30 Beautiful Plants for Stunning Window Box Displays

Window boxes have to be one of my favourite ways to jazz up the outside of my house. I just love walking up to my front door and seeing those bursts of colour and life, even before I step inside.

That said, I know getting a window box just right can feel a bit like a puzzle. You see those amazing, overflowing displays and wonder, “How do they do that?!” For years, I had my share of sad-looking attempts until I really nailed down the most important thing: picking plants that actually like where I’m putting them, especially when it comes to sunshine.

So, in this guide, I’m going to share 30 plants that are perfect for window boxes. I’ve broken them down by whether they love soaking up the sun, prefer a bit of cool shade, or are happy in mostly shady spots. Once you get the hang of this, you’ll be creating your own stunning window box displays without fail!

Plants for Sunny Window Boxes

If you’ve got a window box that gets hit with at least 6 hours of sunshine a day, you’re in luck! This is where some of my all-time favourite bloomers really get to show off. These plants love the heat and will reward you with non-stop flowers:

1. Geraniums

Geraniums flowering in a basket on a patio.

Why you’ll love them: Geraniums are the quintessential window box plant for a reason! Their bold, cheerful flowers in all those reds, pinks, and purples just scream ‘summer’ to me. They bloom from spring right up until the frost.

Growing tips: They’re not too fussy, which is a bonus! Just give them sunshine and make sure the box drains well. I water mine when the top inch of soil feels dry and always snap off the spent flowers as it really does make them produce more!

Perfect for: That classic, welcoming, high-impact look. I always have at least one box with these!

2. Petunias

Petunia flowers growing in a hanging basket in the sun on a front patio.

Why you’ll love them: If you want a waterfall of colour, Pentunias are the perfect choice. The sheer variety of colours and patterns is incredible, and I love how they spill over the edges.

Growing tips: Okay, these ones are a bit like hungry teenagers – they need plenty of sun, regular water, and I give them a liquid feed about once a week when they’re really going for it. I learned the hard way that keeping them fed makes a huge difference!

Perfect for: Softening the edges of your window box with a beautiful floral cascade.

3. Calibrachoa (Million Bells)

One of the best flowers for front porch, the millions bell or calibrachoa.

Why you’ll love them: Calibrachoa look like mini Petunias but they flower even more, if that’s possible! Hundreds of little bell-shaped flowers just keep coming. And the best part? No deadheading! Seriously, they just look after themselves.

Growing tips: Full sun is their jam. Good drainage is key, and while they like consistent moisture, don’t let them get waterlogged.

Perfect for: A really vibrant, yet delicate, trailing effect. I love mixing them with other plants.

4. Lantana

Lantana camara shrub flowering in a garden.

Why you’ll love them: Lantana is tough as nails and actually thrives in scorching heat. I love how the flower clusters often have multiple colours as they mature. Plus, watching the butterflies and hummingbirds flock to them is an added bonus!.

Growing tips: Once they’re settled in, they don’t need a lot of water. Full sun is a must. Just a little heads-up: the berries can be toxic, so I keep that in mind with pets around.

Perfect for: Those super sunny, hot spots and for bringing all the pollinators to your yard!

5. Lavender

flower pot attached to wall of front porch with lavender flowers growing on a

Why you’ll love them: Who doesn’t love the scent of Lavender? It brings such a calming feel. Plus, those gorgeous purple spikes are bee magnets too!

Growing tips: Think sunny, dry Mediterranean hillsides – that’s what Lavender loves. So, full sun and really well-drained, even slightly gritty, soil. Compact types like Hidcote are my pick for window boxes.

Perfect for: A beautiful look and lovely fragrance.

6. Dusty Miller

Macro photograph showcasing intricate, lacy leaves of Dusty Miller. The silvery-gray foliage adds texture and contrast, ideal for gardens, landscaping, and botanical studies.

Why you’ll love them: Not every plant in a window box needs to be about flowers! Dusty Miller has this incredible silvery-grey, almost felt-like foliage that makes all the other colours around it just pop. It’s such a fantastic contrast.

Growing tips: It loves heat, sun, and doesn’t mind being a bit dry. It’s pretty much indestructible in a sunny spot!

Perfect for: Adding texture and making your bright flowers look even brighter.

7. Marigolds

Bright marigold flowers in autumnal garden as a natural background

Why you’ll love them: Marigolds are just pure sunshine in a flower! Those bright yellows, oranges, and reds are so cheerful. Plus, they help keep pests away, which is a nice little bonus.

Growing tips: Give them plenty of sun and decent drainage. They’re not demanding at all.

Perfect for: A fuss-free, happy splash of colour.

8. Zinnias

Colorful Zinnia flowers growing in a flower garden

Why you’ll love them: Zinnias are just bursting with colour! They come in so many vibrant shades and forms. I love that they attract butterflies, and they’re great for cutting if you want to bring a few blooms indoors.

Growing tips: Full sun is best, and make sure they have good air movement around them. Snipping off the old flowers definitely keeps new ones coming.

Perfect for: A really vivid display that’s a magnet for butterflies.

9. Salvia

salvia flowers growing in pots in front of white background

Why you’ll love them: Salvias are brilliant for adding a bit of height and a different shape to your window box with their flower spikes. Those intense reds or deep blues are stunning, and the hummingbirds seem to agree!

Growing tips: These are pretty tough and can handle heat and a bit of drought. Full sun will give you the best flowers.

Perfect for: Vertical interest and attracting those speedy hummingbirds.

10. Sedum

Spanish stonecrop sedum perennial plant growing in full sun.

Why you’ll love them: If you want something stylish that’s also super low-maintenance, Sedums are fantastic. Their chunky, fleshy leaves are really interesting, and they cope well with dry, sunny spots. Many also have pretty, starry flowers later in the season that the bees go mad for.

Growing tips: The mantra for Sedums is: sun, sun, and more sun, plus excellent drainage! If you sometimes forget to water, they will forgive you.

Perfect for: Those really sunny, dry window boxes or if you’re aiming for a more contemporary look.

Plants for Partial Shade Window Boxes

Spots that get a nice mix of sun and shade are brilliant because so many plants are happy there! They get enough light to shine but are protected from that really intense afternoon glare. Here are some I rely on:

1. Impatiens

Why you’ll love them: Impatiens are my go-to for reliable, non-stop colour in shadier spots. They can fill a window box with their blooms in all sorts of pinks, reds, oranges, and whites. They can really light up a darker corner!

Growing tips: They like their soil to be consistently moist (but not soggy!) and definitely appreciate being out of the hot afternoon sun.

Perfect for: A lush carpet of colour where the sun doesn’t blast all day.

2. Fuchsia

Image of beautiful fuchsia magellanica flower, hummingbird fuchsia or hardy fuchsia, Hanging fuchsia flowers in the garden.

Why you’ll love them: Fuchsias are just so incredibly elegant and exotic. The colour combinations are stunning. And guess what? Hummingbirds adore them!

Growing tips: Partial shade is their happy place. I try to keep the soil evenly moist. Trailing Fuchsias are absolutely spectacular in window boxes – I always try to include at least one!

Perfect for: Adding a real touch of elegance and a cascading focal point.

3. Begonias

Why you’ll love them: Begonias are amazing because there are SO many different types! You can get huge, rose-like flowers with tuberous Begonias, or loads of smaller, neat flowers and shiny leaves with wax Begonias. And some have the most incredible foliage.

Growing tips: They generally prefer partial shade and like their soil to be consistently moist and well-drained. Too much direct sun can scorch them. You can learn more about Begonia care in our guide here!

Perfect for: Almost any look you’re going for, from big, bold blooms to fascinating leaf patterns.

4. Coleus

Red purple leaves of the coleus plant, growing on a front porch garden.

Why you’ll love them: If you think leaves are just ‘green stuff’, Coleus will change your mind! The colours and patterns are just mind-blowing – reds, pinks, purples, lime greens, deep crimsons, often all on one leaf!

Growing tips: Their best, most vibrant colours often come out in partial shade. They like rich, moist soil. I pinch back the tips on mine to keep them bushy and stop them from getting leggy.

Perfect for: Creating a really dramatic, low-maintenance display where the foliage is the star.

5. Pansies

Pansy flowers in a basket on a patio table

Why you’ll love them: Pansies just make me smile with their sweet, “faced” flowers. They’re perfect for bringing colour to my window boxes in the cooler months when not much else is flowering.

Growing tips: They really prefer cooler weather and do best in partial shade, especially when it starts to warm up. Keeping the soil moist and deadheading them regularly keeps the flowers coming.

Perfect for: Cheerful colour when you need it most – early spring and late autumn.

6. Heuchera (Coral Bells)

Heuchera perennial plant with pink flowers.

Why you’ll love them: Heucheras, or Coral Bells as they’re often called, are all about the gorgeous foliage. The leaves come in the most amazing colours, often with lovely ruffles or veins. The delicate little flower spikes are a bonus, and hummingbirds love them!

Growing tips: Partial shade is usually best for vibrant leaf colour. They need well-drained soil that’s got plenty of good stuff (compost!) mixed in. Many are perennial, so they add interest for ages!

Perfect for: Sophisticated, lasting colour and texture. I love how they even look good in winter.

7. Sweet Potato Vine

Sweet potato vine leaves hanging down from a pot.

Why you’ll love them: If you want something that will spill and trail beautifully, Sweet Potato Vine is your answer. The electric lime green or deep, dark purple leaves are so dramatic.

Growing tips: It’s happy in partial shade (though some can take more sun) and likes moist, well-drained soil. It grows super fast, so I often give it a trim to keep it in bounds – don’t be scared to!

Perfect for: Creating those lush, overflowing, ‘spiller’ effects.

8. Torenia (Wishbone Flower)

Wishbone flower, Bluewings, Torenia is is Biennial plants that can be released throughout the year.

Why you’ll love them: Torenia, or Wishbone Flower, has these really unique, pretty tubular flowers – if you look closely, you can see why it gets its name! They come in lovely blues, purples, pinks, and yellows and flower their socks off all summer without any deadheading.

Growing tips: It loves partial shade and soil that’s kept consistently moist and well-drained.

Perfect for: A continuous show of delicate, interesting blooms.

9. Lobelia

Lobelia flowering plant in front of a white background.

Why you’ll love them: Finding a true, vibrant blue in flowers can be tricky, but Lobelia nails it! It also comes in purples, pinks, and whites. The trailing kinds are incredible for cascading down the sides of a window box.

Growing tips: Lobelia prefers cooler conditions and partial shade, especially if you live somewhere hot. I make sure to keep the soil consistently moist.

Perfect for: Edging your window boxes and giving intense pops of colour, especially blue!

10. Creeping Jenny

Bright green leaves of creeping jenny trailing plant.

Why you’ll love them: Creeping Jenny is fantastic! It has these brilliant chartreuse-yellow round leaves that flow over the edges of a box, brightening everything up.

Growing tips: I find the foliage colour is often best in partial shade. It likes moist, well-drained soil.

Perfect for: A vibrant, trailing groundcover that really shines in shadier spots.

Plants for Full Shade Window Boxes

Got a window box that sees less than 4 hours of direct sun, or maybe just gets filtered light all day? You can still have an absolutely beautiful display. Here are some of my shade heroes:

1. Hostas

Why you’ll love them: I know people usually think of Hostas for big garden beds, but there are some lovely smaller and miniature varieties that are just perfect for shaded window boxes. The range of leaf colours, shapes, and textures is just incredible – blues, greens, golds, variegated… a real feast for the eyes!

Growing tips: They need consistent moisture, good drainage, and, of course, full to partial shade. The great thing is, they’re perennials, so they’ll come back stronger each year!

Perfect for: Creating a lush, textured, and really sophisticated green display. I love mixing different ones.

2. Maidenhair Ferns

Shade loving maidenhair fern growing outdoors in a shaded garden.

Why you’ll love them: There’s something so wonderfully elegant about Maidenhair Ferns. Their fine, lacy fronds on those wiry black stems bring an airy, delicate feel to a shady box.

Growing tips: These definitely need full shade, and they love humidity and soil that’s kept consistently moist (but well-drained). I protect mine from strong winds and any direct sun, as it can scorch their fragile leaves.

Perfect for: Adding a soft, woodland touch. They look beautiful with Hostas.

3. Oxalis (Wood Sorrel)

Why you’ll love them: Some types of Oxalis are stunning in the shade. My absolute favourite is Oxalis triangularis – the Purple Shamrock. Those deep purple, clover-like leaves are amazing, and they fold up at night!

Growing tips: They like moist, well-drained soil in full to partial shade. Just be a tiny bit careful, as some types can spread a bit enthusiastically, so I look for clump-forming ones for my containers.

Perfect for: A surprising and dramatic splash of foliage colour in the deepest shade.

4. Lamium (Dead Nettle)

Purple dead nettle plant growing in a garden.

Why you’ll love them: Lamium is a fantastic groundcover that really shines in window boxes too. I love its silvery or variegated foliage – it practically glows in shady spots. And the little spikes of pink, purple, or white flowers in spring and early summer are a lovely bonus.

Growing tips: It’s pretty low-maintenance. Just give it moist, well-drained soil in full to partial shade. It will spread nicely to fill in gaps.

Perfect for: Lighting up dark corners with its almost metallic-looking leaves.

5. Pulmonaria (Lungwort)

Vivid and bright pulmonaria flowers on green leaves background close up.

Why you’ll love them: Pulmonaria is such an interesting plant. The leaves are often a lovely green with silver or white spots, so they look good even when it’s not flowering. Then in early spring, you get these amazing flowers that often open pink and then turn blue.

Growing tips: It loves moist, rich soil (add compost!) and full to partial shade.

Perfect for: Early season colour and unique, interesting foliage.

6. Astilbe

Astilbe perennial flowers growing in a garden in the shade.

Why you’ll love them: Astilbes bring a soft feel to window boxes with their fluffy plumes of flowers. They come in lovely pinks, reds, purples, and whites, and the foliage is really pretty too, almost fern-like.

Growing tips: These plants need shade (full to partial) and soil that stays consistently moist. They absolutely will not forgive you if they dry out!

Perfect for: Adding soft texture and beautiful, upright flower spikes.

7. Toad Lily

Toad lily plants with purple spotted blooms.

Why you’ll love them: Toad Lilies are so unique! They bring a bit of excitement to the window box later in the season, in late summer or autumn. The flowers are small and orchid-like, usually white or pale lilac with these intricate purple spots.

Growing tips: They like moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil and full to partial shade.

Perfect for: An unusual, elegant touch when other flowers are starting to fade.

8. Foamflower (Tiarella)

Close up image of pink tiarella sky rocket flowers

Why you’ll love them: Foamflower is a plant that I’ve really come to appreciate. It has these attractive, often patterned leaves, and in spring, it sends up these airy little spikes of foamy white or pale pink star-shaped flowers.

Growing tips: It’s happiest in full to partial shade with moist, rich, well-drained soil.

Perfect for: Adding a touch of woodland charm and gentle blooms.

9. English Ivy

English ivy plant growing in a hanging basket

Why you’ll love them: Sometimes you just need that classic, green trailing effect, and English Ivy is perfect for that in the shade. There are lots of varieties with different leaf shapes and even some pretty variegations.

Growing tips: It’s super shade-tolerant and not too fussy about soil, though it prefers it moist and well-drained. It can be quite a vigorous grower, so I give it a trim now and then to keep it looking neat in the window box.

Perfect for: A timeless, verdant cascade, especially in very shady spots.

10. Japanese Painted Fern

Close up of Japanese painted fern plant growing in a shaded garden.

Why you’ll love them: This is no ordinary fern! The Japanese Painted Fern has the most beautiful fronds with an amazing blend of silvery-grey, cool green, and hints of burgundy. It really does look like it’s been painted.

Growing tips: Definitely needs full to partial shade and moist, rich, well-drained soil to look its best.

Perfect for: Adding sophisticated colour and texture that you just don’t expect from a fern!

Conclusion

So there you have it! Thirty plants perfect for adding life and colour to your window boxes, specifically chosen to thrive whether your spot is sunny, partially shaded, or in full shade. Choosing the right plants for the right light is truly the most crucial step to success.

Remember the simple keys to keeping them happy: use a quality potting mix, ensure your boxes have good drainage, water them consistently (especially as they dry out fast!), and give them a little food now and then.

Finally, have fun arranging your chosen uprights, fillers, and spillers! Play with different colours and textures to create a display that’s uniquely yours. By picking the right plants for your conditions and following these basic care tips, you’re guaranteed to enjoy beautiful, thriving window boxes all season long.

30 Beautiful Plants for Stunning Window Box Displays