The winner: Begonia , 89/100. Runner-up: Verbena at 83. Lowest upkeep of the qualifiers: Catmint at 81.
Every flower here is scored by the same 5 published rules, using one open table of 85 flowers. No taste, no sponsors: tap any score and it unfolds into the lines that made it.
The picks
The flowers that won The top score, plus the qualifier that asks least of you.
89 89 WINNER WINNER YFG INDEX Fits a standard patio pot: 15 to 30 · Forgives a missed watering: medium · Bloom window: 6 months
Flaws, not dealbreakers:
toxic to cats
Deer: sometimes eaten (Rutgers C) Not for cat households
89 / 100 tap for the breakdown Fits a standard patio pot 25 / 25 15 to 30
Forgives a missed watering 9 / 20 medium
Bloom window 20 / 20 6 months
Set-and-forget upkeep 20 / 20 low
Documented heat proof 15 / 15 drought, heat, humidity, heavy shade, sandy dry soil, black walnut
81 81 LOW-EFFORT PICK LOW-EFFORT PICK YFG INDEX Fits a standard patio pot: 30 to 61 · Forgives a missed watering: dry to medium soil · Bloom window: 5 months
Flaws, not dealbreakers:
no vase data in the postharvest literature
Deer: rarely damaged (Rutgers A)
81 / 100 tap for the breakdown Fits a standard patio pot 19 / 25 30 to 61
Forgives a missed watering 15 / 20 dry to medium soil
Bloom window 20 / 20 5 months
Set-and-forget upkeep 20 / 20 low
Documented heat proof 7 / 15 drought, sandy dry soil, shallow rocky, urban
Also great Close behind on points. Neither beats the winner overall, but each is the better answer in a garden the winner would not suit.
83 83 ALSO GREAT ALSO GREAT YFG INDEX Fits a standard patio pot: 15 to 46 · Forgives a missed watering: medium · Bloom window: 6 months
Flaws, not dealbreakers:
no flaw on record
Deer: seldom damaged (Rutgers B)
83 / 100 tap for the breakdown Fits a standard patio pot 19 / 25 15 to 46
Forgives a missed watering 9 / 20 medium
Bloom window 20 / 20 6 months
Set-and-forget upkeep 20 / 20 low
Documented heat proof 15 / 15 drought, heat
78 78 ALSO GREAT ALSO GREAT YFG INDEX Fits a standard patio pot: 8 to 25 · Forgives a missed watering: dry to medium soil · Bloom window: 7 months
Flaws, not dealbreakers:
asks for some seasonal upkeep
Deer: rarely damaged (Rutgers A) Cat safe (listed non-toxic)
78 / 100 tap for the breakdown Fits a standard patio pot 25 / 25 8 to 25
Forgives a missed watering 15 / 20 dry to medium soil
Bloom window 20 / 20 7 months
Set-and-forget upkeep 11 / 20 medium
Documented heat proof 7 / 15 drought, sandy dry soil
The protocol
How the score is built 5 rules, 100 points, no opinions. Every line reads one field of the table.
Fits a standard patio pot 25 points tops out under 18 inches (45 cm) 25; a tub case 5 Read from: how tall it grows.
Forgives a missed watering 20 points a pot in full sun dries daily Read from: how much water it wants.
Bloom window 20 points Read straight from the months it is in bloom.
Set-and-forget upkeep 20 points Read straight from how much upkeep extension guides report.
Documented heat proof 15 points Read straight from stress tolerances.
Not ranked here: not documented as container-suitable; not a full-sun plant. Scores are never sponsored
and never sold. The full method ↗
The leaderboard
The top ten The 10 highest of 62 that qualified. Tap any score to open the lines behind it.
1 89 / 100 tap for the breakdown Fits a standard patio pot 25 / 25 15 to 30
Forgives a missed watering 9 / 20 medium
Bloom window 20 / 20 6 months
Set-and-forget upkeep 20 / 20 low
Documented heat proof 15 / 15 drought, heat, humidity, heavy shade, sandy dry soil, black walnut
2 83 / 100 tap for the breakdown Fits a standard patio pot 19 / 25 15 to 46
Forgives a missed watering 9 / 20 medium
Bloom window 20 / 20 6 months
Set-and-forget upkeep 20 / 20 low
Documented heat proof 15 / 15 drought, heat
3 81 / 100 tap for the breakdown Fits a standard patio pot 19 / 25 30 to 61
Forgives a missed watering 15 / 20 dry to medium soil
Bloom window 20 / 20 5 months
Set-and-forget upkeep 20 / 20 low
Documented heat proof 7 / 15 drought, sandy dry soil, shallow rocky, urban
4 78 / 100 tap for the breakdown Fits a standard patio pot 25 / 25 8 to 25
Forgives a missed watering 15 / 20 dry to medium soil
Bloom window 20 / 20 7 months
Set-and-forget upkeep 11 / 20 medium
Documented heat proof 7 / 15 drought, sandy dry soil
5 76 / 100 tap for the breakdown Fits a standard patio pot 12 / 25 30 to 90
Forgives a missed watering 9 / 20 medium
Bloom window 20 / 20 6 months
Set-and-forget upkeep 20 / 20 low
Documented heat proof 15 / 15 drought, heat, clay soil, sandy dry soil
6 75 / 100 tap for the breakdown Fits a standard patio pot 19 / 25 30 to 46
Forgives a missed watering 9 / 20 medium
Bloom window 20 / 20 6 months
Set-and-forget upkeep 20 / 20 low
Documented heat proof 7 / 15 no published rating
6 75 / 100 tap for the breakdown Fits a standard patio pot 19 / 25 15 to 46
Forgives a missed watering 9 / 20 medium
Bloom window 20 / 20 6 months
Set-and-forget upkeep 20 / 20 low
Documented heat proof 7 / 15 drought, poor soil
8 70 / 100 tap for the breakdown Fits a standard patio pot 19 / 25 23 to 46
Forgives a missed watering 9 / 20 medium
Bloom window 15 / 20 3 months
Set-and-forget upkeep 20 / 20 low
Documented heat proof 7 / 15 drought, black walnut
8 70 / 100 tap for the breakdown Fits a standard patio pot 19 / 25 30 to 60
Forgives a missed watering 9 / 20 medium
Bloom window 15 / 20 3 months
Set-and-forget upkeep 20 / 20 low
Documented heat proof 7 / 15 no published rating
8 70 / 100 tap for the breakdown Fits a standard patio pot 25 / 25 15 to 30
Forgives a missed watering 9 / 20 medium
Bloom window 9 / 20 2 months
Set-and-forget upkeep 20 / 20 low
Documented heat proof 7 / 15 wet soil
Considered, not chosen Not qualifying is a verdict too: the table simply says this job is not theirs.
not documented as container-suitable Coneflower, Coreopsis, Globe Thistle and 9 more
not a full-sun plant Hydrangea macrophylla, Anthurium, Azaleas and 8 more
The winner's badge Generated by the ranking above, and re-scored whenever the table changes.
Begonia
The badge is generated by this ranking, not awarded by hand. When the
table changes, it re-scores itself.
89 89 POTS IN FULL SUN POTS IN FULL SUN YFG INDEX · WINNER How we rank
We keep one table of 85 flowers,
with 25 documented facts each, drawn from university and extension sources. Every ranking is
a published formula worth 100 points; tap any score and it unfolds into the lines that made
it. A flower that does not fit a job is not scored lower: it is excluded, and the reason is
named. Nothing here is sponsored, and no score can be bought. When the table changes, every
score and stamp updates itself.
The full method ↗
