Contain Your Excitement: Planting Native Perennial Plants in Containers
By Rita Greenwell
There are many great reasons to plant many types of plants in containers, but plants native to the region often get left out of the picture. This could be because native plants often do really well in the ground, but planting perennial natives in containers can have advantages for everyone from non-gardeners to experts.
For beginners, planting in pots can be a much easier way to get your native plant the right amount of water. Though natives to Northern Arizona tend to require less water than most ornamentals, they do need additional water to get established. I started planting natives in containers because I was sick of killing them while I learned to tell if giving them too much or little water in the ground.
Although not unique to native plants, another great reason to plant in containers is that you can increase the types of plants that will survive in your space. I live in Flagstaff, where there are many microclimates within a very short distance. Those living in warmer microclimates can successfully grow plants that might not tolerate full sun in the heat of the summer by moving them to a shadier spot easily. And those in colder microclimates can move perennials in pots into a garage or next to the house for added warmth throughout the winter.
I stumbled upon my favorite reason to plant natives in containers by accident. While I was trying to figure out the best place to put a walkway in my yard, I knew I wanted yarrow and penstemon to line the edges of the path, but I wasn’t sure on where exactly I wanted the path to be. I decided to plant the seedings I bought in 4” pots in big pots so I could enjoy them and get them acclimated to the approximate place they’d be long-term. Over the next year, they spread through the pots and I unintentionally created a reserve of plants to split and plant in many places throughout my yard (and the yards of many friends).
Growing any plant in containers offers the benefits of gardening for people who rent, live in high-density housing, have gophers, or poor soil. And choosing natives for your containers has additional advantages. They often require less water, amendments, and maintenance to flourish.
Native plants in containers also provide many of the same benefits to the ecosystem as planting in the ground. Planting species native to your region supports all of the insects, birds, and other wildlife that evolved alongside those plants. One of the most popular stops for butterflies in my yard is a large container of scarlet cinquefoil and they don’t seem to care that it’s in a pot.
If you’re a beginner, I recommend you keep it simple. Each of the following steps below could (and does) have entire books written about them, but it doesn’t need to be complicated.
Pick a spot with at least a couple hours of sun.
Find some native perennial seedlings from a local grower or nursery. Do a little research or ask the grower/nursery which native plants will do well with how much sun your spot gets.
Buy a pot or repurpose something you already have. Make sure there are drainage holes to protect your plants from overwatering.
Pick a basic potting mix, which will have components that help retain water so the plant doesn’t dry out too quickly. Keep in mind that certain native cacti or yucca might require a cactus potting mix that drains water more quickly.
Plant your plants: Find out how big the plant grows and try to give it enough space for when it’s fully grown.
Water regularly. Native plants tend to like to get deep watering less often than shallow watering more often. Water it enough that water soaks down to the bottom of the roots and then let it almost dry out before watering again.
Consider investing in a moisture meter, that allows you to see if the soil is still moist below the surface (which dries out more quickly.)
Despite having long since figured out (mostly) how to grow natives in the ground, I still have many in containers for all these reasons. Go big or start small and enjoy all the beauty, fun, and ecological benefits of planting natives in containers!
RITA GREENWELL is a University of Arizona Master Gardener and Registered Nurse, who likes to approach her relationship with plants and soil communities with much love and chaos. Gardening Etcetera is written for the community by certified Master Gardeners of the University of Arizona's Coconino County Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program. Have a gardening question? Visit our Online Plant Help Desk at https://extension.arizona.edu/programs/coconino-county-master-gardener.
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