Best flowers for hanging planters


10 Best Flowers for Hanging Baskets

Attract Butterflies and Hummingbirds With Hanging Plants

By

Jamie McIntosh

Jamie McIntosh

Jamie McIntosh has written about gardening and special occasion flowers for the Spruce since 2011. She has more than 20 years of experience caring for flowers and plants. She was a feature writer for Organic Gardening at Suite101, where she won awards for her writing.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 05/24/22

Reviewed by

Debra LaGattuta

Reviewed by Debra LaGattuta

Debra LaGattuta is a gardening expert with three decades of experience in perennial and flowering plants, container gardening, and raised bed vegetable gardening. She is a Master Gardener and lead gardener in a Plant-A-Row, which is a program that offers thousands of pounds of organically-grown vegetables to local food banks. Debra is a member of The Spruce Gardening and Plant Care Review Board.

Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board

The Spruce

Do you have a favorite garden flower that always seems to have its head in the dirt, especially after a heavy rain? This flower may be the perfect candidate for planting in a hanging basket. Many flowers suitable for hanging baskets are pendulous, top-heavy, or creeping—characteristics that can be a challenge in a garden but perfect for decorative display in a container at eye level or higher.

Plants with tiny or fragrant flowers also benefit from a lofty perch because it maximizes their proximity to our senses. Some hanging basket flowers even attract butterflies or hummingbirds, giving you a close-up view of wildlife antics on your porch, deck, or patio.

Tip

Flowers in containers typically need extra feeding because frequent watering washes away the soil's nutrients. For many flowering plants, a weekly feeding with half-strength liquid fertilizer keeps them blooming their best.

10 Best Flowers for Hanging Baskets

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Accessorizing a porch, patio or deck with beautiful hanging basket flowers is a great way to maximize your outdoor space. Combine plants with upright, mounding or trailing habits for a “thriller, spiller, filler” effect. Mix and match varieties with flowers and foliage in different shapes and colors. Move baskets around the yard or switch out new plants for a fresh look all summer long.

Contributors: Janet Loughrey

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1.

Petunia

Supertunia Mini Vista® Pink Star

Showy pink and white striped flowers bloom continuously from planting to frost on sturdy stems up to 24” long. This vigorous grower with a full mounding habit can function as a filler or spiller element in a hanging planter or container. Use by itself or in combination with other trailing annuals. 

Annual except in zones 10-11, part sun to sun, 6-12” tall.

See All Supertunia Mini Vista®Petunia

2.

Calibrachoa

Superbells®Tropical Sunrise

Bring the tropics to your yard with the warm sunset hues of this prolific bloomer. Nonstop color occurs from planting until frost, with self-cleaning flowers on trailing branches up to 18” long. Give plants an occasional shear for better branching and a fuller appearance.

Annual except in zones 9-11, part sun to sun, 6-12” tall.

See All Superbells® Calibrachoa


3. 

Browallia

Endless Illumination

Browallia expands the list of options for shade, and Endless® Illumination is a beautiful alternative to Impatiens walleriana. Brilliant violet purple blooms dot the emerald green foliage all season long without deadheading. This flowering annual loves the heat and does not require much fertilization to thrive. Try mixing it with Rockapulco® Double Impatiens and Catalina® Torenia for colorful shade baskets.

Annual except in zones 9-11, part shade to shade, 12-16” tall.

See All Endless Browallia

4.

Lobularia

Blushing Princess®

Sweetly scented pale lavender flowers of sweet alyssum add a delicate touch to baskets and containers. Mounding plants produce long stems that cascade up to 36” long. Plant by itself in a large basket or combine with other similarly vigorous moisture-loving annuals such as petunia, nemesia or calibrachoa.

Annual except in zones 9-11, part sun to sun, 10-16” tall.

See All Sweet Alyssum

5.

Begonia

Double Delight®Primrose

Fragrant double yellow flowers with apricot overtones bloom prolifically throughout summer. The full cascading habit makes this a perfect choice for hanging baskets. The Double Delight series is surprisingly sun tolerant in cooler climates, but prefers some shade in the South. Use as a stand-alone accent or in combination with trailing plants such as Silver Falls dichondra or wishbone flower.  

Annual except in zones 9-11, part sun to sun, 8-14” tall.

See All Begonia

6.

Double Impatiens

Rockapulco® Orange Shades

Brighten up a patio or porch with baskets of flowers in tones of brilliant orange, salmon and peach. Charming rosebud flowers are long blooming and self-cleaning. Plant this reliable shade lover alongside brightly hued varieties of coleus, caladium or sweet potato vine for an extra pop of color.

Annual except in zones 10-11, part shade to shade, 10-20” tall.

See All Rockapulco® Double Impatiens 

7.

Lobelia

Laguna®Sky Blue

Ethereal sky blue flowers go with a wide range of color schemes, complementing cool-hued plants or contrasting bolder colors. This well-branched flowering plant develops a full cascading habit up to 24” long that is perfect for hanging baskets. More heat tolerant than older lobelia varieties, plants can be trimmed back to encourage fresh growth and blooms.

Annual except in zones 9-11, part sun to sun, 6-12” tall.

See All Laguna® Lobelia


8.

Lantana

Luscious® Citrus Blend

Vibrant flower clusters in warm tones of yellow, orange and red attract hummingbirds, butterflies and other insect pollinators. Place in a sunny spot in a hanging basket by itself or in combination with other heat and drought tolerant plants such as CupheaGaillardia or Salvia.

Annual except in zones 9-11, sun, 20-30” tall, deer resistant.

See All Luscious® Lantana


9. Pelargonium

Boldly®Dark Red

Geraniums are classic bedding plants that make beautiful thrillers and fillers in hanging baskets. Combine the velvety red flowers of this variety with blue lobelia and white bacopa for a patriotic theme. Easy to grow, this variety has a full mounding habit that’s suitable for baskets, by itself or with other moderately vigorous annuals. Deadhead for continuous bloom. Heat and drought tolerant.

Annual except in zones 9-11, part sun to sun, 10-12” tall.

See All Boldly®Geraniums


10.

Bacopa

Snowstorm® Giant Snowflake®

Snow white flowers lend classic elegance as a spiller element in containers or hanging baskets. Plants trail up to 36” long and bloom continuously from summer until frost. Combine with other full sun annuals such as Supertunia petunia, Superbena verbena or Superbells calibrachoa. Keep plants watered consistently, as drying out can cycle them out of bloom.

Annual except in zones 9-11, part sun to sun, 4-8” tall.

See All Snowstorm®Bacopa


11.

Euphorbia

Diamond Frost®

This low maintenance plant blooms with clouds of airy white flowers all season. Combines easily with many kinds of plants, weaving its wiry stems in and out, poking its airy white flowers throughout the combination similar to baby's breath in a bouquet. 

Annual except in zones 10-11, part sun to sun, 12-18” tall.

See All Euphorbias 

12.

Nemesia

Sunsatia®Lemon

Pale yellow orchid-like flowers pair well with other hanging basket plants such as lobelia, calibrachoa, verbena and sweet potato vine. Provide good drainage and an occasional light trim to keep plants perky. Blooms best in spring and fall when weather is cooler but is more heat tolerant than many nemesias. 

Annual except in zones 10-11, part sun to sun, 6-10” tall.

See All Sunsatia® Nemesia

13.

Scaevola

Whirlwind®Blue

If you're looking for a flower that performs well in heat, blooms well all season without deadheading, and attracts pollinators, then this unfussy fan flower is a good choice. Pair it with other heat and drought tolerant plants such as lantana, Texas primrose and gomphrena in container recipes where it will act primarily as a spiller.

Annual except in zones 10-11, sun, 8-14" tall.

See All Whirlwind® Scaevola

14.

Angelonia

Angelface® Cascade Snow

The cascading habit of the Angelface® Cascade angelonia makes it perfectly suited for hanging baskets and combinations where it functions as both a filler and spiller. The plants have height on the top of the pot, but then cascade over the edge to 20" long. Their heat tolerance makes them an excellent choice for gardeners who live in climates with hot summers.

Annual except in zones 10-11, sun, 8-14” tall.

See all Angelface® Cascade Angelonia

 

15.

Double Calibrachoa

Superbells®Double Twilight

Similar to single-flowered calibrachoa, this gorgeous double-flowered variety is an ideal plant for growing in hanging baskets where it will act as a filler and spiller. It blooms from planting time until frost with no need to remove the spent flowers to keep the flowers coming. Try pairing it with Angelface Cascade angelonia, Luscious lantana and Diamond Frost euphorbia.

Annual except in zones 9-11, part sun to sun, 6-12” tall.

See all Superbells® Double Calibrachoa

 

16.

Jamesbrittenia

SafariSky

This relative of Bacopa acts as a filler in hanging baskets paired with other heat loving plants like sweet potato vine and Superbena verbena. It blooms through the heat and humidity without cycling out of flower and holds up well through summer thunderstorms. 

Annual except in zones 10-11, part sun to sun, 6-12 tall.

See All Safari Jamesbrittenia

 

17.

Verbena rigida

Cake Pops® Purple

We are excited to introduce this series of durable Verbena rigida hybrids that make great fillers for low maintenance container recipes. These mounded trailing plants are perfect for growing in hot, humid climates since they won’t cycle out of bloom in the extreme heat of summer and are drought tolerant. Hummingbirds and butterflies will flock to the blossoms clustered at the tips of each branch all summer.

Annual except in zones 7-10, sun, 10-18” tall.

See All Cake Pops®Verbena rigida

 

18.

Petunia

Supertunia® Lovie Dovie

Supertunia petunias are one of the best hanging basket plants around. They come in a rainbow of colors, including fun patterns and flowers with prominent veins that add even more color. Supertunias don't need deadheading. They bloom nonstop as they trail over the edges of their pots and provide months of color. Superbells® Calibrachoa, Superbena® Verbena and Supertunia® Petunias are a classic trio to create fantastic hanging baskets. 

Annual except in zones 10-11, part sun to sun, 4-12” tall.

See All Supertunia® Petunias

19.

Calylophus

Ladybird®Sunglow

This unique flower with native Texas roots thrives in hot, humid or dry conditions and is drought tolerant once established. Cooler nights enhance its flowering performance. Pair this mounded trailing filler plant with other heat tolerant annuals like Blue My Mind evolvulus, Cake Pops verbena and Superbells calibrachoa.

Annual except in zones 8-10, sun, 4-8” tall.

See All Ladybird®Calylophyus

20.

Verbena

Superbena® Imperial Blue

It's hard to pass up the deep blue-purple flowers of this amazing Superbena. The clear, vivid color is easy to coordinate with your other favorite flowers such as Supertunia petunia and sweet alyssum in combinations. Like all our Superbena verbenas, it produces large flower clusters all season without deadheading and is exceptionally resistant to powdery mildew.

Annual except in zones 8-11, part sun to sun, 6-12” tall.

See All Superbena®Verbena

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Learn more:

Petunia Hanging Baskets

Hanging Basket Recipes

Yellow Flowers

Hanging Basket Watering & Care

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Plants for hanging pots in the garden. How to choose and plant

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