Howdy, garden lovers! Ready to jazz up your outdoor space? Let’s explore the best trailing plants for hanging baskets.
These beauties will transform your patio, balcony, or porch into a lush, cascading garden oasis. So, grab your gardening gloves, and let’s get planting!
Key Takeaways:
Some of the best trailing plants for hanging baskets include:
Lobelia for vibrant blue and violet flowers,
Bacopa for delicate white blooms,
Million Bells (Calibrachoa) for their mini petunia-like appearance.
These plants thrive in hanging baskets, providing a stunning display of color and texture.
Introduction: Best Trailing Plants for Hanging Baskets
Howdy, green thumbs! Ever wondered how to turn your outdoor space into a stunning cascade of greenery and color?
Let’s dive into the world of the best trailing plants for hanging baskets. These beauties are not just a treat for the eyes but also a breeze to care for.
Perfect for sprucing up your porch or balcony. So, grab your gardening gloves, and let’s explore the best picks to create your very own hanging paradise! Here is what we’ll be covering:
Best Trailing Plants for Hanging Baskets Outdoors
Coleus (Plectranthus scutellarioides)
Golden Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)
Lobelia
Bacopa
Million Bells (Calibrachoa)
Low-Maintenance Outdoor Hanging Plants
Ivy (Hedera)
Sweet Potato Vine (Ipomoea batatas)
Evergreen Trailing Plants for Hanging Baskets
Ivy (Hedera)
Licorice Plant (Helichrysum petiolare)
Trailing Plants for Hanging Baskets Full Sun
Million Bells (Calibrachoa)
Lantana
Donkey’s Tails (Sedum morganianum)
Shade Hanging Basket Trailing Plants
Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum)
Fuchsias
Stay tuned as we dive deeper into each of these categories, uncovering the secrets to a thriving hanging garden!
Best Trailing Plants for Hanging Baskets Outdoors
Looking to add some pizzazz to your outdoor space? Trailing plants are the way to go!
Perfect for hanging baskets, these plants spill over the edges with grace, creating a stunning display of foliage and flowers.
Here are some top picks that will thrive outdoors:
Coleus (Plectranthus scutellarioides): This plant is a real show-off with its vibrant leaves that come in a rainbow of colors. Coleus loves a bit of shade, making it perfect for those less sunny spots. Just keep the soil moist, and you’ll have a stunning display all season long.
Golden Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia): If you’re after a splash of gold, this plant’s for you. Its bright yellow leaves light up any space, and it’s not fussy about sunlight, so you can hang it just about anywhere.
Lobelia: For a pop of blue or violet, lobelia’s your go-to. These little flowers create a dense mat of color and are happy in both sun and partial shade. Just keep them watered, and they’ll bloom their hearts out.
Bacopa: This plant’s a charmer with its delicate white flowers that seem to float above the foliage. Bacopa loves a sunny spot but will do just fine with some afternoon shade too.
Million Bells (Calibrachoa): These mini petunia look-alikes are a breeze to care for and bloom like crazy in full sun. With a rainbow of colors to choose from, you can mix and match to your heart’s content.
Pothos: A Star Among Trailing Plants for Hanging Baskets Outdoors: Pothos, or Epipremnum aureum, is a top contender for outdoor hanging baskets in shaded areas. Its heart-shaped leaves come in a variety of patterns and colors, from solid green to variegated with yellow, white, or silver. Pothos is beloved for its low-maintenance nature and adaptability to different light conditions, making it an ideal choice for adding a touch of greenery to balconies, patios, or porches
So there you have it, folks – a lineup of trailing stars that’ll turn your hanging baskets into outdoor showstoppers. Happy gardening!
Low-Maintenance Outdoor Hanging Plants
Looking for some easy-going greenery to spruce up your outdoor space? Low-maintenance plants are the way to go! Perfect for those of us who love the look of lush greenery but might not have the greenest of thumbs. Here are a couple of fuss-free options that’ll keep your hanging baskets looking fab with minimal effort:
Ivy (Hedera): This classic evergreen vine is as low-maintenance as they come. It’s happy in a range of light conditions, from shade to full sun, and it’ll keep its cool, green look all year round. Just give it a trim now and then to keep it in shape, and you’re all set.
Sweet Potato Vine (Ipomoea batatas): This one’s a real stunner with its heart-shaped leaves and vibrant colors. It’s a fast grower and doesn’t ask for much – just some sun or partial shade and a bit of water to keep it happy. Plus, it’s a great way to add a splash of color to your space.
So there you have it, folks – a couple of low-maintenance beauties that’ll make your outdoor space look great without much work. Now, that’s what I call a win-win!
Evergreen Trailing Plants for Hanging Baskets
Howdy, plant enthusiasts! Ready to keep your outdoor space green and gorgeous all year round? Here are some evergreen trailing plants that’ll make your hanging baskets the envy of the neighborhood:
Ivy (Hedera): A classic choice for lush, green foliage that cascades beautifully.
Burrow’s Tail (Sedum morganianum): Known for its decorative plump leaves and vibrant red flowers in summer. It’s perfect for hot climates but needs to be taken indoors in cold regions .
Wandering Jew (Tradescantia zebrina): Celebrated for its colorful stripes of purple, cream, and green. A fast grower and recovers quickly from setbacks.
Rock Cress (Aubretia deltoidea): Offers tiny, dense leaves that provide fine texture to your hanging baskets. It’s a semi-evergreen in cold regions but stays green in milder climates.
Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia): This fast-grower transforms your baskets into golden waterfalls, especially in the sun. Just keep the soil from drying out too much.
Trailing Verbena (Glandularia canadensis): With semi-evergreen foliage and vibrant hues of pink, purple, and lavender blue, it thrives in full sun.
Sweet Potato Vine (Ipomoea batatas): Offers purple hand-shaped foliage and is popular for its beautiful spilling foliage. It’s an annual or tender perennial that’s easy to grow from a cutting.
Silver Falls (Dichondra argentea): Adds a touch of silver to your display with its heart-shaped leaves and trailing stems. It’s evergreen in warmer climates.
Parrots Beak (Lotus Berthelotii): A unique trailing evergreen tender perennial with silver-grey leaves and striking bright red flowers.
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum minus): Produces lots of vividly colored flowers from mid-summer to the first autumn frosts. Bushy varieties look great in hanging baskets.
Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens): A small, creeping evergreen that produces bright red berries in winter, adding a pop of color to your winter hanging baskets.
With these evergreen trailing plants, your hanging baskets will stay vibrant and full of life throughout the year!
Trailing Plants for Hanging Baskets Full Sun
Howdy folks! If you’re looking to add some pizzazz to your sunny spots, I’ve rounded up some of the best trailing plants for hanging baskets that love basking in full sun:
Nasturtiums: These edible beauties are perfect for adding a peppery kick to your salads, and they’ll thrive in full sun, offering up delightful orange and yellow blooms.
Bougainvillea: A challenge worth taking on! This plant will reward you with bright, papery blooms in shades of pink, white, and purple. Just keep an eye on its thorny vines.
Sun Coleus: With its vibrant foliage, sun coleus is a stunner in full sun. Its leaves come in a mix of browns and greens, adding a splash of color to your hanging baskets.
Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’: Known for its cascading silver foliage, this plant is a vigorous grower and looks fantastic in mixed hanging baskets.
Creeping Jenny: With its chartreuse leaves, creeping Jenny adds a beautiful contrast to darker-leaved plants. It prefers at least half a day of sun and well-draining, moist soil.
Strawberries: Who doesn’t love strawberries? Growing them in hanging baskets is a great option if you’re short on space and have plenty of sun.
Scaevola: Also known as fan flower, Scaevola is wonderful for hanging baskets and window boxes, offering heat and drought tolerance along with self-cleaning flowers.
Portulaca: This low-maintenance succulent thrives in full sun and tolerates dry spells, making it a great choice for hanging baskets. Its bright blooms come in various colors, adding a cheerful touch to your garden.
Madagascar Jasmine: For a touch of exotic beauty, Madagascar Jasmine features fragrant star-shaped white flowers and can grow up to 6 feet tall. It needs full sun but can tolerate part shade.
Petunias: A garden favorite, petunias bloom most prolifically in full sun and come in many color choices. They like to be watered every day and sometimes twice a day in hotter months.
Million Bells: These mini-petunia shaped flowers bloom in a wide spectrum of colors and enjoy full sun to part sun, blooming more prolifically in full sun. Keep the soil moist, especially in hot summer months.
So, there you have it – a lineup of sun-loving trailing plants that’ll make your hanging baskets shine all season long! Happy gardening!
Shade Hanging Basket Trailing Plants
Howdy, garden enthusiasts! If you’re looking to add some charm to those shady spots, here’s a roundup of some fabulous trailing plants that’ll thrive in hanging baskets without needing full sun:
For a shade hanging basket, here are some great plant options:
Fuchsia: Known for their unique, drooping blooms, fuchsia plants are a popular choice for hanging baskets in shady areas. They thrive in partial to full shade and require regular watering.
Begonia: Begonias are versatile plants that come in many varieties, including some that are well-suited for shade. They provide vibrant colors and can be a great addition to your hanging basket.
Impatiens: Particularly New Guinea Impatiens, are excellent for shady spots. They produce large, showy flowers in a variety of colors and prefer moist, well-draining soil.
Lobelia: Lobelia is perfect for adding a touch of delicacy with its small, vibrant flowers. It thrives in shady baskets and is a great space filler.
Coleus: With its bright, colorful foliage, coleus can add a pop of color to your shade hanging basket. It’s a versatile plant that can complement other shade-loving plants.
Creeping Jenny: This plant is known for its bright, light green foliage and can quickly provide a trailing element to your hanging basket. It prefers consistently moist soil.
Moss Rose (Portulaca): Although it prefers full sun, moss rose can tolerate some shade. It’s known for its succulent foliage and vibrant flowers that open during the day.
Loropetalum: With varieties that display stunning red and purple leaves, loropetalum adds year-round elegance to your hanging basket garden. It blooms beautiful pink or red fringe flowers in late winter to early spring.
Streptocarpella: Often referred to as False African Violet, Streptocarpella blooms almost continuously in the shade, making it perfect for a shady hanging basket.
When choosing plants for your hanging basket, consider the specific shade conditions of your space and the care requirements of each plant. Mixing and matching different plants can create a beautiful and diverse display.
FAQ Section
Got questions about trailing plants for hanging baskets? You’re in the right place! Here’s a quick rundown of some frequently asked questions to help you get your garden looking its best.
Q. What flowers are good for trailing hanging baskets?
A. Lobelia, Bacopa, and Million Bells are excellent options for adding color and texture to your hanging baskets.
Q. What are the longest blooming flowers for hanging baskets?
A. Petunias and Geraniums are known for their long blooming periods, providing color and vibrancy throughout the season.
Q. How many trailing plants in a hanging basket?
A. Typically, 3 to 5 plants per 12-inch basket is a good rule of thumb to ensure a full and lush display.
Q. What are the best plants for thriller hanging baskets?
A. Geraniums and Lantana provide vibrant color and texture, making them excellent choices for creating eye-catching thriller hanging baskets.
Q. What is the best drought-tolerant trailing plant?
A. Sedum species, like Donkey’s Tails, are very drought-tolerant and perfect for low-maintenance hanging baskets.
Q. What is the best trailing plant?
A. Ivy and Sweet Potato Vine are popular for their vigorous growth and ability to add lush greenery to hanging baskets.
Q. What trailing plant likes full sun?
A. Million Bells and Lantana thrive in full sun, making them ideal for sunny spots in your garden.
Q. What is a good low-light trailing plant?
A. Maidenhair Fern and Ivy are suitable for low-light conditions, perfect for adding greenery to shadier areas.
Conclusion: Wrapping Up Our Trailing Plant Adventure
Well, there you have it, folks! We’ve taken a good look at some of the best trailing plants for hanging baskets, and I gotta say, the options are as exciting as finding a hidden treasure in your own backyard.
Whether you’re looking to jazz up a sunny spot or add a touch of greenery to a shady nook, there’s a trailing plant out there with your name on it.
Sun-Loving Beauties:
Million Bells (Calibrachoa): These little charmers are perfect for soaking up the sun and adding a burst of color.
Lantana: Not only do they love the sun, but they also invite those helpful pollinators to your garden.
Sedum species (e.g., Donkey’s Tails): Tough as nails and great for those hot spots.
Shade Dwellers:
Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum): A delicate touch of green for those cooler, shaded areas.
Fuchsias: These beauties bring a pop of color and a bit of drama to the shade.
All-Rounders:
Ivy (Hedera): A classic that’s happy just about anywhere.
Lobelia: Bright and cheerful, these guys are pretty easygoing when it comes to light.
Bacopa: Elegant white flowers that bring a sense of calm to your hanging basket.
So, whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting to dip your toes into the world of trailing plants, I hope you’re feeling inspired to create your own hanging basket masterpiece.
Remember, gardening is all about having fun and getting your hands a little dirty. So go on, give these trailing beauties a try, and watch your garden come to life!
For those eager to dive deeper into the world of hanging baskets, we’ve gathered a selection of educational resources from trusted cooperative extension websites. Whether you’re looking for tips on plant selection, care instructions, or creative ideas for your hanging basket projects, these articles offer valuable insights and guidance.
N.C. Cooperative Extension – Lee County Center: Provides information on hanging baskets, including care and maintenance. You can find more details on their website here.
Home & Garden Information Center – Clemson University: Offers information on hanging baskets and window boxes, including plant suggestions for different conditions. Check out their website here for more information.
It Grows in Alaska – Cooperative Extension Service: Features articles on hanging baskets, including a recipe for success in creating vibrant displays. Explore their content here.
North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Provides information on plants suitable for hanging baskets, including Coleus and Plectranthus. You can find more details here.
Home & Garden Information Center – Clemson University: Offers information on Scaevola or Fan Flower, which is an excellent choice for mixed containers and hanging baskets. Check out their website here for more details.
Horticulture and Home Pest News – Iowa State University Extension and Outreach: Provides tips on creating and growing hanging baskets, including plant suggestions for sunny and shady locations. Explore their content here.
These resources offer a wealth of information on selecting plants, designing, and maintaining beautiful hanging baskets for your garden or patio.
