11 Longest-Lasting Hanging Basket Flowers

Hanging baskets allow a sort of freedom and creativity that comes with tapping into vertical space. They house anything from herbs to vegetables and especially highlight ornamentals. A hanging basket overflowing with blooms captures attention, instantly boosts curb appeal, and draws pollinators like hummingbirds and butterflies. They single-handedly energize the arrangement, in whatever colors and combinations of our choosing.

Hanging baskets bring the best return on investment when they flower all season. Some of the selections on our list bloom for months as annuals, while others extend the display by overwintering indoors or in a sheltered area. The longest-lasting hanging basket flowers bring the most rewards.

Lantana ‘Spreading Sunset™’

	botanical name Lantana x ‘Monet’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-3’
	hardiness zones 9-11

Lantana is a rugged annual that blooms without flinching in hot, humid, and dry conditions. One of the longest-lasting hanging basket flowers, it also withstands salt exposure, reminding us of coastal summers. The long bloom season begins when temperatures warm in late spring or early summer and lasts until frost. 

Trailing varieties have stiffly cascading branches with colorful bloom clusters to suspend from a hanging basket. The flowers are traditionally lavender with white centers and yellow throats (‘Luscious Grape’ and ‘Lavender Swirl’ are two vigorous varieties). 

The hybrid ‘Spreading Sunset’ enlivens in vivid reds, golds, oranges, and pinks. It tolerates drying out slightly between waterings and dislikes waterlogged, saturated conditions.  

New Guinea Impatiens ‘Solarscape® XL Pink Jewel’

	botanical name Impatiens ‘Solarscape® XL Pink Jewel’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 11-13”
	hardiness zones 10-12

New Guinea impatiens becomes a focal point in shady zones. They bring lush appeal with larger flowers and leaves than the classic tuberous impatiens (I. walleriana). Elongated leaves are dark green, with some varieties having purple foliage.

New Guinea impatiens grows in heavy shade but withstands some sun better than traditional impatiens. They’re more resistant to mildew diseases, making them an adaptable choice for various growing regions, including humid environments.

‘Solarscape® XL Pink Jewel’ brings lasting color all season as a resilient top performer. The All-America Selections winner outperformed the competition with nonstop blooms on mounding foliage and superior downy mildew resistance. Large, silky petals shine in rich pink shades.

Petunia ‘Supertunia Mini Vista® Indigo’

	botanical name Petunia ‘Supertunia Mini Vista® Indigo’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6-12”
	hardiness zones 10-11

Petunias are among the most popular annuals for their waves of color on mounding forms with spreading stems. The tubular blooms emerge from spring through frost, taking a break in high summer heat. 

The ‘Supertunia®’ series features top performers with vigorous growth and colorful flowers. The trumpets are a beacon for beneficial insects and hummingbirds and make long-lasting flowers for hanging baskets. ‘Supertunia®’ is also more heat-tolerant and withstands moderate drought. By mid-summer, give stems a trim to promote a flush of fresh growth.

The ‘Mini Vista®’ subset is smaller in stature and in flower with a profusion of blooms covering densely-branched forms; similar to calibrachoa (million bells), the annuals remain under one foot tall. They spread 18 to 24 inches wide. ‘Mini Vista® Indigo’ has purple-blue blooms that fill a hanging basket as a single specimen. The award-winner holds multiple ‘Top Performer’ designations from trials across the country and climate zones.

Tuberous Begonia ‘Nonstop® Mocca Deep Orange’

	botanical name Begonia x tuberhybrida ‘Nonstop® Mocca Deep Orange’
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 8-12”
	hardiness zones 10-11

Tuberous begonias produce detailed blooms in single, double, or ruffled forms. Tuberous types are a fit for climates with mild summers where they flower continuously for months until temperatures drop. They bloom heavily from late spring through fall’s frost. Lightly fragrant, their full flowers delight the senses and draw pollinators.

Tuberous types bring an array of varieties to add intrigue with dynamic flowers and foliage. ‘Nonstop® Mocca Deep Orange’ offers continual blooms on robust stems. The fully double blossoms in rich red-orange pop against the dark, velvety foliage in green and mahogany.

Since they wither in high heat, treat tuberous begonias as spring annuals in southern climates. Longer-lasting begonias for hot areas include ‘Dragon Wing’ and ‘Angel Wing,’ which tolerate heat, humidity, and dry conditions. Their slightly arching canes, wing-shaped leaves, and pendulous flowers welcome interesting texture.

Geranium ‘Caliope® Medium Dark Red’

	botanical name Pelargonium ‘Caliope® Medium Dark Red’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 12-14”
	hardiness zones 9-10

Red geraniums are the classic beauties of summer, and ‘Caliope Medium Dark Red’ brings all the good notes. The striking common garden geranium has velvety scarlet blooms that rise on sturdy stems above thick, mounding leaves. The hybrid has branches that spread slightly for a full, leafy habit. 

The All-America Selections Winner shows exceptional performance, including high heat and drought resistance. In hanging baskets, they’ll flower best with regular water, allowing the soil to dry slightly between watering sessions. Pinch off spent blooms at the base of the stem for quick ‘Caliope’ flowers.

Scaevola ‘Whirlwind® Blue’

	botanical name Scaevola aemula ‘SVAZ0006’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 8-14”
	hardiness zones 10-11

Scaevola, or fan flower, is a gentle spreader with whirling fan-shaped blooms in blue, lavender, pink, and white. They make excellent beginner flowers for hanging baskets with their quick growth, showy blooms, and resistance to heat, drought, and pests. 

The ‘Whirlwind®’ series in pink, blue, and bicolor is a longtime favorite and performs well in warm climates. The appealing, rich denim tones of ‘Whirlwind® Blue’ cool down the summer look. The gently cascading stems yield an array of fan petals to form large blooms. The annual spread is up to two feet.

Fan flower petals are self-cleaning and don’t need deadheading for continuous blooms. They tolerate drying between watering sessions but look best with regular moisture.

Calibrachoa ‘Superbells® Coralina’

	botanical name Calibrachoa x hybrida ‘INCALMIABE’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6-12”
	hardiness zones 9-11

Calibrachoa, or million bells, holds small bell blooms that run the color spectrum. Like petunias, they flower from spring through frost, though they handle heat better and withstand short dry spells.

The Superbells series produces masses of little trumpet flowers. ‘Superbells® Coralina’ packs a punch with blended hues in deep pink and orange. The multitonal effect adds depth to the cheery trumpets. Superbells® spread up to two feet for a full-color show. Like petunias, they benefit from a trim midseason if they start to lose vigor or become spindly. The light pruning encourages a flush of new growth and flowers.

Calibrachoa handles some shade in the afternoon, especially in southern climates. Provide rich, quick-draining soils for overall health.

Fuchsia ‘Dark Eyes’

	botanical name Fuchsia ‘Dark Eyes’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 8-18”
	hardiness zones 8-11

Fuchsia is a favorite for its long-lasting hanging basket flowers in the shade. The highly ornamental blooms are white, pink, red, magenta, purple, and bicolor. Single or double flowers suspend delicately from arching stems, with trailing varieties especially suited to suspended planters.

‘Dark Eyes’ is a standout with outer red sepals that flare around folds of satiny purple corollas. Stems spread up to two feet to showcase the distinct floral structure. ‘Dark Eyes’ is a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit recipient. It performs well amongst the species in addition to its high show.

Fuchsia fills a basket as a single specimen with a long bloom season. Heavy blooms in spring and early summer repeat flower into fall, and the bobbing florals draw hummingbirds. Light pinching and pruning keep them going all season. The hanging baskets overwinter indoors, albeit challengingly.

Zinnia ‘Persian Carpet’

	botanical name Zinnia haageana ‘Persian Carpet’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 12-16”
	hardiness zones 2-11

Low, mounding zinnias like ‘Persian Carpet’ make an easy-care basket specimen or filler accent. The small ray flowers last through fall, and the variety is heat, drought, and disease resistant. The All-America Selections Winner has a mix of single and double blooms in golds, reds, and creamy white.

Zinnias need good air circulation, which is an advantage in suspended pots. They thrive in warm weather and sunny exposures, with six or more hours of sun helping to ward off pests and fungal diseases, especially in humid climates.

Trailing Osteospermum ‘Tradewinds® Sunset’

	botanical name Osteospermum ecklonis ‘Tradewinds® Sunset’’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 10-14”
	hardiness zones 10-11

Trailing osteospermum, or African Daisy, has a mounding, spreading habit that fills up and overflows planter edges. Daisy-like flowers whirl in white, lavender, pink, purple, coral, and yellow. ‘Tradewinds® Sunset’ brings multitone petals that capture attention. Tipped in gold, they transition from orange to red to pink at the center, dotted with a dark central disc. 

In climates with cool summers, osteospermum flowers from spring until frost. In warmer zones, they’ll do best in spring before higher temperatures arrive. African daisies prefer moist, well-drained soils. Native to South Africa, they tolerate periods of drought.

Bougainvillea ‘Orange King’

	botanical name Bougainvillea ‘Orange King’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 20-30‘
	hardiness zones 10-11

Bougainvillea has papery bracts in brilliant pink, red, white, and yellow. While the robust vines grow tall in their optimal growing conditions, they grow beautifully as annuals in containers for the rest of us. They’re always showing and producing, whether in a full flush or free flowering.