Top 7 Eye-Catching Trailing Plants for Hanging Baskets – Craft a Stunning Summer Spectacle
In the quest for a lush, visually appealing hanging basket, choosing the right plants is essential. Here, we explore some of the best trailing plants that not only add a splash of colour but also thrive in the unique microenvironment of hanging baskets.
English Ivy (Hedera helix) is a versatile vine that offers vertical visual interest in USDA zones 4 through 9. It prefers average soil and medium moisture in a partially or fully shady spot.
Trailing Petunia and Calibrachoa (Million Bells) are popular choices for their vibrant, cascading blooms. These plants require minimal care, making them ideal for adding colour and ease to your hanging displays.
Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia), also known as moneywort, is a ground cover native to Europe. It trails nicely in hanging baskets, mostly grown for its round, lime-green leaves and pretty yellow flowers.
Impatiens offer soft, spilling blooms ideal for shaded spots, although they need consistent moisture and protection from heat.
String of Pearls is a succulent with bead-like foliage that adds unique texture. It thrives in bright indirect light and dry soil between watering, making it a great choice for indoor hanging baskets.
Black-Eyed Susan Vine provides bold yellow flowers with dark centers, adding striking colour contrast.
Moss Rose is heat- and drought-tolerant with rose-like blooms and succulent leaves, well suited for sun-exposed baskets with less fertile soil.
These plants tend to have trailing or cascading growth habits, making them visually effective in hanging baskets. They are adapted to tolerate the conditions typical of hanging containers, such as faster drainage, wind exposure, and limited root space, although some (like Impatiens) may require more attention to watering and humidity.
Lobelia blooms profusely in a mound that spills over the sides of containers, and it may fade back a little in the heat of summer, so it can be used with heat-loving annuals like million bells or petunias.
Fuchsia x hybrida, a long-time favourite for hanging baskets, is a trailing plant with plentiful, tubular, and brightly-coloured flowers. It prefers shady areas and requires fertile soil that retains moisture, as well as plenty of humidity. However, it is only hardy in the warmest USDA zones.
Boston ferns grow best in dappled or even full shade, tolerating the heat of summer well as long as the soil is consistently moist. They provide interesting foliage with gracefully arching fronds that spill nicely over the sides of baskets.
Million bells (Calibrachoa x hybrida), also known as calibrachoa, produce waves of trumpet-shaped flowers in various colours, a lot like petunias, and do not need to be deadheaded. They are a good choice for hot climates as they tolerate high temperatures and drought.
Lobelia (Lobelia erinus) is very popular for use in all kinds of containers, comes in a range of colours but is most prized for various striking shades of blue and purple.
Petunia x hybrida reliably produces blooms from spring to fall, and requires regular deadheading and periodic stem pinching to avoid legginess. It comes in a rainbow of colours and is well suited for hanging baskets, trailing over the sides while filling up the top of the container.
Creeping Jenny grows well in full sun or partial shade, with the leaves being greener in shade and more golden in full sun. Interestingly, it can also be grown in water.
Each of these plants brings its unique charm to hanging baskets, ensuring a vibrant, lush display that will brighten up any outdoor space.
Gardening a home-and-garden hanging basket requires choosing the right plants to create a lush and visually appealing display. English Ivy, Trailing Petunia and Calibrachoa, Creeping Jenny, Impatiens, and String of Pearls are some of the best trailing plants that thrive in the unique microenvironment of hanging baskets, contributing to an array of colors, textures, and growth habits.
