Best Flowers and Plants for Hanging Baskets

Written by Susan B.

Susan writes about gardening for Green Thumb Nursery in Southern California.

A well-planted hanging basket adds instant color to a porch, patio, or garden, and the best flowers for the job depend mostly on one thing: how much sun the spot gets. Below are the best flowers and plants for hanging baskets, split into full-sun picks and shade picks, plus a quick comparison table and simple care tips to keep them blooming all season in our mild Southern California climate.

The best plants for hanging baskets are trailing, long-blooming flowers matched to your light, whether that is full sun or shade.

What Flowers Are Good for a Hanging Basket?

The best hanging-basket flowers are colorful, long-blooming plants with a trailing or mounding habit that spills over the edge of the basket. The right choice comes down to light. For a hot, sunny spot, reach for petunias, calibrachoa (million bells), portulaca, trailing verbena, or nasturtiums. For a shady porch or a spot with filtered light, choose fuchsia, trailing begonias, lobelia, or impatiens. Match the plant to your light and almost any of these will reward you with months of color. (Lobelia is a cool-weather lover and looks its best in spring and the milder months.)

Best Flowers for Hanging Baskets in Full Sun

These sun-lovers thrive in a bright, hot spot with at least six hours of direct sun.

Petunias

Petunias are easy to grow and widely available, often sold ready-planted in baskets. These fast-growing, colorful flowers bloom prolifically all season in full sun. Water regularly, checking that the soil has begun to dry before you water again, and deadhead spent flowers to keep the plant neat and blooming.

Calibrachoa (Million Bells)

Calibrachoa looks like a miniature petunia and smothers itself in small, bell-shaped flowers from spring through fall. It loves full sun, trails beautifully, and is largely self-cleaning, so it needs little or no deadheading. It is one of the most reliable basket plants you can grow.

Portulaca (Moss Rose)

Portulaca is a drought-tolerant succulent that thrives in full sun and heat, in a vast range of bright colors. The flowers open along needle-like (but not sharp) leaves. In the mildest, frost-free parts of our area, moss rose can sometimes persist from year to year.

Trailing Verbena

Trailing verbena spills over the basket edge with clusters of flowers in red, purple, pink, and white, and it draws butterflies. It wants full sun and good drainage, and a light trim keeps it full and flowering.

Nasturtiums

Trailing nasturtium cultivars are ideal for baskets and are easy from seed or starter plants. If sowing seed, soak it for about 24 hours first. Nasturtiums are low-maintenance and thrive in warm, sunny spots, though they appreciate some afternoon shade during the hottest part of summer.

For trailing foliage to fill out a sunny basket, sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas), grown for its colorful chartreuse or purple leaves, is a popular companion in sun or part shade.

Best Flowers for Hanging Baskets in Shade

For a covered porch, a north-facing spot, or dappled light under a tree, these shade lovers shine.

Fuchsia

Fuchsia is the classic shade-basket plant, with pendant, nectar-rich flowers that bloom from spring until fall and draw hummingbirds. Trailing cultivars sprawl gracefully over the basket edge. Fuchsia is prone to root rot, so give it a fast-draining mix and avoid soggy soil.

Trailing (Pendula) Begonias

Yes, trailing “weeping” begonias are real. Trailing tuberous begonias, such as the Pendula group and Begonia boliviensis (like ‘Bonfire’), grow downward instead of up, which makes them perfect for baskets. They carry clusters of colorful blooms on thin, branching stems and want a spot protected from the hottest sun, in filtered light. Keep them evenly moist but never soggy.

Lobelia

Trailing lobelia (Lobelia erinus) is covered in tiny, dainty flowers, most familiarly in deep blue and purple. It is lovely cascading on its own or paired with fuchsia, where the low, fine flowers contrast against the larger blooms. Lobelia is a cool-weather plant that performs best in the milder months and in part shade; it struggles in hot, humid summer heat, so give it your coolest, brightest spot.

Impatiens

Impatiens bring nonstop color to shade, mounding and trailing over the basket edge in pinks, reds, whites, and corals. They are thirsty plants, so keep the soil evenly moist, especially in warm weather.

Best Flowers for Hanging Baskets: Quick Comparison

How to Plant and Care for a Hanging Basket

A few basics keep a basket full and flowering:

• Drainage: use a basket with drainage holes and a light, fast-draining mix. If you start with potting soil, blend in perlite and coconut coir so it drains freely and the roots can breathe.
• Water: hanging baskets dry out fast, so water often, sometimes every day during summer heat. Check the soil and water before it dries out completely.
• Feeding: frequent watering washes nutrients out of the mix, so feed regularly through the growing season with a balanced fertilizer to keep plants blooming.
• Deadheading: deadhead spent flowers on plants like petunias to keep them blooming; self-cleaning plants like calibrachoa need little or none.

Frequently Asked Questions

What flowers are good for a hanging basket?

The best hanging-basket flowers include petunias, calibrachoa (million bells), portulaca, trailing verbena, and nasturtiums for full sun, and fuchsia, trailing begonias, lobelia, and impatiens for shade. Match the plant to how much sun your spot gets.

What are the best flowers for hanging baskets in full sun?

For full sun, the best choices are petunias, calibrachoa, portulaca (moss rose), trailing verbena, and nasturtiums. They handle heat and bright light and bloom all season.

What are the best flowers for hanging baskets in shade?

For shade or filtered light, choose fuchsia, trailing (pendula) begonias, lobelia, and impatiens. They bloom well without direct sun and prefer protection from the hottest afternoon light.

Are weeping begonias real?

Yes. Trailing, pendula, and cascading begonias are real and are bred to grow downward rather than upward, which makes them ideal for hanging baskets. They do best in shade or filtered light.

What can you plant in a hanging basket?

Besides the flowers above, you can add trailing foliage like sweet potato vine for a fuller look. Choose a basket with drainage holes and match every plant to the same light conditions.

How often should you water a hanging basket?

Often. Hanging baskets dry out faster than in-ground plants and may need water every day during summer heat. Check the soil regularly and make sure the basket drains freely.

Do hanging baskets need deadheading?

Many do. Deadheading petunias and similar flowers keeps them blooming, while self-cleaning plants like calibrachoa need little or no deadheading.

Sources

• Iowa State University Extension, Creating and Growing Hanging Baskets
• North Carolina State Extension, Petunia
• North Carolina State Extension, Calibrachoa
• North Carolina State Extension, Portulaca
• North Carolina State Extension, Fuchsia
• North Carolina State Extension, Begonia
• North Carolina State Extension, Lobelia erinus
• North Carolina State Extension, Impatiens

With the right plants for your light and a little regular care, a hanging basket can stay colorful for months. Come talk to our garden experts at any Green Thumb Nursery location and we will help you choose the best flowers for your porch, patio, or garden.

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