Master Gardeners: Here are 4 shade lovers for containers and window boxes
Published 8:15 am Sunday, August 31, 2025
Looking for some shade loving, beautiful plants to place in containers and window boxes? Consider begonias and impatiens for their gorgeous flowers along with caladiums and coleus for their colorful leaves. All four of these plants will add so much variety to the shaded areas of your garden.
Begonias
The scientific name for Begonia is Begoniaceae. In 1690, Charles Plumier, while in Brazil, named a fibrous begonia after Michel Begon, a French botanist. Before that, begonias were found in Mexico and China. There are many different colors of Begonia flowers and leaves in the genus of more than 2,000 species and cultivars.
There are four main categories of begonias which include fibrous, hardy, rhizomatous and tuberous. Begonias are perfect for containers and window
boxes. They prefer shade or partial shade. Let the top two inches of soil dry out to avoid overwatering and root rot.
Begonias are perennial plants so they can live for many years. They are frost tender and will not survive freezing temperatures if left outside. Begonias are toxic to humans and pets if chewed or swallowed. They can cause drooling, vomiting or difficulty swallowing.
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Impatiens
The genus name for impatiens comes from a Latin word which describes how the seeds burst out of the pods when ripe and sprinkle over the soil. Impatiens is a plant that likes shade or partial shade and is ideal for containers, window boxes and containers.
There are two main groups of impatiens, Impatiens walleriana and New Guinea impatiens, Impatiens hawker. The Impatiens walleriana is native to Africa and was introduced by Dr. John Kirk in the Victorian era and named after missionary Horace Waller later.
The two types of impatiens look different but have basically the same growing conditions. The New Guinea impatiens have larger foliage and can tolerate more sunlight than the other group. They are perennials in frost free areas but are usually grown as house plants and annuals. Impatiens have a non- toxic nature and are safe for humans and pets.
Caladium
The plant genus Caladium belongs to the family Araceae also known as the arum family. This family includes philodendrons and peace lilies. They are often known by the names elephant ear, angel wings and heart of Jesus.
The caladium is originally from South and Central American rainforests. They arrived in America in 1893 after the Chicago World’s Fair. Lake Placid, Florida produces a significant amount of the world’s caladiums.
Caladiums like well- draining soil, consistent moisture and shade. Indirect sunlight can burn their delicate leaves. They are dormant in fall and winter. All parts of the caladium plant are toxic if chewed or swallowed.
Coleus
The genus name for coleus is Plectranthus, but some botanists also know it as Solenosternon. The coleus is part of the mint family, Lamiaceae which includes plants like basil, mint and sage.
Coleus plants are toxic particularly to cats, dogs, and horses. Coleus plants originally were located in tropical Africa and Asia. In the 1800s, Dutch botanist Karl Ludwig Blume was studying plants in Java and is given credit for introducing coleus to Europe. In Victorian England the coleus was used as a parlor plant or the garden. They like rich soil that drains well and shade to part shade.
Basically these four plants have the same type of needs for survival. They like well- drained soil, indirect sunlight but not direct which will scorch their leaves and soil that is moist but not soggy. The top inch of soil should be allowed to dry out before watering again. All four of them will be beautiful in a container or window box.
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