Show-stopping hanging baskets. A brief context to set expectations.
Show-stopping hanging baskets: Quick notes
Hanging flower baskets are a beautiful addition to your home, whether you’re using them to bring life to a patio, brighten up your front doorway, or simply add a pop of color when you don’t have a lot of planting space. The key to a stunning arrangement is to use the best plants for hanging baskets, whether it’s mounding flowers, trailing vines, or colorful foliage.
If you’re starting a DIY flower basket, you might be wondering – what are the best flowers for hanging baskets? How about greenery? Some long-trailing varieties to add some contrast of shape? Don’t worry – we’re about to introduce you to our favorite choices, from cascading flowers for hanging baskets to the best plants for hanging baskets in full sun. Let’s dive in!
If you feel like you need to take a step back to focus on the basics of designing your hanging planters, check out our post all about how to make stunning hanging baskets using tricks from the pros.
Flowering Plants for Hanging Baskets
Most hanging baskets are loaded with flowers, adding a pop of color to your outdoor spaces. Here are some of the best flowers for hanging baskets to think about as you’re building your basket.
Alyssum
If you’re looking for tall flowers for hanging baskets, alyssum is perfect to add a delicate, soft texture and some contrast. Their sweet little white flowers look like snowflakes falling from your hanging planter and go with just about any color scheme you choose. Varieties come in white, purple, and pink hues. It prefers full sun to part shade and benefits from regular deadheading to keep blooms going strong.
Petunias
A classic for a reason, petunias are prolific bloomers. These are perfect if you like the look of a single flower variety filling a whole flower basket, whether in one color or a range of colors. Check out Proven Winners “Supertunias,” seen below, for some beautiful color options. They bloom prolifically, come in a rainbow of colors, and are easy to care for – just keep them in full sun and feed them regularly for the best performance.
Ivy Geranium
Ivy geraniums (seen below) add big pops of color and sprawling structure to hanging baskets. Other varieties work great, too. They’re one of the best plants for hanging baskets in full sun, but appreciate some afternoon shade in hot climates. Available in reds, pinks, whites, and purples, they add instant elegance to your outdoor space.
Calibrachoa (Million Bells)
Often mistaken for mini petunias, Calibrachoa is a prolific bloomer that spills beautifully over basket edges. It thrives in full sun and doesn’t require deadheading. Available in nearly every color, these flowers are drought-tolerant and perfect for low-maintenance beauty.
Diascia
Diascia brings a pop of coral, pink, or apricot in a charming, delicate way. Its slightly trailing form makes it ideal for baskets. It thrives in cooler temps and does well in early spring and fall. Place it in full sun to part shade and water regularly.
More Flowering Plants for Hanging Baskets
- Lantana – Little bundles of brightly colored mini flowers
- Nemesia – These low-growing flowers will fill in your hanging baskets and then cascade down the sides
- Osteospermum – You may also know these as African daisies, and they resemble calendula
- Scaevola – With its delicate purple flowers, Scaevola, or Fan Flower, will attract lots of butterflies, bees, and even hummingbirds to your home
Best Cascading Flowers for Hanging Baskets
One of the best things about hanging baskets is how you can have the flowers trailing down from the basket – it’s eye-catching and very decorative. Whether you’re looking for annuals for hanging baskets or perennial flowers for hanging baskets, here are some of our favorite cascading options.
Fuchsia
If you live in a cooler climate, you just have to take advantage of it by adding fuchsia to your hanging baskets, because it won’t do so well for those of us in the heat. Their hot pink hanging flowers with purple centers are like nothing else out there. Keep them well-watered and pinch back spent blooms to encourage more growth.
Black Eyed Susan Vine
Quick growing and cheerfully bright, this climbing flower adds some sunshine hues to any flower basket. It also comes in white and attracts butterflies all summer and even into fall. Place it in full sun and give it something to climb or trail from. Regular watering and fertilizing will keep it thriving.
Nasturtium
More common in the vegetable garden as a companion plant alongside tomatoes than in hanging baskets, nasturtium is actually very well suited to this use and adds an edible component to your design. Check out a guide on using nasturtium in a hanging basket by Urban Garden Girl here then pick out some beautiful varieties over at Eden Brothers. They prefer full sun and poorer soil (no need to fertilize often).
Trailing Verbena
Known for its clusters of small, colorful flowers and sprawling growth, trailing verbena is a sun-loving choice that handles heat well. It blooms from spring through fall in purples, pinks, reds, and whites. I love this beautiful peachy color sold by Fast Growing Trees. Low-maintenance and pollinator-friendly, it’s a solid pick for hanging displays.
Bacopa
Bacopa is a delicate trailing plant with small white, pink, or lavender flowers. It thrives in partial sun and keeps blooming all season long with regular watering. Its fine texture and abundant blooms make it a perfect filler for more dramatic centerpieces.
More Cascading Flowers for Hanging Baskets
- Trailing lobelia – Though not so easy to find, these purple-flowered little plants are easy to grow. Just make sure if you find lobelia, it is of the climbing/trailing variety to achieve that cascading look.
- Lotus Vine – A trailing flowering plant with pointed leaves and unique, spiky-looking flowers that give the plant its nickname, “parrot’s beak.”
- Trailing Lantana – Purple trailing lantana is similar to the lantana varieties mentioned above, only this plant trails much longer, creating a cascade of purple out of hanging containers.
Best Plants for Hanging Baskets: Greenery Options
Rather than looking for tall flowers for hanging baskets or cascading blooms, perhaps you’d rather focus on the greenery in your basket? Even if you do have some blooming annuals for hanging baskets, every basket needs some greenery to contrast all those beautiful flowers. If you just can’t get enough color, pick a bright green vine like creeping jenny to keep things lively or select one with pink foliage like a polka dot plant for even more color.
Sweet Potato Vine
This vine boasts big, bright green leaves that create a statement as they cascade from hanging planters. Sweet potato vine is a great way to incorporate cascading greenery while keeping the flowers together up top. Choose the marguerite variety for best results – it thrives in sun to part shade and looks especially striking when spilling over the edge of a basket. This is a great way to incorporate sweet potato vine where it’ll be kept safe from deer!
English Ivy
These variegated leaves add a bit more contrast and interest than other greenery options, especially if you haven’t already incorporated a white flower into your hanging basket. Its dark green or variegated leaves are ideal for shade, and it mixes beautifully with flowers. It’s low maintenance, but be careful – it can grow quickly and may take over if not pruned occasionally.
Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia)
With its vibrant lime-green trailing leaves, Creeping Jenny adds an electric pop of color and texture. It grows well in both sun and shade, and its flowing form creates a cascading effect. Water consistently for lush growth.
Fern (Boston Fern or Maidenhair)
Ferns add soft, feathery texture and are ideal for shady spots. Boston ferns in particular make lush hanging displays. They love humidity and frequent watering, so they’re perfect for a covered porch or patio. Find Boston Ferns that ship to you over at Fast Growing Trees!
Spider Plant
Spider plants aren’t just for indoor pots – they also look fantastic in hanging baskets outdoors! Their arching leaves and baby plantlets make them visually interesting. They tolerate partial sun to shade and appreciate regular watering.
More Greenery to Complement Perennial flowers for hanging baskets
- Creeping Charlie – This one is a trailing ground cover perfect for filling in hanging baskets and cascading over the sides to create the whimsical hanging planter of your dreams.
- Asparagus Fern – Easy to care for, with uniquely fluffy green leaves.
- Coleus – Even without blooms this plant adds some serious color with its red and green leaves.
- Polka dot plant – Another colorful foliage option, the polka dot plant will add a bit of pink, red, and green to the mix.
- Dracaena – Often grown as a houseplant, dracaena can make for a great centerpiece to a hanging basket.
- Creeping Jenny – Use this ground cover plant to create a cascade of bright green leaves from your planters.
- Licorice plant (Helichrysum petiolare, especially ‘Limelight’) – For fuzzy, green cascading leaves.
Best Flowers for Hanging Baskets in Shade
Partial shade is actually great for hanging baskets. Less heat from the sun means better water retention for your plants. And of course, you want a nice, cool shaded porch in the summer! Here are some options for hanging baskets going in a shaded porch or shade garden.
Begonias
This “Hanging Basket Pastel Mix” of begonia tubers by Eden Brothers is absolutely stunning! These begonia varieties would be absolutely perfect for adding some soft color to hanging flower baskets without making too much of a statement. There are plenty of other beautiful begonia varieties on the site, too! Look for cascading varieties like the “Illumination” series for baskets and keep them in moist, well-drained soil.
Impatiens
Here is another favorite for hanging baskets in shade – impatiens. This flower comes in a wide range of colors. Pick vibrant hues like the ones seen below for big impact, or soften things up with a pastel pink variety. The choice is yours! They create a full, lush display and are very easy to grow. Water them regularly and avoid direct sun, which can scorch the leaves.
Lobelia
Looking for some cool tones in your planter? Lobelia is a great choice. I love the addition of the blue-hued variety contrasting with bright, warm tones. Check out this guide on all things Lobelia from Proven Winners for more info on this whimsical flower. It’s ideal for cooler climates and blooms best in spring or early summer – keep it moist and out of harsh sun.
Torennia (Wishbone Flower)
Torennia is a beautiful shade-loving bloomer with trumpet-shaped flowers in violet, pink, and yellow. It has a mounding and trailing habit that fills out baskets well. Water consistently and enjoy its long flowering season.
Coleus
Known for its stunning foliage, coleus brings bold patterns and colors, like red, lime green, or burgundy, to shaded areas. Though not grown for blooms, its texture and vibrancy make it a standout in baskets. Pinch back flowers to keep the foliage full.
More Hanging Basket Shade Flower Options
- Browallia – Blue purple or white flowers that can handle part sun to shade.
- Mimulus – Also called monkeyflower, mimulus can add a bit of multiclored flair to your hanging basket design. They do best in full sun, but will also tolerate part shade as they are naturally a forest flower.
- Bacopa – Commonly called water hyssop, this plant blooms in delicate little white flowers.
- Pansies – These cold tolerant flowers are an excellent choice for cool climate gardeners.
- Lamium – Though excellent as a ground cover, lamium does great in hanging baskets, too.
Best Plants for Hanging Baskets in Full Sun
We’ve talked about shady options, but what are the best plants for hanging baskets in full sun? Let’s take a look at some of the best flowers for hanging baskets that don’t get much shade.
Lantana
Lantana loves heat and sun, blooming in clusters of pink, orange, red, yellow, or mixed colors. It’s drought-tolerant and attracts butterflies. Trailing varieties are perfect cascading flowers for hanging baskets in hot, sunny spots. Fast Growing Trees will ship lanata plants like this colorful beauty below straight to you!
Portulaca (Moss Rose)
Portulaca thrives in dry, sunny conditions and offers succulent-like foliage with jewel-toned flowers. It’s low-maintenance and blooms all summer long. Great for those who forget to water often, and one of the best plants for hanging baskets in full sun.
Geranium (Zonal Geranium)
Zonal geraniums love full sun and produce clusters of large blooms in vibrant colors. While they don’t trail down below your basket, they provide a bold focal point in baskets. Just make sure you deadhead them regularly to keep those beautiful blooms coming!
Gazania
Gazania, or treasure flower, produces bright, daisy-like blooms that open in the sun and close at night. It handles heat and dry conditions well and brings vivid yellows, oranges, and reds to any sunny basket.
Scaevola (Fan Flower)
This unique flower has fan-shaped blooms in purple, blue, or white and is perfect for trailing over the sides of hanging baskets. It’s heat- and drought-tolerant, thriving in full sun and requiring little maintenance. Perfect if you don’t want to put a lot of effort into your hanging baskets!
Wrapping Up Our List of the Best Plants for Hanging Baskets
Creating a show-stopping hanging basket is all about balance – color, texture, and growth habit. Mix upright and trailing plants, bold blooms with greenery, and tailor your picks to the light and climate. Whether you’re decorating a sunny patio or a shady porch, there’s a perfect plant combo waiting to brighten your space. Looking for more inspiration, keep the container gardening fun going with some vertical garden ideas, or focus in on flower gardening with our guide to starting a cut flower garden! Keep it extra simple by opting for some of the easiest flowers to grow and you’ll have abundant blooms before you know it!
Let your creativity run wild, and happy planting!
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