5 Great Plants For A Window Box In Full Sun

Full Sun Plant Options For A Window Box

Window Boxes are a staple of gardening decor. However, while other gardening items can be placed throughout the garden, or in a spot that the gardener chooses, window boxes are confined to the location of the window. This means that your window box will be subject to the side of the side of the house that your window is on, and the subsequent sunshine that side of the house may or may not receive. 

In previous articles we have written about different plants, flowers, and herbs that you can grow in a window box. In this article we want to share a few of the more popular options for flowers and plants for windows that receive full sun throughout the day. So, let’s take a look at the top 5 here:

Ageratum

Often being found in a soft blue tone, Ageratum plants are perfect for those windows that are located in the direct sunlight. The fluffy sky blue flowers are the calling card of this plant, with an abundance of light color that pairs well with a dark background. 

Planting Tips

Found in semi-arid locations near the equator, these flowers will need plenty of water after being in the sun all day, so make sure they get the care that they need. Finally make sure to deadhead the larger dead blooms throughout the summer to perpetuate flower growth.

The fluffy sky blue flowers are the calling card of this plant

Lavender

Lavender is a bit of an outlier on this list that is full of flowers. However, this hardy plant will still provide an astounding purple gray beauty in any window box. A member of the mint family, lavender plants are a perennial that should last multiple years, fill the entirety of your window box and provide a fragrance unlike any other. 

Planting Tips

While direct sunlight is good for lavender, they’ll do their best in afternoon sun, so west facing windows are certainly the best place to plant these growers.

This hardy plant will still provide an astounding purple gray beauty in any window box

Marigold

With a stunning combination of radiant orange and yellow blooms, Marigolds will make any dull colors of your home or window box pop. Planting these flowers is a breeze, and so is maintaining them. For all their delicately loud beauty, Marigolds are significantly more hardy than you might expect. Since they are a part of this list, you can assume that these bright flowers thrive particularly well in the sunshine. 

Planting Tips

Finding a place that gets at least indirect or partial sunshine is critical to getting the best blooms throughout the early spring and summer months. Direct sunlight is ideal, but you will still be able to plant these flowers on East or West facing windows, making sure that they are still getting enough sun. Finally these flowers are also less dependent on water than the gardener might think, so don’t worry too much if your watering schedule is a little haphazard.

For all their delicately loud beauty, Marigolds are significantly more hardy than you might expect.

Petunias

Petunias are a fan favorite for window box gardeners everywhere. This annual flower comes in a wide variety of colors, ranging from white, to purple, pink, yellow, and blue, allowing them to complement any home siding or window design. These little guys are absolutely crazy about sun, 5 to 6 hours of sunlight a day is a minimum, but the more sun the better. 

Planting Tips

Place petunias in a south facing window box to maximize the total sun they get, the more sunshine that petunias are exposed to, the more vibrant blooms they’ll produce through the late spring and summer. Finally make sure that these plants have enough water and they’ll be a statement piece to fill your window box throughout the summer.

These little guys are absolutely crazy about sun

Verbena

Verbena plants provide a darker color contrast than some of the other plants on this list. The large purple clusters that are formed by this plant are a favorite among many gardeners, and the darker colors are a different characteristic then many of the bright colors produced by these sun loving plants. 

Planting Tips

These will also thrive on a south facing window as they need direct sunlight throughout the day to produce the flowers that are so different from other sun loving options. Deadheading these little flowers is important to maintain their health and increase the production of flowers throughout the summer. Like Marigolds as well, these flowers won’t need an excessive amount of water, so arid climates are also a perfect place to plant Verbena.

Verbena plants provide a darker color contrast than some of the other plants on this list.