What To Put In A Hanging Basket: Learn About Plants For Hanging Baskets
Hanging baskets are a great way to enjoy your favorite plants anywhere, anytime. They're great indoors and out. Whether you're growing houseplants or your favorite perennial or annual hanging plants, the options for what to grow are nearly endless, making it easy to find a plant to suit your specific needs, though the choices can sometimes be overwhelming.
Best Flowers for Hanging Baskets
While some of the better options for hanging baskets include trailing plants, nearly any plant will work, including veggies, when given the proper growing conditions. However, some plants do work better than others. For this reason, listing some of the most popular of these should make choosing plants for hanging baskets a bit easier. Let's take a look at some of the most common perennial and annual hanging plants.
Sun-Loving Hanging Basket Plants
If you have an area with lots of sun, these plants will make excellent choices. Just don't forget that hanging plants have a tendency to dry out faster, so keep them well watered and check on them daily. Flowering plants:
- Verbena (annual/perennial)
- Moss rose (Portulaca grandiflora - annual)
- Geranium (annual)
- Lantana (perennial)
- Signet marigold (Tagetes tenuifolia - annual)
- Heliotrope (annual)
- Licorice vine (Helichrysum petiolare - perennial)
- Water hyssop (Bacopa - annual)
- Ivy-leaf geranium (annual)
Foliage plants:
- Sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas - annual)
- Periwinkle (Vinca - perennial with small bluish purple flowers in spring)
Vegetables/Fruit:
- Tomatoes (cherry type)
- Carrots
- Radishes (globe-rooted type)
- Beans (dwarf French)
- Peppers (Cayenne, Firecracker)
- Strawberries
Herbs:
Shade Plants for Hanging Baskets
The following plants work well in areas with partial to full shade: Foliage plants:
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- Ferns (perennial)
- English ivy (Herdera - perennial)
- Periwinkle (Vinca - perennial)
Flowering plants:
- Water hyssop (Bacopa - annual)
- Tuberous begonia (annual/tender perennial)
- Silver bells (Browallia - annual)
- Fuchsia (perennial)
- Impatiens (annual)
- New Guinea impatiens (annual)
- Lobelia (annual)
- Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritime - annual)
- Nasturtium (annual)
- Pansy (Viola - annual)
Favorite Houseplants for Hanging Baskets
Some of the most commonly grown plants for hanging baskets are houseplants. Choose from plants like:
Nikki Tilley has been gardening for nearly three decades. The former Senior Editor and Archivist of Gardening Know How, Nikki has also authored six gardening books.
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