No yard? No problem! Plant lovers can still grow plenty of their favorite foliage and flowers, even with just a little balcony space. There are plenty of plants out there that will thrive in the conditions of your balcony.

Are you a plant lover feeling stifled by lack of outdoor green space? Are you wondering what plants can I grow on my balcony? If the answer is yes to either of those questions, this article is for you. Keep reading for 15 great plants to grow on balcony.

What plants can you grow on your balcony?

In short, you can grow:

• Lobelia
• Sweet Potato Vine
• New Guinea Impatiens
• Fuschia
• Sweet Alyssum
• Caladium
• Torenia
• Hibiscus
• Salvia
• Polka Dot Plant
• Rose
• Ornamental Grasses
• Hydrangea
• Herbs
• Heuchera

Lobelia

The Lobelia looks amazing, flowing out of baskets or containers with its white and violet hues. A Lobelia does not require a lot of maintenance once you have planted it on your balcony, but during hot or dry spells throughout the year, it needs to be consistently watered.

If you want your Lobelia to look it’s healthiest and most vibrant, then you should make sure to prune and trim back the flowers a few times per year as it allows the plant to produce more flowers.

Sweet Potato Vine

Unfortunately, you will not be actually growing sweet potatoes with this plant, so you’re going to have to find another way to make a sweet potato pie if you choose to grow this plant. This vine streams around hanging baskets and containers with its beautiful green and violet colors.

This vine is incredibly easy to take care of as it can thrive with little amounts of water and sun though watering this plant frequently will allow it to grow tenfold so they should be given room to grow.

New Guinea Impatiens

The New Guinea Impatiens brings a whole different level of color to your balcony with varieties of colors such as orange, pink, white, and red. Unlike the Lobelia, they don’t need to be pinched back to keep the plant healthy.

These plants do best in pots with part shade/part sun and regular watering. Another great feature of these plants is that they attract hummingbirds, so if you would like some of these little guys to visit your balcony, then this flower is excellent for you.

Fuschia

The Fuschia is also a great flower to attract Hummingbirds and other pollinators such as Honeybees. It comes in colors like pink, red, and purple and fits best when planted in a hanging basket or window box.

The Fuschia is like the New Guinea Impatiens when it comes to caring for it. It can deteriorate in direct sunlight, so it grows best in part shade/part sun and with regular watering.

Sweet Alyssum

This flower blooms for a long time as it’s able to withstand periods of colder temperatures. This plant is a member of the mustard family and has white flowers. Unlike the previously mentioned flowers, it prefers full sun, but it also needs to be regularly watered.

This plant attracts pollinators like bees and hummingbirds while providing a sweet yet delicate scent to your balcony.

Caladium

Caladium has beautiful heart-shaped leaves with vibrant lime green coloring and red or pink markings. This plant is best suited for larger balconies as it needs a large pot and can grow as big as 2 feet tall.

It also needs to be placed in a relatively shady area and watered regularly to keep it healthy.

Torenia

The Torenia grows in white, purple, pink, or a combination of two of these colors and is often referred to as the wishbone flower because it has a one-of-a-kind wishbone shape within their center.

These flowers are also great for hummingbirds, and they bloom from spring to fall. These plants grow best when regularly watered and in partial shade.

Hibiscus

Arguably, the prettiest flower on this list, the Hibiscus flower, brings an exotic and tropical feel to your balcony with its beautiful colors. The flowers create a delicate and beautiful scent that will make people wonder how your balcony smells so great.

These flowers need space as they can grow quite large. They also need regular watering in the warmer seasons, but less constant water in the colder seasons, as well as an abundant amount of sun to keep healthy.

Salvia

Salvia is a long and tall plant that brings spikes of flowers that are purple, blue, or pink. Interestingly enough, this plant is a member of the mint family and attracts butterflies and other pollinators.

Salvia needs full sun to grow and occasional watering to maintain its healthy appearance.

Polka Dot Plant

The Polka Dot Plant is relatively easy to grow. This plant looks exactly as what you think it would look like with its display of polka dot-like speckles of pink, red, white, and green on its leaves.

It can even be made into an indoor plant if you ever want to relocate it from your balcony due to its ability to adapt. This plant needs mostly shades and occasional watering to keep it healthy.

Rose

Roses are possibly one of the most perfect flowers in history, so choosing to have some on your balcony is never a bad idea. Roses have a negative reputation as being too hard to maintain, but some rose shrubs are resistant to colder temps.

Some roses are even disease-resistant, so you won’t even need to worry too much about its health. The rose shrub needs to be placed in full sun and watered wisely to avoid over or under-watering.

Ornamental Grasses

Ornamental grasses add a unique and modern look to your balcony. There are many different kinds of ornamental grasses, all of them with unique textures, looks, and shapes.

It is a great filler plant for when you want to cover an area with a plant, but you don’t want anything that takes too much effort to care for. The grass needs full, or part sun, and watering varies depending on the type of grass.

Hydrangea

Hydrangeas are typically grown as large shrubs that take up a few feet of garden space, but there do happen to be some dwarf varieties that you can plant and manage on your balcony.

Hydrangea shrubs come in multiple colors, such as white, purple, blue, pink, or a combination of these colors. Hydrangeas need both sun and shade as well as consistent watering to grow healthy.

Herbs

Herbs are incredibly low maintenance plants that you can utilize for your cooking. Chives, rosemary, oregano, basil, and thyme are all great herbs that can be grown in small pots.

I grow basil and oregano to sprinkle over my homemade pizzas to add that extra layer of flavor and aroma. Depending on the type of herb, more sun or more shade might be needed, but watering should be consistent with all of them.

Heuchera

The Heuchera is also known as coral bells because of the bell-like flowers that spike out of its tall stems. The leaf colors come in varieties such as the aforementioned “coral” white, red, and green. This plant does well in pots and does best in partial shade or full sun with regular watering.

Before you get plants to grow on balcony

Before you visit the local nursery with your list of potential plants to grow on balcony, do a little recon to see how much sun your balcony gets each day. Some plants will roast with too much sun, while others need all the UV rays they can get. Knowing how much sunlight your balcony gets will help narrow down the choices of what to choose.

Soil is another factor in healthy plant life. Add potting soil to your nursery list, but make sure to get the kind that is made for your plants. Some require potting soil that drains quickly, while others prefer something more sandy. The wrong kind of soil will prevent your plants from growing and eventually kill them.

Lastly, if you have pots or planters in mind, put them out on your balcony to get an idea of where each will go. This will help you decide what kind of plants will go in each pot, as well as how many plants you’ll need to get. Nothing is worse than over buying plants or having too many pots.

PS. If you have pollen allergy, here are 14 low-pollen flowers suitable for your balcony or garden.