No one can deny the aesthetic value of hanging baskets filled with luscious and colorful species and varieties of plants. They add new flavor and personality to gardens and any living spaces. Plus, assembling them is definitely a rewarding experience, as you mix and match any flowers and plants to match your banging personal style. In this article, let’s talk about the best flowers for hanging baskets.
Pendulous, hanging, and creeping plants, flowering or not, are the best options when you want to assemble your own hanging baskets.
Fragrant flowers are a bonus since they not only provide beauty and tingle our senses but also attract wildlife antics to your place- inviting butterflies and hummingbirds to your patio.
However, with a wide range of plants and flowers available, you might ask – what are the best plants for hanging baskets? Do not fret! We got you covered in this article.
Choosing the Best Plants For Hanging Baskets
With a wide variety of plants with different characteristics, selecting the best hanging basket flowers is quite a challenge. It would be best if you chose plants that will continuously thrive even in a limited space for growing.
Luckily, there are hundreds of annuals and perennials to choose from, with easy, low-maintenance care and beauty!
Here are the 25 popular and the best hanging basket plants that you can grow successfully:
The Top 25 Best Flowers for Hanging Plants
1. Begonias
There are a hundred varieties of begonias to choose from for your hanging basket. These varieties are known to thrive in both sunny and shaded areas, thus making them one of the best choices for this kind of gardening.
Some Begonias have tubular, hanging flowers, which ultimately give your baskets a lush, spilling effect. Like your Dragon Wing Begonias, even some varieties can grow as tall as two to three feet with a leaf spread up to five inches.
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2. Ferns
One of the most popular hanging basket plants is the foliage, shade-loving houseplants, ferns. Because of their love for a shaded environment, ferns are best in hanging baskets placed on a porch or under a garden tree.
Plus, they are very easy to care for! They grow large and bushy in their growing season, making them a stand out in gardens.
Because of their growth size, they are often planted on their own. If you want a companion plant with your fern in a hanging basket, choose those plants that can compete in terms of size and growth.
3. Fuchsias
With their unique and eccentric flower design and their likeability to shade, these gorgeous fuchsias are also best for your hanging garden. The fuchsias are commonly grown in container gardens due to their habit and ease of care.
These plants prefer shade and do not respond well to too much light exposure. They wilt down easily in direct sun.
However, there are varieties that are more tolerable to heat like your ‘Jupiter’, ‘Astoria’, or ‘Surprise’. Aside from the light requirement, the fuchsias love day-to-day misting, regular feeding, and occasional deadheading.
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4. Impatiens
The Impatiens plants are another shade-loving plant that is best for your hanging baskets. They thrive best in locations where they cannot receive direct sunlight, or else, they will easily wilt.
Many gardeners love to grow Impatiens as a hobby due to their beauty and the wide range of colors to choose from.
However, Impatiens plants are somehow susceptible to Downy Mildew disease. That is why it is imperative to prevent the occurrence of this disease in your location, or else, it will also affect your other plants. There are, however, new varieties that are already resistant to this disease.
5. Petunias
The dripping and cascading effect brought by the foliage of these plants, along with their luscious blooms, are what make Petunias great for hanging baskets.
Because of their habit, they grow and pour out over your hanging basket. Indeed, you can never go wrong with adding Petunias to your lovely home!
The milliflora variety is perfect for you when you love plants that bloom in succession without needing pinching.
On the other hand, the Multiflora variety is best in wet, hot summers. Since Petunias are more fragrant at night, you may add a white variety for evening allure. However, petal blight, especially in rain and humid seasons, is a bit of a challenge.
6. Succulents
The fleshy succulents, with their wide range of varieties to choose from, are among the most popular plants in the gardening community. They are also very low-maintenance and easy to care for. Thanks to their desert origin, they can thrive without days of watering and can tolerate heat very well.
If you aim to assemble a minimal, low-lying, but premium, sleek hanging basket, succulent plants are your best options.
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7. Pansies
Pansies are classic flowers for hanging baskets. These lovely annuals are the best for you if you’re planning to make a hanging basket in the early spring or fall.
They also have many varieties to choose from, all with different colors that will definitely make your garden banging with colors.
They are known to be cold-hardy; thus, you don’t need to worry much about cold temperatures. However, they don’t thrive very well in high temperatures, so it would be the best time to start making your hanging baskets of Pansies at the onset or offset of summer.
8. Lantana
Because of their spreading growth habit, Lantanas are best for your hanging baskets. Like Petunias, they grow over the edge of the hanging baskets and drape down the side, providing a cascading effect that is beautiful to look at. These plants produce clusters of brightly colored flowers.
The Lantana plants are also drought-resistant, like the succulents. They thrive best under full sun and grow more blooms in this light condition.
When placed in partly shaded areas, these plants do not produce as many flowers as compared to when they are under direct sun.
9. Verbena
Verbena plants are also good options for your hanging baskets. They are versatile plants that can be planted in any space, no matter the space. Numerous trailing varieties of Verbena would look great in your hanging basket as they cascade over the basket’s edge.
Coming from the mint family, Verbenas also has a distinctive aroma that can attract butterflies and birds. If you’re lucky, you may get frequent visitors in your garden with these aromatic plants.
10. Calibrachoa (Million Bells)
Another plant favorite in hanging baskets is the Calibrachoa, or most commonly known as the Million Bells. Watching a basket full of Million Bells displaying their varied blooms and colors is bedazzling. They grow so large that it is best to keep in mind that a generous distance between hanging baskets of Million Bells must be provided.
This classic trailing plant looks definitely great in hanging baskets. They are prolific bloomers, with up to a hundred tiny, bell-like flowers blooming in a season. They can be grown with other plants for a more dynamic visual in your garden.
11. Sweet Alyssum
Scientifically called Lobularia maritima, the Sweet Alyssum is an excellent plant for your hanging basket if you want to add a subtle tinge of color to your garden. These plants have lovely mini flowers that range from white, pink, and purple. They are perfect for hanging baskets because they dislike crowded gardens and grow well when they’re on their own.
The Sweet Alyssums can thrive in full sun or partial shade. When grown as hanging plants, the wind easily dries out their containers. Thus it is essential to check the medium regularly.
12. Lobelia
The popular Lobelia flowers are another mesmerizing trailing plant that is good for hanging baskets. The color gradient brought by its electric blue flowers and white contrasts and its evergreen foliage will surely make your hanging basket dazzling and stand out. Make sure to plant them near the edge so they can spill over and cascade.
The Lobelia thrives best in moderate temperatures. Hence it is best to plant this in early spring. At the start of June, these plants do not grow healthily as they are not tolerable to heat. You may replace them with other hanging basket plants that are more heat-loving, like your Lantanas and Million Bells. You may add a sphagnum moss around your plant to keep it moist.
13. Grasses
Many types of grasses are deemed good options to plant in your hanging baskets. Grasses are good choices since they can thrive fairly well in extreme conditions and are very adaptable. The inclusion of grasses in hanging baskets may seem like an unusual and quirky route, but they undoubtedly bring a definite kind of delight.
Ornamental grasses, such as feather reed, blood grasses, foxtail, and fiber optic grasses, to name a few, are among your top choices to combine with your flowering plants. The unique, evergreen foliage, and sometimes, a hint of gold finery, will add a brand new personality to your gardenscapes.
14. Portulaca
Another gorgeous spreading plant that is suitable for your hanging baskets is the Portulaca, commonly known as Purslane. This plant is very low maintenance and has considerable drought tolerance, which is a plus point for gardeners and plant lovers alike.
These succulent-like creeping vines offer a wide variety of bloom colors that can surely brighten up your space. They are commonly utilized for container gardening, in window boxes, or combined with other plants as spillers. Plus, they attract butterflies and hummingbirds for additional wildlife antics in your gardens, patios, or decks.
15. Geraniums
Geraniums are well-loved as plants for hanging baskets because of their trailing habits, bright and vibrant bloom colors, and distinctly bold texture – not to mention they add a considerable height for different garden dynamics. It is kind of unusual to see hanging geraniums, but people love the cascading look of this plant.
Red, purple, white, pink, and lavender are some of the colors you can choose from to make a bold statement in your garden. They love full sun to partial shade of light; that is why they are ideal as hanging plants. It is necessary to deadhead the plant to keep them blooming until winter.
16. Sweet Potato Vines
Another great plant for hanging baskets is the sweet potato vines. This plant is known to be a spiller plant; thus, it will cascade to the side of the hanging basket. They can be combined with other plants to provide a more dynamic setting. They thrive best under full sun or partial shade.
There are numerous varieties of sweet potato vine to choose from, including various shades of green, purple, and even chartreuse. They are very easy to care for and are drought tolerant. You will notice that they will grow more prolific when they are frequently watered, keeping the soil moist.
17. Ivy Vine
Just like your sweet potato vines, ivy vines are also perfect for your hanging baskets. Due to their lengthy, trailing stems, they will surely add a sleek look and a premium feel to your porch. The cascading look of the draping stems will undeniably make your hanging sphere one-of-a-kind.
It is relatively easy to care for Ivy vines. They are not fussy about the potting mix to be used. Any commercial ones will do. Do not let them sit under a direct sun, but ensure sufficient filtered light. Moreover, Ivy plants do not want to be overwatered, but they thrive best in moist soils.
18. Black-Eyed Susan Vine
Another vine that would totally look great in hanging baskets is the Black-Eyed Susan Vine. These vines are annual plants and are commonly mixed with other plants in hanging containers. These are prolific growers. So prolific that most of the time, they overgrow the baskets and make them hidden beneath their utterly lush foliage.
Black-eyed Susan Vines, commonly called Thunbergia, is a fast grower, long-blooming, but very easy to care for. They thrive best in loamy, well-draining soil and full or partial light. There are a lot of colors to choose from in this plant species, ranging from red, yellow, rose, and orange, among others.
19. New Guinea Impatiens
The New Guinea Impatiens are best for hanging baskets because of the same reasons as your regular Impatiens. However, they have dissimilar care needed. This type of Impatiens mostly prefers shaded to partly shaded locations. If you plan to plant it with other companion plants, make sure to choose shade plants as well.
Because of the specific light requirement, they are best inside offices and indoor living spaces near windows. With their evergreen foliage and large, colorful blooms, they are a great addition to your landscape.
20. Dianthus
Dianthus plants, commonly known as Pinks, are hardy perennials that are appealing as a hanging basket plants. Aside from their beautiful, blousy blossoms, the fragrance of these plants is delightful, reminiscent of cloves and vanilla. With these plants in your hanging baskets, you do not just satisfy your visual senses, but also your olfactory senses.
Dianthus thrives best in full sun or partial shade. Do not let it under the direct sun for a more healthy growth. Make sure to also cut it back during the fall season.
21. Heucheras
With their silvery to bronze foliage and dainty, beautiful flowers, these perennial plants will surely add texture and brightness to your gardens. Heucheras thrive best in shaded areas and produce dainty flowers during summer.
Ensure to feed them during summer and water them regularly to keep them at best. Prune their leaves regularly in the fall.
22. Kokedama Orchid
Looking for an eccentric addition to your hanging baskets? This traditional Japanese art of suspending plants in a sphagnum moss ball, Kokedama, is the one you should go to. The orchid is the most beautiful plant for Kokedama art as it adds to its quirky, natural feel.
Orchids are epiphytic plants; thus, you have no problem with them being suspended in the air. Ensure to give it sufficient light in order for it to bloom, as sunlight is critical for flowering. You may fertilize your orchid using a regular fertilizer, to facilitate its blooming.
23. Osteospermum
Another fantastic addition to your hanging flower baskets is this colorful bloom that resembles daisies. Osteospermums have a wide range of colors that you can choose from depending on your preference. Plus, they attract pollinators, giving your garden a lively wildlife antic.
Osteospermums are tender perennials that die over the cold season. To prolong the blooming time of these plants, deadheading is necessary.
24. Vegetables or Fruits
A lot of vegetables and fruit plants will thrive if put in a hanging basket. The likes of strawberries, mini cucumbers, tomatoes, and lettuce can be hanged, just like your ornamental plants. Even though they are known for their edible parts, these plants also have distinctive foliage and blossoms which can add aesthetic value to your spaces.
Vegetables and fruits are great as hanging baskets because they need full sun to bear flowers and fruits. Think of it this way. By putting vegetables and fruits in your hanging baskets, you provide beauty and produce food for your kitchen and table needs. You’re hitting two birds in one stone!
25. Herbs
Aside from fruits and vegetables, herbs are also great to grow in a hanging basket. Plus, they are fairly easy to grow. You can just get a cutting from an herb of your choice and stick it directly to your hanging container. Examples of herbs that you can grow are chives, oreganos, sages, thymes, and mints.
How many plants should you put in one hanging basket?
When assembling a hanging basket, the container size is one thing you must consider. In general, the larger the size of the basket, the more plants you can put inside. You can’t put the same number of plants in a 13-inch basket to a 10-inch basket, can you?
To be more specific, here is an estimated maximum number of plants per basket size:
10-inch basket: 1-3 plants
11-inch basket: 1-5 plants
12-inch basket: 1-6 plants
13-inch basket: 1-7 plants (as much as the space can provide)
Now that you have your basics in putting up a hanging basket try to come up with different combinations if you want a more dynamic set-up, or settle with one plant per basket and bask in their own distinct glories. Really, it’s all up to you. The possibilities are endless with starting your own hanging baskets with the best trailing plants.
Frequently Asked Qustions
How many plants do you put in a hanging basket?
When making a hanging basket, it is a general rule to utilize one plant per inch of a basket diameter. However, it would be best to allow room for plants to grow, especially for fast-growing plants such as Geraniums and Fuchsias.
When should you start hanging baskets?
The perfect time to create hanging baskets depends on the type of plants you are using. Most perennial plants are best planted during its actively growing seasons, summer and spring. However, for winter hanging baskets, you may plant them between September to October.
What hanging plant does well in full sun?
There are a lot of hanging plants that thrives well under full sun. To name a few, lantanas, petunias, and dianthus, are among the few plants who can tolerate high light intensity.
Should you water plants at night or in the morning?
Morning watering is actually more preferred that evening watering because the sun allows the soil to dry, avoiding overwatering and eventual root rot. During the night, water easily gets logged in the soil and the foliage.
What do you put in the bottom of hanging baskets?
There a lot of materials that can be put at the bottom of hanging baskets. Coco coir is one, made up of coconut husks. These are absorbent and keep soil moist. Plastic bag can also be used as liner.
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