Hanging flower baskets are a great way to add color and life to your space. They can be hung on windowsills, railings, or from trees in the yard.
A hanging flower basket is an excellent way to add a burst of color and life to your home or office. But with so many different plants available, how do you know which ones will thrive in this kind of setting?
In this article, we’ll walk you through some of the best options to choose from regardless of where you live or how much experience you have in planting flowers in hanging baskets.
Tips for Selecting and Growing Flowers in Hanging Baskets
There’s no shortage of flowers that you can grow in hanging baskets—but how to choose the right one?
For starters, consider plants that produce tiny or fragrant blossoms. These tend to grow best up high because it will bring them closer to your senses – in other words, it will be much easier for you to enjoy their fragrant aromas! You might also consider growing high-flying plants to give pollinators like hummingbirds and butterflies easier access.
Just keep in mind that flowers growing in containers, even in hanging baskets, may need more frequent watering or feeding. That’s because they drain nutrients and moisture more easily.
In most cases, you can use a half-strength liquid fertilizer once a week to keep your plants blooming to their best potential.
When you’re trying to decide which flowers for hanging baskets will be right for you, start by paying attention to where the baskets will be hung. It’s important to consider how much sun a basket might receive as well as natural rainfall.
Don’t assume that just because your porch is totally shaded that you can’t grow flowers in hanging baskets, either. There are all kinds of shade-loving flowers you might grow in a basket instead!
You’ll also want to choose a spot that’s somewhat sheltered from the wind, though of course there are some plants that can handle this kind of stress with a bit more ease than other hanging basket plants.
Most hanging baskets for plants will be around 14 to 16 inches wide, often equipped with coco coir liners. This is a great way to help moderate moisture in your basket and to ensure that it becomes neither too waterlogged nor too dry. You can use high-quality potting soil that contains ingredients like perlite and peat moss for the best results.
Here are the best plants for hanging baskets:
#1. Begonia
Begonias are excellent plants for hanging baskets. As annuals in most growing zones, begonias are hardy and produce lovely tubular flowers that can handle high heat and humidity.
Some good options include Begonia boliviensis and the Nonstop Mocca series of plants. Some even look like roses!
You can find begonia plants in just about any color, including pink, yellow, white, red, and orange. Most are tender perennials in zones 9 to 11 and thrive in full sun to part shade, though this does, of course, vary depending on the cultivar.
#2. Fountain Grass
Though technically not a flower and instead just ornamental grass, fountain grass makes our list of the best flowers for hanging baskets because it produces gorgeous tufts of foliage accompanied by bottlebrush flowers.
You’ll love the low-maintenance appeal of this plant, which is easy to care for as long as you grow it in full sun.
#3. Lantana
If you live in a frost-free area, lantana plant might be on your “do-not-plant” list, since it can rapidly overtake the area in which it is growing. However, its somewhat invasive nature makes it the perfect candidate for a hanging basket, where its growth will be more controlled.
It has vibrant flower clusters that offer a tropical look to any basket. It can attract both hummingbirds and butterflies, with weeping varieties like ‘Patriot Popcorn’ posing the best options for draping over the sides of a basket.
It can be found with color combinations like yellow, red, white, pink, and orange and grows best in zones 8 to 11, ideally in full sun.
#4. Chrysanthemum
An autumn favorite, the chrysanthemum is another popular choice for gardeners who want to add some zest to their front porch decor. There are all kinds of colors you can choose from but some of the most popular are those that are a deep maroon color.
#5. Fuchsia
Fuchsia grows best in areas with cool, wet summers. This shade-loving plant is a tender perennial that is hardy in zones 10 to 11.
It can wither under the summer heat, but there are more heat-tolerant varieties like ‘Jupiter’ and ‘Astoria’ that you might try if you live in a warmer climate.
These summer hanging baskets flowers do need to be deadheaded to continue looking their best. You can find them in shades of purple, red, white, and pink, but there are even multi-color options for you to choose from!
#6. Sedum Morganianum
Looking for a low-water alternative for your hanging baskets? Sedum morganianum might prove to be the best option! A long-trailing succulent, this plant, also known as donkey’s tail, is easy to grow in full sunlight with moderate watering throughout the year.
#7. Million Bells
Million bells, also known as Calibrachoa, is a hybrid plant that is a close relative of the petunia. It can handle high heat with ease, hardy in zones 9 to 11. It produces hundreds of tiny blossoms that don’t require deadheading to stay vibrant – they produce little to no seed.
All you need to do to keep this hanging basket favorite happy is moist soil and full sunlight. It can be found in shades and combinations of yellow, red, pink, white, violet, magenta, bronze, and more!
#8. Tradescantia
Sometimes referred to as spiderwort, this gorgeous perennial has long-lasting flowers that are sure to delight. It’s the perfect choice for a hanging basket, especially compared to other settings, because it won’t sprawl quite as much as when you grow it in the garden.
#9. Lobelia
Lobelia is another excellent plant to consider. As a seasonal plant that grows best in early spring, it produces large, dense masses of bright blue flowers (though these can also be purple, red, or pink depending on the variety).
It won’t grow as well once the summer heat sets in, but can thrive in both partial shade and full sun in cooler weather.
#10. Impatiens
Impatiens are classic hanging basket flowers. Though these plants occasionally fall victim to fungal issues like downy mildew, you can prevent these problems by growing your plants out of the ground. The extra airflow afforded to hanging baskets often provides all the protection you need!
#11. Dwarf Lavender
You can grow any kind of lavender in a hanging basket, but dwarf lavender is one particularly smart choice. This plant grows easily in full sunlight and offers a soothing, calming scent that’s perfect to enjoy as you’re sitting on your front porch in the evening.
#12. Sweet Alyssum
Sweet alyssum is a fragrant hanging basket plant that can attract both bees and butterflies. It has a lovely, delicate trailing habit that produces a cloud of heavenly fragrance.
Just keep in mind that this plant’s growth habit can become a bit shaggy if not well-maintained. You will need to prune it back or keep it looking healthy.
Hardy in zones 7 to 11, sweet alyssum can be found with colors ranging from white to pink and even purple. It prefers a neutral pH and rich, loamy soil.
#13. Petunia
Petunias are classic choices for hanging baskets. For maximum hardiness and disease resistance, consider growing varieties like milliflora, which bloom regularly without deadheading or pinching. Another option is multiflora, which grows well in hot, humid conditions.
These plants grow best in zones 9 to 11 and can be found in just about any color, including lavender, maroon, magenta, blue, purple, bi-colored, white, red, pink, yellow, and more.
#14. Painted Lady
Another succulent to consider growing is the painted lady plant. This plant has lovely two-toned foliage and delicate rosettes. They’re drought-tolerant hanging basket plants that will withstand dry conditions with ease. They’ll flower for you primarily during the warmer months of the year.
#15. Lotus Vine
If a vine is what you have in mind, the lotus vine might be the perfect choice for you. Native to the Canary Islands, this plant is sometimes referred to as the parrot’s beak vine. It is easy to cultivate both from seeds as well as from cuttings. It has green-gray leaves that are almost needle-like in appearance.
Don’t let those leaves fool you, though! They’re actually incredibly soft to the touch. The plant also produces flame-like flowers that are typically yellow, red, or orange.
It grows best in zones 10 to 12 and requires a well-draining potting mix (a potting mix formulated for orchids or cacti will work wonders for this plant!).
#16. Pelargonium
Pelargonium is another popular hanging basket plant. It is often referred to as a geranium, but unlike true geraniums, which are hardy perennials, pelargoniums are strict annuals.
Nevertheless, this plant offers bright colors and bold textures for you to enjoy, along with a trailing growing habit that makes it perfect for a hanging basket.
You’ll want to deadhead these flowers often to keep them blooming, but you’ll have colors like red, purple, white, pink, and lavender to choose from.
Which Flowers are Easiest to Grow in Hanging Baskets?
If you are looking for the best flowers to grow in hanging baskets, this list of popular flower varieties should help you get started. You can mix and match these plants with each other or choose just one type of flower-bearing plant to create your own combination!
Hang them from trees and arbors, make an outdoor living wall using only pots, or place them on patios—the possibilities are endless when it comes to what you can do with these versatile containers.
So go ahead and start adding some color into your life—plant some beautiful blooms this season and watch them flourish!
FAQs
What flowers bloom longest in hanging baskets?
Some flowers that bloom longest in hanging baskets include trailing petunias, million bells (Calibrachoa), bacopa, and verbena. These plants typically produce abundant blooms throughout the growing season, providing continuous color and interest.
What is the best trailing plants for hanging baskets?
The best trailing plants for hanging baskets include trailing petunias, ivy geraniums, bacopa, lobelia, and creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia). These plants cascade beautifully over the edges of baskets, adding texture and color to your garden.
What is the easiest hanging plant to take care of?
One of the easiest hanging plants to take care of is the spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum). Spider plants are adaptable to a wide range of growing conditions, tolerate occasional neglect, and are relatively pest-resistant. They also produce offsets, or “spiderettes,” which can be easily propagated to expand your collection.
What hanging plants don’t need deadheading?
Hanging plants that typically don’t need deadheading include trailing foliage plants like ivy, pothos, and philodendron. While these plants may produce flowers occasionally, they are primarily grown for their lush foliage, and deadheading is not necessary to maintain their appearance.
If you love decorating your house with flowering plants, check these balcony flowers and patio flowers you can grow.
*featured image by inyrdreams/depositphotos