21 Beginner-Friendly Annuals to Grow in Window Boxes

Are you on the hunt for the perfect flowering or foliage plants to jazz up your window box planters? Well, look no further than this list! Below, you’ll find an array of showstopping annuals that will brighten up your home in both sun and shade.

A window box with pink annual flowers — Window boxes add a lot to the look of a home. And there are many beginner-friendly annuals you can easily grow in them.

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21 beginner-friendly annuals to grow in window boxes

A window box with a mix of colorful, low growing flowers — Short and flashy is the name of the game for window box plants.

The best plants for window boxes tend to be flashy plants with short, upright growth habits and lots of fantastic colors. But for even more spice, you may want to throw a few trailing plants and vines into your window box planters to create a layered design that draws the eye in. If plants have lots of texture and move with the wind or if they attract pollinators like butterflies, that’s even better!

1. Zinnias (Zinnia elegans)

Brightly colored zinnia flowers — Zinnias are a popular cutting flower, but there are short and dwarf varieties that do beautifully in window boxes, too.

Plant name:	Zinnias
Light requirements:	Full sun; can tolerate part shade in hot areas
Water requirements	Moderate
Special features:	Good for cut flowers; Easy to grow from seed

A top-notch cutting flower, zinnias look pretty in indoor vases and bouquets, but they can lighten up window boxes, too. Often confused with dahlias, many zinnias are relatively small plants that grow to about 1’ tall, although you can find taller varieties that stretch up to 4’ in height. Zinnias are most famous for their colorful flowers, which come in both single and double-bloomed options, and those blooms sport petals in almost any color you could imagine!

If you’d like to get zinnia blooms quickly, you can grow plants from nursery starts. But zinnias also grow reliably from seed, and you can collect zinnia seeds at the end of the season for seed saving. Aside from their beauty, zinnias are also highly attractive to bees and other pollinators, but make sure that you select single-bloomed varieties for pollinators as these flowers are more enticing to insects.

2. Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus)

Snapdragons in a window box — Snapdragons have the added benefit of being cold hardy.

Plant name:	Snapdragons
Light requirements:	Full sun to part shade
Water requirements	Moderate
Special features:	Easy to grow from seed

A cottage garden favorite, snapdragons may look delicate, but they can grow in a range of conditions, and they’re also some of the most cold hardy plants you can find. Most varieties of snapdragons grow between 6 and 15” tall, so they won’t block out windows and other key features on your home. However, you can find taller varieties of snapdragons that stretch up to 48” tall if you want plants that make an even bigger impact!

Like zinnias, snapdragons come in a rainbow of colors, and you can select just a single flower color to accentuate the shades of your home or plant a mix of snapdragon hues. Like many other annuals, snapdragons are easy to grow from seed, but you can also buy flats of snapdragons in spring and get flowers even earlier!

3. Caladiums (Caladium bicolor)

Caladiums in window boxes — Foliage plants like caladiums add interest to window boxes.

Plant name:	Caladiums
Light requirements:	Part shade
Water requirements	Moderate
Special features:	Can double as houseplants

When most growers think about designing window boxes for their homes, they envision brilliantly colored, flowering plants. But if you’d like to create a more complex and intriguing window box display, you may also want to throw some foliage plants into the mix. Ferns and succulents are common choices for window boxes, but if you dream of plants with vibrant leaves that draw the eye in, caladiums are hard to beat!

Caladium leaves are boldly colored with shades of green, pink, and red; however, some of the most bewitching caladiums you can find are those with pale white leaves that catch the sunlight like stained glass windows. Caladiums are not frost hardy and they will die away in winter. However, if you love your caladium plants and want to keep them going, you can overwinter plants indoors as houseplants… just keep in mind that caladium leaves are toxic to pets!

4. Petunias (Petunia spp.)

Small petunias in a window box — Plants that work well in hanging baskets, like these petunias, often work well in window boxes, too.

Plant name:	Petunias
Light requirements:	Full sun
Water requirements	Moderate
Special features:	Long-lasting blooms

A classic plant for hanging baskets and garden beds, petunias also work beautifully in window boxes, and their sprightly blooms are some of the most intensely colored flowers around. Petunias come in deep shades of pink, purple, yellow, red, and more, and you can even find petunias with two-toned, striped blooms. For an even more fantastic color, try out Wave petunias, which are hardier than other petunias species, and they also bloom more prolifically.

Interestingly, petunias belong to the Nightshade family, which includes edible crops like tomatoes and potatoes. Although petunias aren’t appropriate for eating, they are reliable bloomers, and their trumpet-shaped flowers are always a hit with hummingbirds!

5. Verbena (Verbena spp.)

Clustered pink-purple verbena flowers — There are both annual and perennials varieties of verbena.

Plant name:	Verbena
Light requirements:	Full sun
Water requirements	Moderate
Special features:	Pollinator favorite

There are over 150 different types of verbena plants, and some verbena grows perennially, while others are annuals. Annual verbenas are every bit as pretty as long-lasting perennials, and they have clustered flowers that appear atop long and slender stems, which gives the plant an airy effect. Most of the time, you’ll find verbena flowers in shades of pink, purple, and white, but you can also locate blue, apricot, and bicolored verbena blooms.

Some verbena plants emit a delicate, lemon-like scent, while others are said to produce a “clean” and “refreshing” aroma. More often, however, verbena plants don’t yield much fragrance, but they’re still hugely popular with pollinators. During hot summers, annual verbena plants may stop flowering, and perennial verbena may be better choices for areas where summers produce scorching temperatures.

6. Marigolds (Tagetes spp.)

Marigolds in a window box — Marigolds can help keep pests and insects away from your windows, too.

Plant name:	Marigolds
Light requirements:	Full sun
Water requirements	Moderate
Special features:	Can control pests naturally; Long-lasting blooms

Marigolds are often associated with the fall because of their autumnal colors and their ties to the Dia de los Muertos holiday. But marigold flowers can be enjoyed throughout the seasons, and you can even keep marigolds blooming in winter if you live in a mild climate!

Marigolds’ button-shaped flowers most commonly come in shades of gold, orange, and red, and some plants produce flowers with bicolored petals. Depending on the size of your window box, you can choose between tall marigolds that stretch up to 3’ high and dwarf marigolds that grow to about 6” tall. And if you need even more reasons to grow marigolds, these plants help to repel garden pests, and they can shield neighboring plants from pests like aphids!

7. Canna lilies (Canna spp.)

Red canna lily flowers — Dwarf varieties of canna lilies work well in window boxes.

Plant name:	Canna lilies
Light requirements:	Full sun to part shade
Water requirements	Moderate
Special features:	Tropical look

If you love tropical-looking plants, canna lilies are must-haves for your window box garden. These plants produce exuberant flowers that bring to mind sunny islands and beachy days, but canna lilies can be grown as annuals in cool locations! Full-sized canna lilies grow approximately 3 to 5’ tall, which can be too big for some window boxes, but you can track down dwarf varieties that max out at around 2’ high.

In warm areas, canna lilies grow as perennials, but these plants are not frost hardy, and they will die away when temperatures drop in fall. But if you don’t want to say ‘goodbye’ to your canna lily plants just yet, you can overwinter your plants indoors. Just dig up canna lily tubers in the fall and overwinter them indoors (like you would dahlias) until temperatures improve.

8. Herbs

Lavender growing in a window box — Planting herbs in window boxes can give you both form and function.

Plant name:	Herbs
Light requirements:	Full sun to part shade, depending on a variety
Water requirements	Moderate to low
Special features:	Edible; Pollinator favorite

Zinnias are lovely, and heliotropes are pretty, but if you want to get even more value out of your window boxes, you can use them to grow edible plants, too! Ornamental peppers, ornamental kale, and Swiss chard all grow beautifully in window boxes, and many of these plants can also tolerate frost. But if you’re not quite ready to take the step of growing vegetables, you can also plant culinary herbs in window box planters and harvest your own herbs just as you need them.

Many herbs grow well in window boxes, but plants like sage and mint can get too large for small space planters. Cilantro, parsley, chamomile, and basil are all easy herbs to keep, and they grow as annuals in most areas, while hardier herbs like thyme and oregano can kept perennially in even cool climates. Just make sure you select food-safe growing containers if you want to keep herbs and other edibles, as plants can sometimes absorb yucky contaminants from the pots and soil they’re growing in!

9. Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima)

White and purple alyssum in a window box — Sweet alyssum is a good choice if you want a fragrant flower for your window box.

Plant name:	Sweet alyssum
Light requirements:	Full sun to part shade
Water requirements	Moderate
Special features:	Delicate, honey-like scent

If you want to make your window box garden a delight for all of your senses (not just your eyes!), look for fragrant annual plants. Today, there are many annuals that can add a rich fragrance to planters and garden beds, but time and time again, sweet alyssum is at the top of fragrant plant lists. Aside from their gorgeous clusters of white and purple flowers, sweet alyssum plants are famed for their sweet, sweet fragrance, which is said to smell a lot like fresh honey!

Some gardeners grow sweet alyssum in inground gardens, and these plants can even be used as flowering ground covers. But if you only have a small space garden or just a few window boxes for flowers, sweet alyssum is just as happy growing in a limited space. Like verbena, sweet alyssum doesn’t handle heat well, and plants will usually stop flowering in summer, but they’ll perk right up and bloom again as soon as fall arrives!

10. Impatiens (Impatiens spp.)

Pink and coral impatiens in a window box — Impatiens are the perfect choice if you have shaded boxes.

Plant name:	Impatiens
Light requirements:	Shade
Water requirements	Moderate
Special features:	Good for shade gardens

Most plants chosen for window boxes are high-sun plants that need 6 to 8 hours of direct light to grow and flower. But if your home is on a shadier lot, your window boxes may not receive enough light throughout the day to satisfy sun-hungry plants. But that’s where impatiens come in!

Impatiens aren’t just lovely to look at… they’re also some of the best plants to grow in shady spots. Impatiens can tolerate both full shade and part shade, but they do need lots of water, so make sure you water your plants regularly. Impatiens blooms come in many colors, including pink, salmon, and white, and they also press well if you’re into crafting with flowers!

11. Zonal geraniums (Pelargonium zonale)

Potted pink geraniums in pots in a wire window box — Not all window boxes have to be traditional in style!

Plant name:	Zonal geraniums
Light requirements:	Full sun
Water requirements	Moderate
Special features:	Long-lasting blooms

Whether you keep them in pots or window boxes, geraniums have a timeless beauty that can be used to accentuate any home. Most commonly, you’ll find geraniums with red, white, or pink blooms, but some varieties also sport orange, mauve, or purple flowers. When cared for properly, zonal geraniums can bloom for many months, with flowers lasting from mid-spring to the first frosts of fall.

Although geraniums will generally bloom with little fuss and maintenance if you want to get even more flowers out of your plants, fertilize your geraniums regularly with a diluted liquid fertilizer. And don’t forget to deadhead spent geranium flowers too. When you pinch back geranium flower stems at the base of the plant, it keeps geraniums looking trim, but it also encourages plants to sprout more blooms!

12. Begonias (Begonia spp.)

Begonias in a window box — Begonias can live as houseplants in the winter, too.

Plant name:	Begonias
Light requirements:	Part shade
Water requirements	Moderate
Special features:	Can double as houseplants

There are many types of begonias, and some of them are more suitable for window boxes than others. Cane-type begonias have strikingly colorful leaves, and some cane begonias even produce spotted foliage. However, these begonia types tend to get quite large, and they may overwhelm small window box planters.

If you’re working with a small space, try out more compact begonia types like rex begonias. These plants are every bit as pretty as taller begonias, but they grow to about 12 to 24” high. Plus, these begonia species grow so well in containers that you can bring them indoors and keep them as houseplants during winter if you want to!

13. Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)

Cosmos flowers in bloom — Species cosmos are tall plants, so for window boxes, you'll need to search out short and dwarf varieties.

Plant name:	Cosmos
Light requirements:	Full sun
Water requirements	Moderate
Special features:	Good for cut flowers; Easy to grow from seed

Like zinnias, cosmos are often used in cut flower arrangements, but they can add grace and beauty to window boxes, too. Cosmos flowers have large and colorful petals that come in shades of pink and white, and flowers appear on the ends of long and airy stems that can add graceful movement to window box arrangements.

Most often, cosmos are grown from seed, but these flowers are fast to sprout, and they often flower in just 50 to 60 days. Most cosmos are true annuals, so they won’t live more than a year even in warm climates, but you can easily collect cosmos seeds in autumn and use the seeds to grow more cosmos next spring!

14. Million bells (Calibrachoa spp.)

Orange and yellow million bells flowers — Million bells are easy to grow and easy to care for, and will stay bin bloom for a long time.

Plant name:	Million bells
Light requirements:	Full sun to part shade
Water requirements	Moderate
Special features:	Long bloom time

Million bells have trumpet-shaped flowers that look like mini versions of petunias, and they come in a medley of colors, too. Like petunias, million bells have a slightly cascading growth habit, which allows the plant to drape over the edges of window boxes and gives texture to planting designs. Plus, these plants are super easy to grow, and they’ll flower for many months as well.

Million bells can be grown from seed, but most growers purchase these plants as the nursery starts to get flowers earlier in the season. But if you want to get more million bell plants without spending a cent, you can also easily propagate these plants from stem cuttings. Just clip off a healthy length of the stem, remove the lower leaves and any flowers, and place the cutting in soil or water until roots emerge.

15. Heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens)

Purple flowering heliotrope for window boxes — Heliotrope is another fragrant plant choice and since it is not as common in window boxes, it will make yours unique.

Plant name:	Heliotrope
Light requirements:	Full sun
Water requirements	High to moderate
Special features:	Fragrant

Heliotrope is a less commonly grown plant than some of the other choices on this list, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less spectacular. Heliotropes have clusters of richly hued flowers in shades of purple and white, and they coordinate nicely with other window box plants, like verbena and sweet alyssum. However, most growers keep heliotrope for its enthralling scent, which smells a bit like sugary cherries and almonds!

Among heliotrope’s many charms is the plant’s ability to move with the sun. Known as heliotropism, heliotrope flowers shift towards the light, which can make the plants look different as the sun changes directions throughout the day. Sunflowers and some other garden plants also display this characteristic, and heliotropism was even noted in the Greek myth of Clytie!

16. Ranunculus (Ranunculus spp.)

Pink ranunculus flowers — Ranunculuses also make lovely cut flowers, the blooms last a very long time.

Plant name:	Ranunculus
Light requirements:	Full sun; may benefit from afternoon shade in hot areas
Water requirements	Moderate
Special features:	Good for cut flowers

Ranunculus plants are closely related to buttercups, but unlike their wild cousins, ranunculus blooms display an array of colors, including orange, pink, and yellow. A prime candidate for cut flower arrangements, ranunculus flowers make a big impact in window boxes, and they look particularly appealing when paired with other plants with strong shapes, like snapdragons and creeping Jenny.

In warm areas, ranunculus plants grow as perennials, but they can also be cherished as annuals in regions where winters are harsh. In gardens with mild climates, ranunculus bulbs are typically planted in the fall, but it’s best to wait until late winter to early spring to do your planting if you live in growing zones 7 and below.

17. Spider flowers (Cleome spp.)

Spider flower with long, threadlike stamens poking past the petals — Those long threads are actually the stamens of the spider flower.

Plant name:	Spider flowers
Light requirements:	Full sun to part shade
Water requirements	Moderate
Special features:	Pollinator favorite

Also known as cleome, spider flowers have an interesting and unusual look thanks to their long and slender stamens. These stamens give spider flowers a light and breezy appearance, but they have also inspired the plant’s name, “spider flowers,” since the stamens are said to look like the legs of an arachnid! Cleome blooms last from early summer until fall frosts arrive, and blooms appear in an assortment of shades, including pink, purple, and white.

Spider flowers are often grown in garden beds, and they produce an impressive display of color when they’re clustered in large groupings. However, the spider flowers that are planted in flower gardens are typically tall plants that can grow up to 5’ high. For window boxes, look for smaller cleome cultivars that stay under 2’ tall and try these plants out with plants with contrasting shapes, such as ranunculus and sweet alyssum.

18. Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)

Creeping Jenny in a succulent themed window box — Though it's a perennial, Creeping Jenny makes a great window box trailing plant (and you probably won't have to replant it every year).

Plant name:	Creeping Jenny
Light requirements:	Full sun to part shade
Water requirements	High to moderate
Special features:	Trailing stems add movement

Creeping Jenny is technically a perennial plant even in cool climates, but it’s just so useful in window box displays that it had to make its way onto this list! Most window box plants have an upright growth habit and a relatively short stature. However, if you’d like your window boxes to have a more complex look, you may also want to add some trailing or “spiller” elements to your planter arrangement.

There are many different spiller plants that can be grown in window boxes, including ivies, string of pearls, and inchplants. But creeping Jenny is one of the most popular trailing plants around thanks to its bright green leaves and low maintenance needs. Creeping Jenny does like to be watered often, but it can tolerate lower light conditions, and if plants are happy, creeping Jenny will reward you with bright yellow flowers, too!

19. Mums (Chrysanthemum morifolium)

Mums in a window box — There are trailing as well as upright varieties of mums that you can use in your window boxes.

Plant name:	Mums
Light requirements:	Full sun
Water requirements	Moderate
Special features:	Autumn colors

Mums can be grown throughout the year, but their autumn colors make them particularly popular options for fall window boxes. These easy-going plants come in many different hues, including purple, orange, and deep wine color, and they’re even somewhat cold tolerant, although mum plants won’t survive a hard frost.

Most people are familiar with upright florist mums, but if you’re keeping a window box, you may also want to experiment with trailing or cascade mums. These showy plants can be used as spiller elements in window boxes, but they will need to be kept in regions with long growing seasons if you want plants to develop that long and trailing effect.

20. Lantana (Lantana camara)

Colorful Lantana in a window box — If you love pollinators like honeybees, hummingbirds, and butterflies, Lantana is an excellent choice for your window boxes.

Plant name:	Lantana
Light requirements:	Full sun to part shade
Water requirements	Moderate
Special features:	Pollinator favorite

Another pollinator favorite, lantana blooms, are irresistible to hummingbirds, but beneficial insects love these flowers too. If you adore tropical-looking plants but you also want to help out wildlife, lantanas are the plants for you.

In warm areas, lantanas can be grown as perennials, and plants can grow to an impressive height of 6’ or more. In USDA growing zones 7 and below, lantanas are generally kept as annuals, and since they have a shorter growing season, plants stay smaller and usually grow to about 2’ in height.

21. Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides)

Different colors of coleus in a window box — Coleus is prized for its colorful foliage and can grow as a houseplant, too.

Plant name:	Coleus
Light requirements:	Part shade
Water requirements	Moderate
Special features:	Can double as houseplants

Like caladiums, coleus plants rarely flower, but these plants put on an impressive show anyway! Coleus are primarily grown for their colorful leaves that often feature multiple shades of pink, green, white, and other glorious colors. However, if you love plant drama, you can also find coleus plants with deep, dark foliage that looks nearly black in most lighting.

Despite their flamboyant look, coleus are easy-to-grow and ultra-beginner-friendly plants that will keep your window boxes looking colorful throughout the changing seasons. In autumn, coleus plants look stately when paired with mums, but they also bring out the colors of marigolds, petunias, and begonias as well. Best of all, coleus transition easily to indoor life, so if you are fond of these plants, try keeping them as houseplants in winter!

Summary

Window boxes with mixed flowering annuals — No need to pick just one plant or flower for your window boxes--mix and match for interest and beauty!

From alyssum to zonal geraniums, there are many different, colorful annuals to grow in window boxes. These plants are easy to keep, and since they grow as annuals, you don’t need to worry about overwintering them. However, if you love your window box beauties, many of the plants we’ve covered today can also transition to indoor life and be grown as houseplants if that idea appeals to you.

For even more window box garden ideas, check out our guide on cold-tolerant annuals that can survive frosts and freezing temperatures, too!