Trailing Plants for Hanging Baskets: A Guide to Adding Color and Interest to Your Outdoor Space
Hanging baskets are a great way to add color, height, and interest to your patio, doorway, or balcony. They can be used to create a lush, cascading display of flowers that will last all summer long.
When choosing plants for hanging baskets, it’s important to select varieties that are well-suited to the conditions. Trailing plants, also known as “spillers,” are ideal for hanging baskets because they grow long, flowing stems that cascade over the edge of the basket.
Best Trailing Plants for Hanging Baskets
Here are 10 of the best trailing plants for hanging baskets:
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Calibrachoa (Million Bells): These tender perennials produce trumpet-like flowers in a wide range of colors, including purple, pink, red, yellow, orange, and white. They are low-maintenance plants that don’t require deadheading.
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Lobelia Erinus: This popular bedding plant comes in a range of colors, including white, purple, pink, and brilliant shades of blue. It prefers full sun and well-drained soil.
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Bacopa: This pretty trailing plant has masses of small, white, pink, or purple flowers that bloom for months on end. It is a low-maintenance plant that doesn’t require deadheading.
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Fuchsia: Fuchsias are known for their hanging, bell-shaped, bi-colored flowers that resemble colorful, dancing skirts. They come in a variety of shades, including white, pink, purple, and red.
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Begonia: Begonias are a great choice for hanging baskets in shady spots. They produce large, showy flowers in a range of colors, including red, pink, white, and yellow.
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Verbena: Bedding verbenas are a hanging basket staple, bearing small flowers in a range of colors, including purple, red, and pink. They are low-maintenance plants that bloom profusely all summer long.
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Petunia: Petunias are popular bedding plants that are also well-suited to hanging baskets. They come in a wide range of colors, from white to dark purple, and some varieties have bi-colored flowers.
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Cherry Tomatoes: Edible plants can add an extra touch of interest to hanging baskets. Cherry tomatoes (bush varieties) grow well in hanging baskets and produce an abundance of small, sweet tomatoes.
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Strawberries: Strawberries are another great edible option for hanging baskets. They produce pretty white or pink flowers that give way to luscious red fruits. Growing strawberries in hanging baskets helps to protect them from pests and diseases.
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Creeping Jenny: Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ (creeping Jenny) has small, yellow flowers but is mostly grown for its golden foliage, which trails over the edge of hanging baskets and sets off other, more showy flowering plants.
How to Plant and Care for Trailing Plants in Hanging Baskets
To create a beautiful hanging basket display, follow these tips:
- Choose a lightweight, peat-free potting compost and mix in slow-release fertilizer granules and water-retaining gel.
- Plant a variety of upright and trailing plants in complementary colors for a complete, coordinated look.
- Hang your basket in late spring, after all risk of frost has passed.
- Water your plants regularly, especially during hot, dry weather.
- Fertilize your plants every few weeks with a balanced liquid fertilizer.
- Deadhead spent flowers to encourage new blooms.
With proper care, your trailing plants will thrive in hanging baskets and provide you with a cascade of color and beauty all summer long.
