10 Beautiful Flowers Perfect for Hanging Baskets
Mar 13th 2025
Hanging baskets are an excellent way to brighten up your yard, patio, garage, fence, and front porch. Nothing is more eye-catching than a tidy entrance with a pair of hanging baskets overflowing with gorgeous blooms and lush leaves. Hanging baskets are filled with beautiful colors, fragrances, and textures maximize your outdoor and indoor space.
Some basket flowers also attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and other wildlife friends. Most of these flowers are planted in spring and grown as annuals, although they can be perennials in warm regions. When choosing flowers for hanging baskets, mix several types with different shapes and colors of flowers and foliage. Move baskets or switch out plants for a vibrant, fresh look all spring and summer.
Top 10 Beautiful Flowers to Grow in Hanging Baskets
Here's a list of ten beautiful flowers that thrive in hanging baskets and dazzle up your porch, deck, patio, and entire property.
1. Petunias
USDA Hardiness Zones: 9-11
Petunias are the classic favorite flowers for hanging baskets. These beautiful flowers have everything: large, showy blooms, lush foliage, lovely scent, and a wonderful fix of compact and trailing habits. Petunias are most fragrant in the evening, so incorporate a white variety into your garden for extra charm.
You can try Milliflora petunias, which bloom without pruning, or Multiflor, which thrives in hot summers. Petunia's bold colors and playful flowers create a spectacular show in hanging baskets all summer. Use them alone or in combination with trailing annuals.
2. Begonias
USDA Hardiness Zones: 9-10
Begonias are one of the loveliest flowers to grow in hanging baskets. They produce large blooms with striking double petals and impressive detailing. These flowers are shade tolerant, so they are a perfect choice for dark areas of the house. Begonias produce flowers in yellow, pink, white, red, and orange shades.
Half-hardy begonia produces the same tubular flowers as fuchsias but can withstand the heat of southern summers. These gorgeous flowers are great alternatives to fuchsias for anyone who doesn't have the right climate to grow them. The Nonstop Mocca variety is another tuberous begonia that looks beautiful in hanging baskets. These species produce double the flowers resembling roses.
3. Fuchsias
USDA Hardiness Zones: 10-11
If your area experiences cool, wet summers, you should not miss the chance to grow this stunning, shade-loving perennial. With little fuss, Fuchsias will look even more beautiful in hanging baskets. The exotic-looking blooms of these plants attract lots of hummingbirds. These flowers benefit from regular feeding, daily watering, and careful deadheading.
Choose heat-tolerant varieties like Surprise, Jupiter, or Astoria for summer weather. If overwintered in a frost-free location, these semi-hardy perennials give a charming show for many years.
4. Lantana
USDA Hardiness Zones: 8-11
Lantana makes fantastic hanging basket plants. Vibrant flower clusters of lantana in warm yellow, red, and orange tones attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and other insects. They provide consistent tropical color throughout the growing season. Place this flower in a sunny spot or combine it with other heat-tolerant plants such as Salvia or Cuphea.
Lantana grows into a wild woody shrub in frost free regions that overtakes flower beds and clambers through fences. Choose a compact variety for hanging baskets, such as Patriot Rainbow and Patriot Popcorn.
5. Impatiens
USDA Hardiness Zones: 10-12
Brighten up your porch or patio with baskets of blooms in stunning tones of salmon, peach, and brilliant orange. This charming plant has long blooming and self-cleaning rosebud flowers. Due to their compact size, New Guinea impatiens is the perfect choice for hanging baskets or planters.
Impatiens are shade lovers, so plant them alongside vibrantly hued varieties of caladium and coleus for an extra splash of color. If planted right after the last frost, these quick-growing plants will begin to bloom early in the season, and some will continue to bloom into fall.
6. Geraniums (Pelargonium)
USDA Hardiness Zones: 10-11
Geraniums are another popular choice for hanging baskets, with different color varieties available. They are classic bedding plants that add stunning colors to your outdoor space. From fiery red and purple to delicate pastels, they are available in various colors, scents, and leaf shapes.
Geraniums are drought-tolerant and hardy perennials that will bloom again the following year. However, deadheading is required to keep plants blooming until frost. Plant a trailing ivy-leaf variety GeRainbow Mixed for a softer look. The Geranium Best Red variety has striking red blooms that reflect the warmth of Mediterranean summers.
7. Pansies
USDA Hardiness Zones: 7-11
Looking for early spring and late season hanging basket flowers? Pansies are a reliable choice for this time of year. These colorful, fast-growing flowers have heart-shaped petals in bright colors, often with center markings. They like full to partial sun, and many varieties re-seed, so they will bloom again next spring.
Pansies are popular because they can withstand cold temperatures. They will fade in the summer heat, so they make perfect spring and fall flowers. The Cool Wave series are quick-growing pansies with spreading habits and vigorous blooms, ideal for hanging baskets.
8. Verbena
USDA Hardiness Zones: 8-11
Verbenas are trailing plants with rich green elongated foliage and colorful flowers that bloom from spring to fall. Like lantana, verbena is spread out in hanging baskets and blooms vigorously. These plants are incredibly carefree and easy to grow.
Verbena grows best in full sun, moist, well-drained soil, and good air circulation. They will add allure to your space with their stunning mix of shades. Additionally, verbena shows great resistance to mildew. The popular verbena variety for hanging baskets is Lanai Twister Pink, which has light pink flowers and rich pink centers.
9. Lobelia
USDA Hardiness Zones: 10-11
Lobelia is another impressive plant with airy foliage that trails effortlessly on the edges of the basket. This annual plant produces clouds of delicate flowers cascading white, pink, and blue colors. These versatile blooms make a wonderful backdrop for bedding plants and a great way to fill mixed baskets. They do well in full to partial sun and moderate temperatures.
Lobelias don't like dry soil, so keep your lobelia baskets well-watered. Try growing Lobelia Monsoon for a dazzling display of violet-blue flowers. Choose Lobelia White Lady for a gorgeous white floral show for a compact variety. This variety is perfect for planting around the edge of the underside of a hanging basket.
10. Strawberries
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9
Strawberry is another popular choice for hanging planters. Everyone's favorite summertime treat grows beautifully in hanging baskets and makes the best fruit desserts. The best thing about growing it in your basket is you can enjoy stunning blooms and eat delicious berries. Just pinch a strawberry whenever you walk by. Strawberries thrive in full sun, so choose a sunny spot and water them regularly for excellent fruit.
Read More: How to Grow Strawberries in Your Garden
How to Water Hanging Basket Flowers
Hanging baskets will need a lot of water on hot summer days. An established 12 to 14' basket will need at least one gallon of water whenever you water it. On hot, humid days, you'll need to water flowers daily. During cooler spring months, they may not need daily watering. Drip irrigation kits are perfect for efficiently watering hanging basket flowers. The hanging basket kit at DripWorks is the popular irrigation kit among gardeners for their patio and porch.
The drip system delivers water to the soil instead of sprinkling it over flowers and leaves. If your outdoor space has several hanging baskets and you are unsure how to install a drip system, this ready-to-install kit will be super helpful. It is best to water flowers when the soil feels dry to the touch. Water your hanging baskets until you see water running out of the bottom of the containers.
The Bottom Line
Whether you want to display a vibrant collection of patio plants or fill window boxes with colorful blooms, hanging baskets are an ideal solution. This list contains flowers that grow beautifully in hanging baskets and are popular for their beauty and ease of care. Spruce up your front porch, patio, back deck, and gardening space with these beautiful hanging flowers!