Our 17 Favorite Spring Porch Plants

With so many cool season blooms and foliage selections available, it’s hard to resist adding spring color to highlight our front porches, steps, and doorways. As flowers emerge, they energize the space and mark the transition from winter to spring’s fresh growth.

Container planting lets us play with combinations that bring visual interest through texture, form, and color. They also offer fragrance and the buzz of awakening pollinators like honeybees, butterflies, moths, and other beneficial insects.

Tall and intermediate varieties rise above shorter annuals, while dwarf selections make good filler options. Showcase them with pansies, violas, and greens like Swiss chard and parsley for a full, cool-season display.

Snapdragons bloom best in full sun but tolerate partial shade (four or more hours of sunlight daily), making them a fit for porches with transitioning light exposures. Morning sun and afternoon protection in warm climates extends the bloom. 

Violas and Pansies

	common name Violas and Pansies
	botanical name Viola spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6”
	hardiness zones 3-8

A great partner to snapdragons, pansies and violas bloom reliably in chilly temperatures and withstand frost. They come to life with spring’s warming temperatures, relishing cool, mild conditions until the summer heat.

Both Viola species bring cheery flower faces in a sea of colors and mixed combinations. Tuck them in spring porch plantings for instant color. Opt for trailing varieties like ‘Cool Wave’ for delicate blooms that spill over a pot or a railing planter.

These tough little annuals tolerate cold snaps to the 20s or around -7°C (sometimes lower, depending on conditions). Leaves may turn gray during cold spells and recover as temperatures warm. Violas grow easily in well-drained soils. Deadheading helps to encourage new blooms, especially with pansies’ larger flowers..

Tuberous Begonia

	common name Tuberous Begonia
	botanical name Begonia x tuberhybrida
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 12-18”
	hardiness zones 9-11

Tuberous begonias stand out among the genus with substantial blooms in single, double, or ruffled forms. From apricot and orange to blush pink, red, white, and bicolors, the spectrum of hues brings a glow to spring porch plants that do well in shade. They bloom heavily from late spring through fall’s frost. Lightly fragrant, their full flowers delight the senses and draw pollinators.

Tuberous begonias rose to popularity in the 1850s Victorian era for their large, luscious blooms and conservatory-worthy features. With forms that trail, they’re ideal in hanging baskets, window boxes, and containers. Upright and standard selections make a striking filler feature in potted arrangements.

Tuberous begonias prefer climates with mild summers and suffer in high heat. In southern climates, treat them as spring annuals for an early welcome and as a pollinator attractor. When the tropicals begin blooming in climates with mild summers, they flower continuously for up to four months or until temperatures drop.

Tuberous types bring an array of varieties to add light and intrigue with dynamic flowers and foliage. Look for varieties like ‘Nonstop Mocca Deep Orange’ with warm vibrance and ‘Picotee Whit-Pink,’ white-petaled with sweet pink-lined edges.

Sweet Alyssum

	common name Sweet Alyssum
	botanical name Lobularia maritima
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-10”
	hardiness zones 5-9

Like violas, sweet alyssum is a small bloomer perfect for filling gaps in spring porch pots. Little globes of white pincushion blooms create a blanket of snowy white. Its sweet fragrance and numerous flowers attract pollinators.

Sweet alyssum brightens both pastel color schemes and dark compositions. Look for cultivars in pastel shades and ‘Oriental Nights’ in lavender and deep violet. 

While sensitive to heavy frost, alyssum thrives in cool conditions in well-draining soils. They withstand short dry spells once established, but young plants need regular moisture. In the heat of summer, leaves and stems turn yellow and fade to resume blooming with cooler temperatures. Treat them as cool-season annuals in hot southern climates.

Petunia

	common name Petunia
	botanical name Petunia spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6”-2’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Petunias bring delight as spring porch plants with bloom-lined stems that mound and cascade from pots and hanging baskets. Single, double, or ruffled flowers in all color shades emerge until frost. While summer brings the most color in cooler growing areas, spring sees flowers in warm climates.

Petunias fall into classifications based on bloom type and growth habit. ‘Grandiflora’ has the largest flowers, while multiflora blooms are smaller but more prolific. Cascading types are fast-growing spreaders that quickly fill an area.

Petunias tolerate dappled afternoon shade. For Southern gardens, try an improved variety that withstands heat and humidity, like ‘Supertunia® Vista Bubblegum®’ or ‘Mini Indigo.’ Wave® varieties are cascading types with good performance in various climates.

Geranium

	common name Geranium
	botanical name Pelargonium x hybridum
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-2’
	hardiness zones 9-11

Geraniums are classic spring porch plants that flower all summer. They flourish as seasonal temperatures warm, and in southern climates, they begin early. You’ll find them as potted specimens and hanging baskets. The rich, color-saturated flowers and true green, padded leaves of the common garden geranium are traditional favorites, whether cherry red, coral, magenta, or white. Thick stems hold the showy bloom clusters above leafy branches. 

Geraniums need at least four to six hours of sunlight for the best blooming. Offer protection from direct afternoon sun in hot climates. They thrive with regular water in well-drained soils, allowing the soil to dry out slightly between waterings. 

Pinch off spent blooms to encourage more flowers and a full, leafy plant. Try scented and ivy-leaved geraniums for fragrance and foliar interest, respectively. 

Calibrachoa

	common name Calibrachoa
	botanical name Calibrachoa x hybrida
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-9”
	hardiness zones 7-11

Calibrachoa makes a splash with a cascading habit and loads of petite bell flowers. Like miniature petunias, million bells flower from spring through fall. Their rainbow of colors ranges from crimson to yellow to purple-black. The advantage of calibrachoa (in addition to a profusion of blooms) is that they handle heat better than petunias. They also withstand some drought.

Million bells pair with any number of annuals as spring porch plants. They tolerate cool weather (but not cold). Look for SuperbellsⓇ for abundant bloom coverage from early spring to autumn’s light frost. Calibrachoa handles a bit of shade on the front porch. Give them rich, quick-draining soils.

Golden Creeping Jenny

	common name Golden Creeping Jenny
	botanical name Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-4”
	hardiness zones 3-8

Golden creeping Jenny brings a pop of lime to the display, ready to trail over a container or hanging basket edge. The long stems have small, rounded leaves in chartreuses. The look is lush and vibrant, making a pretty contrast in color and contrast among geraniums, tuberous begonias, and almost any other seasonal feature. Its delicate form won’t overshadow other plantings, but the color burst brightens the display.

‘Aurea’ shows gold tones in sunnier spots and more lime in shadier ones. Leaves become brassy or blanched in too much sun. While ‘Aurea’ spreads less aggressively than the straight species, if you live in regions of North America where this plant is invasive, opt for another spiller. 

Lobelia

	common name Lobelia
	botanical name Lobelia erinus
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-18”
	hardiness zones 2-11

Lobelia’s rounded habit and profusion of petite, two-lipped blooms gently overflow the rim of the pot. In bright blues and whites and charming pinks and violets, the spray of color appears in late spring. For moderate-climate gardeners, blooms last til fall frost. In warm growing zones, spring shows the best flush.

Situate lobelia on the porch in morning sun and protection from intense afternoon rays. In hot climates, look for heat-tolerant varieties like ‘Techno Heat Dark Blue’ for improved blooming during the summer heat.

For successive flushes of new growth and flowers, give plants an all-over trim after each bloom cycle. Grow the annual in moist, organically rich, well-drained soils.

Fuchsia

	common name Fuchsia
	botanical name Fuchsia spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-3’
	hardiness zones 6-11

Detailed, ornamental blooms suspend on gracefully fuchsia’s arching stems. White, pink, red, magenta, purple, and bicolor flowers sway and bob like origami lanterns on the branch.

The showy bloomers are beacons for hummingbirds and other pollinators. Whether you’re growing hardy or tender, tropical types, fuchsias benefit from simple pruning and deadheading to maintain their form and flowering. They produce the heaviest flush in spring, with repeat flowering throughout the warm season.

Fuchsia needs bright, indirect light to thrive, making them ideal in hanging baskets on the shady sides of the porch. Grow them in rich soil with regular moisture. Once established, they’re somewhat drought-tolerant.

Boston Fern

	common name Boston Fern
	botanical name Nephrolepis exaltata ‘Bostoniensis’
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 2-3’
	hardiness zones 10-13

In warm areas, Boston ferns make an early appearance, hitting shelves as soon as the last frost is on the horizon. By season’s end, they’ll be huge and lush, their leafy fronds gracefully arching from hanging baskets or on pedestals. Bostons are perfect for adorning a porch or patio. Grow them as tropical annuals or overwinter them in a sheltered space before temperatures drop.

Boston ferns’ ease of growth, performance, and versatility earned them the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit. Similar sword fern cultivars have frilled or ruffled leaves. For slightly more sun tolerance, look to Kimberly queen ferns (Nephrolepis obliterata). Fronds are similar in texture but are more upright. 

Boston ferns do well with a small window of sunlight or plenty of bright, indirect light. Water is their primary need, often requiring it daily in summer.

Nemesia

	common name Nemesia
	botanical name Nemesia spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6-12”
	hardiness zones 2-11

From April to June, nemesia’s petite tubular flowers in nearly every color accent other spring porch plants. Early to flower, the dancing blooms provide nectar when others haven’t yet emerged. 

Nemesia suffers in heat and high humidity. In cool, northern climates, it blooms from spring until frost, but in hot, southern summers, it grows best as a cool-season annual. In moderate growing areas, blooming starts in the spring and subsides with higher temperatures, to resume again in the fall. Cut them back when they fade during the summer, or pluck them from the garden.

The ‘Sunsatia’ series boasts improved heat tolerance in colorful selections like white ‘Coconut,’ peach ‘Mango,’ and sunny ‘Lemon.’ These hybrids extend the bloom season as temperatures rise late in the season.

Diascia

	common name Diascia
	botanical name Diascia barberae
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 10-12”
	hardiness zones 8-11

Diascia is a sweet addition with delicate flowers that blanket mounding foliage. Slender stems bear pure white, pink, bright red, and orange blossoms.

This is a vigorous, cold-tolerant annual or tender perennial. In the snapdragon family, it has larger, looser flowers than snaps, but still tubular and a magnet for bees and butterflies. Like lobelia and nemesia, shear plants as they show less vigor during the summer to flush again in fall.

Feature diascia singly in pots or pair it with other cool-season growers. It tolerates freezing temperatures once established but stops flowering during cold stress. Optimal growing temperatures to establish are near 50-75°F (10-24°C).

Stock

	common name Stock
	botanical name Matthiola incana
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-3’
	hardiness zones 6-10

Stock is worth growing as a spring porch plant for its scent to savor. Enjoy it as you come and go or sit nearby. The nostalgic favorite has jewel-tone flowers on stiff, upright stems. It features single or double flowers in bright, clear tones and vintage shades like copper. Stock makes a lovely cut flower for springtime bouquets.

This species thrives in cool temperatures. It doesn’t withstand hot summers or frigid winters, though a light frost won’t harm established specimens. It blooms from spring through frost as a tender perennial in cool climates and as a cool-season annual across other zones. Stock is hardy to 25°F (-4°C).

Grow it easily from seed, where it germinates in a week to 10 days. Stock does best in highly organic and well-draining soils, though it withstands occasional wet soils.

Tulips

	common name Tulips
	botanical name Tulipa spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6-30”
	hardiness zones 3-8

There’s nothing like a pot bursting with tulips to brighten the springtime display. With their cupped blooms in single, double, or frilly forms, the elegant flowering bulbs highlight the entrance in perfect seasonal style. Plant them in pots in the fall to receive the necessary chill requirement for flowering, or purchase “pre-cooled” bulbs for a ready planting. Or, get nursery or florist-potted specimens about to open and nestle them together for an instant show.

Tulips are short-lived bulbs that may flower for a few years before fading. Their vigor is best in the first year and declines with successive seasons. Many gardeners grow tulips as annuals or short-lived perennials as a result.

Darwin hybrid tulips are long-blooming and have the most potential of modern hybrids to perennialize. Their true tulip form is simple and elegant, with cupped blooms in vivid shades. Large flowers grace tall stems and range from pure pink (‘Pink Impression’) to clear yellow (‘Golden Parade’), bright red (‘Parade’), and purple-black (‘Queen of Night’).

African Daisy

	common name African Daisy
	botanical name Osteospermum spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-3’
	hardiness zones 10-11

African daisy, or osteospermum, welcomes the cool weather of spring with a profusion of daisy-like flowers. The colorful ray petals shine in white, pink, purple, coral, and yellow. Some even have little “spoons” on each petal’s end, like ‘Whirligig.’

In climates with cool summers, African daisies flower from spring until frost. In warmer climates, they’ll do best in spring and fall. Osteospermums are cold-hardy to 25°F (-4°C), but plant them after the final frost for best success.

African daisies prefer moist, well-drained soils. Native to South Africa, these Mediterranean climate plants tolerate periods of drought. They make beautiful cut flowers in addition to spring porch plants.

Primrose

	common name Primrose
	botanical name Primula spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6 to 24”
	hardiness zones 3-8

Primula means “little earliest one,” and primrose is a harbinger of spring that spans the winter to spring transition..With over 400 primrose species, these sweet perennials (or annuals in warm climates) are among the first to bloom in late winter and early spring. Primroses span the color spectrum and feature clusters of tiny flowers that rise above rosettes of dark, ruffled leaves. 

With over 400 species, there are limitless lovely primrose varieties to incorporate in shades from pastel to bold and shapes from bell to sphere to snowflake. They feature clusters of small flowers or delicate singular blooms on stalks above rosettes of deep green, crinkled leaves. With a sweet, subtle fragrance and low-growing habit, primrose is lovely along walkways and in container arrangements at the entryway. 

Most species prefer organically rich, moist, well-drained soils and perennialize best in growing areas with mild summers. Once established, primrose needs little care except to divide crowded groups, creating more plants and blooms.