quarters when there is frost. Here we present 20 species suitable for sun and shade that are absolutely hardy and can spend the cold season outside.
Table of Contents
Deciduous shrubs
In principle, deciduous species are less sensitive to frost than evergreens, since the latter also transpire water in winter through their greenery and therefore dry out faster – for example because the tub freezes through and the plant can therefore not absorb moisture via the roots. Therefore, even hardy potted plants should always receive winter protection, for example by wrapping the pot with frost protection fleece.
Chinese dwarf lilac (Syringa meyeri)
One of the most beautiful potted plants is the Chinese dwarf lilac, also known as Meyer’s dwarf lilac. The various varieties bloom profusely in violet or pink, strongly scented flower panicles. These appear for the first time between May and June, often followed by a second flowering in late summer.
- Growth height: up to approx. 150 centimetres
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
Essigbaum (Rhus typhina)
Uncomplicated, robust and hardy: the vinegar tree – also known as deer butt sumac – is an attractive, multi-stemmed shrub, which, however, requires a lot of space as a container plant. It prefers a sunny location, but also feels comfortable in partial shade or even shade. Then, however, its leaves remain green instead of showing the characteristic, changing play of colors over the summer and autumn months.
- Growth height: up to 250 centimetres, usually smaller in pots
- Location: sun to shade
Japanese maple (Acer palmatum)
The popular Japanese maple is also a plant that is well suited for the tub, which is sufficiently hardy and drought-tolerant and can therefore remain outside. There are numerous varieties, for example with red or yellow foliage. Varieties with slotted leaves are also often offered as “slotted maple”. Japanese maple can be combined well with ornamental grasses.
- Growth height: up to seven meters, significantly lower in pots
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
Ginkgo / Fächerblattbaum ‘Mariken’ (Ginkgo biloba ‘Mariken’)
This small and petite ginkgo tree is perfect for a container. The tree defies wind and weather, is very robust and hardy. In addition, it requires little maintenance.
- Height of growth: up to 150 centimetres, very slow growing
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
Lollypop Birke ‚Magical Globe‘ (Betula pendula ‚Magical Globe‘)
This attractive dwarf birch is ideal for a tub culture, as it grows to a maximum height of 120 centimetres, is robust, easy to care for and very hardy. The variety has a spherical crown with slightly overhanging branches.
- Growth height: up to 120 centimeters
- Location: sunny
Smoke Tree (Cotinus coggygria)
The smoke smoke tree is a city climate-resistant, very robust and drought-tolerant plant that flowers yellowish between June and July and then develops decorative fruits that are about 20 centimeters long, wig-like . In autumn the leaves turn a pretty reddish yellow. The short variety ‘Young Lady’, which flowers in May with white-pink plumes, is particularly suitable as a container plant.
- Height of growth: up to two meters, smaller in tubs
- Location: sun to semi-shade
Evergreen shrubs
Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)
The easy-care and robust boxwood cuts a fine figure not only as a hedge, but also among potted plants. The tree, which tolerates pruning very well, can be shaped into all sorts of attractive shapes, and boxwood also survives dry periods very well.
- Height of growth: between two and approx. four metres, very tolerant of pruning
- Location: sun to shade
Japanese Spindle (Euonymus japonicus)
This species, also known as creeping spindle , is often used as a substitute for boxwood. The low-growing spindle shrub is attractive all year round, grows compactly and tolerates pruning very well. The ‘Green Empire’ variety with its shiny, dark green leaves is particularly recommended for containers.
- Growth height: up to 100 centimeters
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
Kirschlorbeer (Prunus laurocerasus)
Attractive, shiny green leaves, evergreen, robust and extremely adaptable: the easy-care cherry laurel also feels very comfortable in the bucket. The low-growing dwarf form ‘Piri’, which grows to about one meter high, is particularly recommended.
- Height of growth: depending on the variety, up to approx. two meters in the tub
- Location: sun to shade
Rhododendron (Rhododendron impedum)
The original rhododendron is a small, very frost hardy (down to minus 24 degrees Celsius) and beautiful purple dwarf shrub in May. As container plants, they are also suitable for countless hybrid cultivars in various sizes and flower colors.
- Height of growth: up to 45 centimetres, very slow-growing
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
Japanese lavender heather (Pieris japonica)
This densely growing small shrub has attractive long oval-shaped leaves that are whorled at the ends of the shoots. From April to May, white panicles of flowers up to twelve centimeters long appear. The shadow bell feels most comfortable in a partially shaded location. The ‘Forest Flame’ variety scores with bright red leaves when they bud.
- Growth height: up to approx. one meter
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
Checkerberry/Red Carpetberry (Gaultheria procumbens)
The cloudberry is often planted in gardens as a ground cover, but the robust plant can also be used very well as a container plant or in balcony boxes. The pink flowers that appear between July and August attract numerous bumblebees.
- Growth height: up to 20 centimetres, creeping
- Location: partial shade to shade
Holly (Ilex)
The attractive holly species Ilex aquifolium is one of the few native varieties that are evergreen. Very robust and undemanding, Ilex is ideal for pot culture. Varieties with white variegated leaves such as ‘White Cream’ or other species such as Ilex crenata are attractive.
- Growth height: up to 250 centimeters depending on the variety
- Location: sun to shade
Dwarf Pine (Pinus)
Dwarf pines such as the very dense and spherically growing dwarf black pine ‘Marie Brégeon’, the pretty creeping pine (Pinus mugo) or the dwarf white pine ‘Blue Shag’ (Pinus strobus), which has particularly long, attractive blue-green needles, are ideal for keeping it in a bucket on the balcony or terrace.
- Height of growth: depending on the type and variety up to approx. 150 centimetres
- Location: sunny
flowering plants
Bartblume (Caryopteris clandonensis)
Beard flowers are strong-growing semi-shrubs that are valuable forage plants for bees and butterflies with their violet-blue umbelliferous flowers that appear between August and September.
- Growth height: up to 120 centimeters
- Location: sunny
Funkies (Hosta Hybrids)
A colorful eye-catcher with colorful leaves and enchanting flowers in summer are the very shade-tolerant hostas. They are also extremely hardy and tolerate minus temperatures down to about minus 28 degrees Celsius without any problems – even in the bucket.
- Height of growth: depending on the type and variety up to approx. 70 centimetres
- Location: semi-shady to shady
Garden hibiscus/marshmallow (Hibiscus syriacus)
The magnificent flowers that adorn the garden marshmallow between July and September make this ornamental tree one of the most popular garden shrubs. In addition, the numerous attractive varieties are very hardy and easy to care for.
- Growth height: up to two meters
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
Korean scented viburnum (Viburnum carlesii)
A beautiful orange-reddish autumn colour, attractive, fragrant cyme flowers in spring and the robust and easy-care character make this ornamental plant the ideal candidate for keeping in a container.
- Growth height: up to 150 centimeters
- Location: sun to semi-shade
Schneeforsythie (Abeliophyllum distichum)
This ornamental shrub, originally from the bare, cold mountain regions of Korea, flowers very early in the year: the numerous white flower bells appear as early as March, or even earlier if the weather is suitable. The leaves, on the other hand, only appear after flowering.
- Growth height: up to two meters
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
Skimmie (Skimmia japonica)
Japanese Blossom Skimmia is a dense, evergreen subshrub native to the cold mountain forests of Japan. The magnificent white-pink colored flower panicles appear in April and May.
- Height of growth: up to one meter
- Location: semi-shady to shady
frequently asked Questions
Of course, you can also cultivate native and therefore hardy fruit varieties in the bucket, although of course no “real” trees are recommended, they would not feel particularly comfortable in a planter. However, dwarf and columnar forms were bred especially for this purpose, and berry bushes or ornamental fruit (e.g. ornamental apples, ornamental cherries) are also very suitable as container plants. The dwarf apple ‘Croquella’ or the sweet cherry ‘Stella Compact’, which grows to a maximum height of two meters, are hardy and productive.
Many ornamental grasses are also very hardy, robust and are therefore ideal for keeping in buckets. We especially recommend the numerous types of sedges, such as the crested sedge (Carex comans ‘Bronco’), which grows up to 40 centimeters high, or the variegated bird’s-foot sedge (Carex ornithopoda ‘Variegata’). In addition, the dwarf blue fescue (Festuca Cinerea hybrid ‘Zwergenkönig’) or the hardy blue schiller grass (Koeleria glauca), which is hardy down to minus 30 degrees Celsius, are recommended for a culture on the balcony.
