13 Best perennials for hanging baskets

Why perennials?

Perennials are plants that will return year after year. Having to buy new annuals (plants that only live one year) each year can be costly. By using perennials in hanging baskets, you won’t need to replace them every spring.

How to plant perennials in hanging baskets:

1. Decide on what size hanging baskets you want to use
2. Buy small perennials for hanging basket(s)
3. Decide how many perennials you want to put in each hanging basket, we recommend one or two, but you can do more
4. Place a liner made from natural materials in the basket
5. Fill half of hanging basket with soil
6. Take perennial plant out of its store container and place in soil of hanging basket
7. Fill in remaining space with soil
8. Water plant thoroughly
9. Hang the basket in a desired location

Picking perennials

The best perennials for hanging baskets are the ones that you enjoy!

There are many options to choose from, but those that are short are most ideal. This means picking plants that are no more then 12 inches high. All of the plants on this list are short and suited for containers. Plus the majority of the plants on this list are native and pollinator friendly-- what's not to love?

Here are the 13 best perennials for hanging baskets:

Dwarf Crested Iris

Dwarf crested iris is one of the best perennials for hanging baskets because its flowers are best up close. With unique blossoms, you will want to take a closer look to see their detail.

Zones: 3 to 9
Sun exposure: Full sun to part shade
Mature height: up to 10 inches
Water: Average
Best for woodlands, borders, and containers

Painted Trillium

Painted trillium makes for a good hanging basket perennial because it's small enough to fit. It also has beautiful detail that is best up close. Painted trillium is low maintenance and easy to grow.

Sun exposure: Full shade
Zones: 3 to 9
Mature height: up to 8 inches
Water: Average
Best for woodland gardens, alpine gardens, containers, and shaded borders

Bird’s Foot Violet

Purple Violet

White Violets

Zones: 3 to 8
Sun exposure: Full sun or part shade
Mature height: up to 8 inches
Water: Average
Best for woodland gardens, moon gardens, alpine gardens, containers, and borders

Wild Ginger

Wild ginger is an ideal container plant because it is low maintenance and it adds green to any arrangement. This plant can be planted with another flower to add interest to a hanging basket.

Sun exposure: Full shade
Zones: 4 to 8
Mature height: up to 12 inches
Water: average to wet
Best for woodlands, shaded gardens, under trees or shrubs, and in containers

European Ginger

The European ginger is another one of the best perennials for hanging baskets because its foliage will steal the show. In addition to its mellow ginger scent, this plant can fill in any container with its lush foliage.

Sun exposure: part shade to full shade
Zones: 4 to 8
Mature height: up to 8 inches
Water: medium to wet
Best for woodlands, shaded gardens, under trees or shrubs, and in containers

Virginia Spring Beauty

The delicate flowers of the Virginia spring beauty make this another plant you will want to see up close. It is obvious why this is one of the best perennials for hanging baskets; the flowers are almost too beautiful to be real! 

Sun exposure: Full sun to part shade
Zones: 4 to 9
Mature height: up to 8 inches
Water: Average
Best for woodland gardens, alpine gardens, borders, and containers

Twinleaf

The twinleaf is another hanging basket perennial that is almost too good to be true. Its cupped flowers sit just above its dark green foliage. With a short but full growth habit, the twinleaf would look good in any hanging basket.

Sun exposure: Full shade
Zones: 5 to 7
Mature height: up to 8 inches
Water: Average to moist
Best for woodland gardens, front of borders, edges, and containers

Hepatica

The hepatica looks similar to the twinleaf, but is even shorter. It makes for one of the best perennials for hanging baskets because of its many sparkly, white blossoms. 
 
Sun exposure: Part sun to part shade
Zones: 4 to 8
Mature height: up to 6 inches
Water: Average
Best for woodlands, edges, front of borders, and containers

Vinca Minor

While vinca minor is most often used as a groundcover, it looks wonderful in containers and hanging baskets. Its purple flowers will fill in and trail from any hanging basket as long as it has plenty of sun. 

Sun exposure: Full sun
Zones: 4 to 9
Mature height: up to 6 inches
Water: Average
Best for front of borders, containers, and as groundcover

Creeping Buttercup

Creeping buttercup is most often grown on the ground, but why not bring it up a notch? Children are transfixed by these delicate flowers for a reason-- they are beautiful and memorable. Why let kids have all the when you can enjoy them up close in a hanging basket!

Zones: 3 to 9
Sun exposure: Full sun or part shade
Mature height: up to 10 inches
Water: Average
Best for woodlands, borders, or as a groundcover

Check out the Creeping Buttercup product page here

Bluets

The overlooked bluets are one of the best perennials for hanging baskets because they have such delicate flowers. They pair nicely with violets, buttercups, or the dwarf crested iris. 

Sun exposure: Part sun to part shade
Zones: 3 to 8
Mature height: up to 6 inches
Water: Dry to average
Best for from of borders, woodland gardens, edges, and containers

How to take care of perennials in hanging baskets in the fall:

Now that you have some ideas of what to plant, here is a short care guide for hanging basket perennials.

Because perennials will return the following year, they will require some maintenance and care if planted in a hanging basket or container.

If you have other containers that you plant perennials in, treat the plant in the hanging basket the same as those. If not, we suggest you consider doing the following:

1. Take hanging baskets down
2. Dig a half circle in the ground
3. Remove the plant together with the natural materials liner
4. Place the plant with liner into the hole so it is level with the ground
5. In spring, pick the plant up and replace the liner before reinserting it into hanging basket
6. The plant may need to be divided or thinned if it becomes too large for the hanging basket

Or you can try this method:

 

1. Take hanging baskets down
2. Place baskets in greenhouse, shed, or basement
3. Make sure you water the plants occasionally throughout winter
4. In spring, take plants outside again and rehang 

 

We hope this list gave you some ideas and the inspiration to make your own perennial hanging baskets. Whether you are a customer or not, feel free to reach out to us with any questions you might have!