Though cascading hanging baskets filled to the brim with multicolored flowers definitely add a unique captivating look to your already beautiful garden, selecting the best candidates to display in your baskets is a bit challenging.
No need to worry, though. Our list of 10 best flowers for hanging baskets has got you covered.
1. Begonia X Tuberhybrida
Unlike most other flower plants, begonias or tuberous begonias are perfect for partial shade gardens.
Trailing begonias or rose-resembling Nonstop Mocca series which feature tender, drooping stems and can produce a profusion of colorful large blowsy fully-double blooms are the best variety for growing in stunning hanging baskets.
Not only are they easy to grow but they also burst into wing-shaped neon-glowing flowers in deep yellow, red, or purple shades to add some bright summer notes to your gardens without much work and care required.
Though begonias require good-quality, moist, and well-drained soil, never overwater them since they are susceptible to root rot damage.
2. Fuchsias
Fuchsias are perfect for hanging baskets. With their bell-shaped blooms gracefully trailing down, they bring an exquisite touch to hanging baskets.They're the ultimate charm-booster for your outdoor space, with their elegant cascades of color and lush foliage.
Water them regularly, sprinkle some plant food, snip here and there for good measure—these beauties will keep on blooming all season long, drawing in hummingbirds and butterflies with their sweet nectar.
3. Petunia
Petunias which are a genus of over 30 flower plant species native to South America belong to the nightshade family – the largest family in Solanales.
Gardeners can find two major distinct groups of petunias in myriads of colors with bright flower blooms from early spring to fall and even until frost. But each group grows up with different habits.
Multiflora variety which is more tolerant to harsh weather conditions can produce the highest abundance of smaller flowers in mounded mixed borders or summer bedding.
Grandiflora variety which is more susceptible to heavy rain comes with the most striking display of larger flowers in a hanging basket or a container.
4. Pansy
Pansies offer a wide array of vibrant colors and patterns, making them versatile for creating eye-catching displays in hanging baskets. They bloom prolifically from spring through fall, providing continuous color and interest.
Pansies are also relatively low-maintenance, requiring regular watering and occasional deadheading to encourage continuous flowering. With their cheerful blooms and easy care requirements, pansies are an ideal choice for brightening up hanging baskets and adding beauty to any outdoor space.
5. Lantana
Lantana is an excellent choice for hanging baskets due to its abundant flowering. These versatile plants produce clusters of colorful flowers in shades of red, orange, yellow, and pink, bringing vibrant color to your space.
Lantana is also known for its heat and drought tolerance, making it a resilient option for outdoor containers, where it can thrive even in hot and dry conditions. Additionally, lantana attracts pollinators such as butterflies and hummingbirds with its nectar-rich blooms, adding another dimension of interest to your hanging baskets.
With minimal maintenance requirements and a long blooming season from spring to frost, lantana is a fantastic choice for adding vibrant color and beauty to your hanging basket displays.
6. Portulaca
Since portulaca or moss rose has great heat- and drought-resistance, you can contemplate their colorful flowers with needle-like succulent foliage at its best in hot and dry corners of your outdoor living area.
Only in a well-drained location which receives from 6 to 8 hours of full sun can your large double-flowered Portulaca bedding plants reach their potential. And expect these flowers to close up when you bring them to shaded places.
Grow this excellent trailing ground cover plant either in a reusable hanging basket/container as a tropical perennial or in non-tropical spots as a low-growing annual plant.
Tip: To provide the best of mixed color between its blooming cycles, you should pair Portulaca Grandiflora with any other wonderful heat-loving, drought-resistant trees such as zinnias, gomphrena flowers, or wandering Jew houseplants.
7. Sweet Alyssum
Sweet alyssum, also known as Lobularia maritime is a species of short-lived perennial or annual flowering plant in the Brassicaceae family famous for producing small clusters of tiny dainty scented flowers.
Even though this annual flowering plant is not picky when it comes to the hanging basket type it resides in, there must be a drainage hole at the basket bottom. Otherwise, the root rot will prevent the plant from growing healthily and even kill it fairly quickly. For appropriate drainage, use any high-quality commercial potting soil to fill your hanging basket and hang it where it can receive fun sunshine.
8. Verbena
Verbena is one of the most seemingly delicate plants that thrive on the scorching summer heat and best plant for spilling and trailing over the hanging baskets’ edges.
It covers a basket in such a short time, blooms profusely, and hides the coconut fiber or plastic with a great color cloak ranging from blues to vibrant pinks and purples with just a little care.
To enjoy a cool, fresh feel throughout summer, hang your basket in full sun and frequently deadhead spent blooms.
9. Lobelia
Available as a trailing flowering plant or in the form of a compact upright bush, lobelia is perfect for creating picturesque cascades down any hanging baskets’ sides.
Planting tip: Grow your flower plant in rich, wet soil and mix various colors from pink and red to white and yellow or purple and blue in only one basket for the most beautiful display.
10. Coleus
Coleussun a genus of popular flowering or landscape plants in the family Lamiaceae. With a great trailing habit, coleus can drape down and gorgeously cover your gigantic hanging basket with colors (from white, orange, pink, and red to purple and chartreuse variegation).
Moreover, these varieties even can thrive in both sun and part shade. That’s what gardeners love most about these good-natured plants.
Warm and moist yet not soggy soils with good drainage are critical for its healthy development.
11. Calibrachoa (Million Bells)
Calibrachoa, widely known as Million Bells, is a petunia family member.
It is incredibly easy to grow. And as long as you give it enough water (once per normal day or twice per scorching hot days) and a water-soluble fertilizer (once every 7 days) can your flower plant prolifically produce tiny trumpet-shaped blooms throughout the hot season.
Million Bells prefer moist soil and full sun. Newly grown plants seem to be pretty fragile with careful handling needed. Deadheading is not necessary, though.
12. Geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum)
Despite olf-fashioned, ivy geranium is among the best warm-weather plants for hanging basket planting.
From zonal pelargoniums to regal pelargoniums, there are a lot of different varieties of pelargonium that can take center stage in the arrangement of your hanging baskets.
To keep the attractive look of these ruffled leaves and brightly colored flowers coming, all you have to do is to give your geranium well-drained soil in a sunny location and deadhead it regularly.
13. Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’
Native to California and parts of Mexico, Dichondra ‘Silver Fall’ is the most spectacular cascading foliage subject for any hanging baskets.
Though you will never go wrong with an indoor Dichondra Silver Falls container, you can do magic by filling your baskets with a neutral color of some exceptional trailing plants like the silver-leaved Dichondra varieties.
Aside from a thorough watering for the saturated ground, Dichondra in warm climate needs partial shade and those in cold regions loves full sun to thrive and grow vigorously.
14. Blacked-eyed Susan Vine
Black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) has trumpet-shaped flowers coming in a range of vibrant colors, often with a contrasting dark center resembling a "black eye," hence its name. It blooms prolifically throughout the summer and into fall, providing continuous color and visual interest.
This vine is relatively low-maintenance and easy to care for, requiring regular watering and occasional fertilization.
15. Impatiens
Impatiens come in a wide array of colors such as shades of pink, red, orange, purple, white, and various bicolor combinations.
These flowers thrive in partial to full shade. They prefer bright, indirect light but can tolerate some morning sun. Avoid placing them in direct sunlight, as it can scorch their delicate foliage.
16. Nemesia
Nemesia is a charming annual flower known for its dainty, tubular blossoms and delightful fragrance. They come in a variety of colors, including shades of purple, pink, yellow, orange, and white, often with contrasting markings or throats.
Nemesia blooms profusely throughout the spring and into the summer, attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies to your garden or patio. Its compact growth habit makes it well-suited for containers, hanging baskets, and garden borders.
Nemesia prefers cooler temperatures and performs best in full sun to partial shade with moist, well-draining soil. With its vibrant blooms, sweet scent, and easy-to-care-for nature, Nemesia adds a cheerful touch to any garden or outdoor space.
Verdict
Now you’ve gone through our list of the best flowers for hanging baskets. It’s high time to adorn your garden and give it a new showy and elegant touch!
