Trailing annual flowers are a great way to spice up your garden. These flowers are used for gardens, hanging baskets, flower beds, and can even be planted in pots. With trailing annuals you will have a vertical garden that hangs onto fences, railings, or any other surface that happens to be below your planter.
What is a trailing plant?
In the garden I think of them as ground covers, while the container world calls them spillers. There are many choices of trailing plants to choose from, both as annuals and perennials. You will find selections for both sun or shade exposures as well as dry or wet conditions.
Are trailing plants annuals or perennials?
There are many choices of trailing plants to choose from, both as annuals and perennials. You will find selections for both sun or shade exposures as well as dry or wet conditions.
Can you plant trailing annuals in hanging baskets?
So there are 10 beautiful trailing annual flowers that are perfect for hanging baskets, containers, retaining walls and rockeries. Planting these annuals will provide a bright splash of color during spring and summer. You can also combine them with upright plants like hyacinths or tulips for a spectacular display.
Are trailing plants suitable for pots?
Trailing plants can really elevate style for pots and containers. Generally, most of the trailing plants people use for pots or containers are considered annual plants in our hardiness zone in Iowa.
Do trailing annuals come back every year?
Lobelia Winter Care – Tips For Overwintering Lobelia Plants. There are many types of Lobelia. Some are annuals and some are perennials and some are annuals only in northern climates. Annuals will usually self-seed and come back the next year, while perennials will re-sprout from the dormant plant in spring.
What are trailing plants?
Trailing house plants have long, trailing stems. Growing them in indoor hanging baskets, pots hanging from the ceiling or sitting on a shelf shows them off beautifully, enabling their stems to cascade down for dramatic effect.
What's the best trailing plants?
Flowering trailing plants for hanging baskets and potsTrailing Fuchsia. A favourite with many gardeners, fuchsia plants have beautiful bell-shaped flowers that nod from the stems and last all summer. ... Trailing Lobelia. ... Trailing petunia (Calibrachoa) ... Bacopa. ... Trailing Verbena. ... Trailing Pansies. ... Calocephalus. ... Ivy.More items...•
What flowers will cascade over pots?
14 Cascading Plants for the GardenPlectranthus Ciliatus. Plectranthus ciliatus is a great evergreen perennial ground cover with a draping effect.Sweet Potato Vine. Talk about workhorses! ... English Ivy. ... Purple Heart. ... Scaevola. ... 'Summer Wave Bouquet' Torenia. ... Mandevilla. ... Passion Flower.More items...
Are petunias trailing plants?
There are many varieties of petunia and most can be placed into three categories: Trailing. Mound forming. Ground covering.
Where do you put trailing plants?
These humidity-loving plants are great to hang in a window or even atop a cabinet in your bathroom, where the steam and warmth from the shower can keep them moist. Choose a spot that gets bright, indirect light from a north-facing or east-facing window—the light is gentler from those directions.
What is a good cascading plant?
The soil at the top of retaining walls is generally quite dry and it can be difficult to water. Some of our favorite plants for retaining walls are groundcover Junipers, drift roses, Creeping Phlox, Trailing Rosemary, Weeping Thyme, Trailing Lobelia, Cascading Rock Cress, and Morning Glory.
What plants trail over walls?
15 of the Best Trailing Plants1) Trailing Aubrieta. ... 2) Phlox as a Trailing Plant. ... 3) Lobelia. ... 4) Ivy Geranium. ... 5) Trailing Plant “Bacopa” ... 6) Trailing Verbena Plant. ... 7) Busy Lizzies. ... 8) Fuschias.More items...
Do you need trailing plants for hanging baskets?
In order for a hanging basket to be successful, it should have plants 'spilling' out over the sides, along with statement 'thriller' plants and more subtle 'filler varieties. Although, trailing plants can be used on their own to create a stunningly simple hanging basket.
Do impatiens Cascade?
Impatiens in Containers Try impatiens in window boxes and hanging baskets, where they'll cascade over the edges in brilliant waves.
What type of flowers cascade?
The Wave and Grandiflora petunia varieties have a cascading habit that makes them spill forth out of a window box in an impressive waterfall fashion. Petunias thrive on extraordinarily little care.
What are cascading petunias?
Unlike Wave petunia, the term cascading petunia does not identify a type of flower but a growth habit. "Cascading" describes plants that produce blossoms on the long, pendulous stems that can overflow hanging baskets or drip from balcony containers.
Can climbing plants be used as trailing plants?
Climbers can be trained on canes, trellis or wire hoops to grow over practically anything – thus going to parts of the garden that other plants cannot reach. Most climbers can also be used as trailing plants or as ground cover or to grow along a bank, rather than actively seeking to grow upwards.
Do trailing plants climb?
They can either trail from a higher shelf or plant stand, or climb on a moss/coir pole, or other type of support. These tropical plants grow relatively fast. You'll notice they will grow trailing aerial roots as they mature, making them very easy plants to trim and propagate.
Is Pothos a trailing plant?
Pothos (Epipremnum aureum), also known as Devil's Ivy, is a lovely trailing houseplant with hardy oblong green leaves. This plant can be found on many favorite houseplants lists because it is easy to care for, can be trained to grow as you wish, and can tolerate lower light conditions.
How do you take care of a trailing plant?
Again, don't overwater it because its skinny roots will rot. The best thing to do is to let this plant dry out in between waterings. Place it in a sunny spot and new strands should grow in the direction of the light. Trim the straggly bits to keep it tidy, as they can grow to 1.5m long.
What do begonias look like in baskets?
There are multiple kinds of begonia that suit trailing in baskets, hanging planters, and edging for larger beds. “Illumination” begonias come in a wide variety of colors that double bloom and look great in hanging baskets. In contrast, begonia boliviensis, or “hanging begonias,” look like stars stretched in arches that dangle from baskets or boxes and are known for a brilliant scarlet-orange bloom.
What is trailing lobelia?
Trailing Lobelia, botanically Lobelia erinus, are lovely, bright flowers that can be blue, violet, pink, purple, or white and grow in clusters along their vines. They make excellent hanging plants, spilling elegantly over the sides or as filler in containers and beds where they are allowed to spread out. They attract butterflies but are often ignored by deer, reducing a common pest problem.
What are the flowers that attract birds?
Impatiens are flowers that go almost solely by their botanical name, though they are sometimes called “Busy Lizzies.” Their five-petal flowers can be orange, pink, purple, red, white, or yellow, with differently colored centers. These gorgeous flowers attract birds and other pollinators.
How tall do impatiens grow?
They like partial sun and gentle, consistent watering. Well cared for, these flowers will grow up to 30 inches tall and stay relatively low to the ground.
What is a blue star creeper?
Known botanically as Isotoma fluviatilis, the blue star creeper is an excellent ground cover plant. Its long, trailing leaves and flowers make great filler between shrubs and in containers meant to hang and spillover. Blue star creepers are, as the name implies, available in soft shades of blue.
What is sweet alyssum?
Sweet Alyssum, or Alyssum maritimum, is heat-resistant, drought-resistant, and smells, as the name suggests, sweet and light. They’re a variant of the mustard family and bloom in small clusters of dainty flowers. Their blooms can be pink, purple, white, yellow, or a few other variants, and they do well in planters and baskets.
How big do cup vines grow?
They can grow up to 20 feet long and 6 feet wide, so they require a lot of room. The soil should be kept moist with regular watering during the growing season, with water reduced dramatically in the winter months.
What is a trailing verbena?
Trailing Verbena features abundant clusters of flowers in shades of pink, white, red, purple, and blue. This vivid trailing plant will cascade down a retaining wall while attracting all sorts of bees, butterflies, and other pollinators . Wave Petunia is one of the most popular cascading plants for many good reasons.
What is a sweet potato vine?
Sweet Potato Vines are a favorite cascading foliage plant. They come in many unexpected shades from nearly black to lime green. Each type also has a slightly different and interesting leaf shape. Sweet potato vines will cascade down a wall and thrive best in a spot with full sun and good drainage.
What color are trailing lobelias?
Trailing Lobelia is compact and loaded with blooms. Its tiny flowers are available in shades of blue, purple, pink, and white. They will create a mound of pretty blooms and tumble over the edges of walls, rockeries, and containers. They do well in a sunny location but will benefit from some dappled shade to protect them from hot afternoon sunshine.
What is the best flower spiller for hanging baskets?
Calibrachoa, more commonly known as Million Bells , is one of the best and easiest flowering spillers for containers, retaining walls, and hanging baskets. It’s loaded with little bell-shaped blossoms in almost any color you can imagine, including variegated patterns.
When does Bacopa bloom?
It features bright green leaves, with pretty little flowers in shades of white, lavender, and pink. They'll bloom from spring right through until the first frost.
How tall do wave petunias get?
It's tough, easy-care, and flowers profusely all season long. They only get about 6 inches tall, but they can spread up to 4 feet. The best part is, they don't require deadheading! They're happy in a sunny place with good drainage.
Can Ivy licorice be grown in a humid area?
Ivy can handle dappled shady and humid locations. Helichrysum, or licorice plant, has tiny frosted leaves that are a silvery-white. It likes a full sun spot with good drainage, and while it does need regular watering, it is susceptible to root rot, so don't overwater it.
What is a sedum plant?
Sedum are succulents with thick, fleshy leaves and bright yellow or rose toned flowers. Many are creeping plants and ideal for edging and rock gardens. Sedum love good drainage and sunny locations. They are also very effective hanging over the edges of flower pots or hanging baskets.
What is creeping Jenny?
Creeping Jenny will grow just about anywhere. It sports round evergreen leaves and bright yellow flowers. This plant is ideal for trailing from a container.
What is a trailing plant?
Trailing plants are worth their weight in gold when it comes to planting up containers. Often referred to as SPILLERS, these are the plants that are placed close to the edges of your container. As they grow they spill over the edge of the flower pot creating a wonderful cascading effect. Proven Winners grows a great selection of spiller plants a few of which are showcased below.
How do plants spread?
Another method of spreading is by branches which put down roots as they trail across the soil. Still others have long stems which simply grow across the garden surface.
When does soapwort bloom?
Creates a low mat covered in either pink or white blooms in early summer. Soapwort is a sun lover and adapts well to low water conditions.
Is creeping charlie a perennial?
Often referred to as ground ivy. It is an evergreen perennial creeper of the mint family and likes moist, shady areas. Many gardeners stay clear of this plant as it is aggressive and can be a problem if it gets loose in your lawn. It does however make an excellent container plant which will also keep it in check. My mother used to grow Creeping Charlie in large wine barrels with bright red geraniums and the effect was stunning.
When do purple bell flowers bloom?
These have deep purple bell-shaped flowers blooming in mid to late summer. Look for the alpine varieties such as Campanula portenschlagiana. These little treasures prefer full to part sun and well draining soil.
What is a sweet potato vine?
1. Sweet potato vine is a favorite foliage trailing plant because of its large leaves and vibrant colors. Sweet potato vine is usually a super dark purple, almost black, or vibrant chartreuse green. There are palmate-shaped leaves or heart-shaped leaves. This stunning vine will trail quite a long way over the edge of a planter.
How far down does Lobelia trail?
It will trail quite a ways down the outside of a pot, up to 12-14 inches, and if you have enough plants in the pot, it will create quite a dense curtain. Lobelia is technically a tender perennial. 3. Trailing verbena is another flowering option that is also quite drought tolerant.
What is a wave petunia?
4. Wave petunia is the queen of hanging baskets and flowering trailing plants. Their large blooms are just stunning, and they produce them profusely all summer long. They’re the plants that most cities use in their vast hanging baskets on the street because they will essentially create what looks like a giant ball of flowers. They’ll be so dense you usually can’t even see the pot. They do need frequent fertilizer to keep blooming. Wave petunias are a tender perennial.
What is the hardest flowering plant to grow?
1. Calibrachoa, or Million Bells, is one of the hardest working trailing flowering plants that exist. Calibrachoa comes in what must be nearly a million different colors. It flowers all summer profusely, doesn’t require deadheading, and makes a beautiful cascade over the sides of pots and planters. It doesn’t trail down a long way, but if you have several plants in one hanging basket, they usually fill out enough to hide the basket itself. Calibrachoa is technically a tender perennial.
What is trailing lobelia?
Trailing lobelia is another tough and long-lasting flowering trailing plant with a more delicate texture. It comes in shades of pink, white, purple, and blue, and the small flowers bloom along fine dark green stems and leaves.
What is the best vine for foliage?
Vinca vine, or common periwinkle, is another excellent foliage vine. They do flower, but not very profusely, so they’re usually used for foliage. Variegated varieties are very common, with pretty heart-shaped leaves that have medium green centers and white edges. The vines may trail down as long as 18 inches.
What are some good things to put in a container?
One of the best but often underrated elements for containers are trailing plants. Whether it’s hanging baskets or large patio pots, there’s always a little thrill in seeing plants tumbling over the edge, like they’re sneaking off to find even more places in your yard to grow.
Sun or Shade Caladium
Tough, sun tolerant flowers aren’t the only way to add fantastic, colorful plants to sun blasted spaces. It would be hard to beat the vibrant, colorful foliage of our Caladiums. While most caladiums are best in shade, the Heart to Hearts featured here will thrive both in sun and shade conditions.
Texas Primrose
Calylophus is a southwestern native plant that adores heat and thrives when lesser plants start melting away. We named this duo Ladybird as a tribute to former first lady, Ladybird Johnson. She established the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, which works to preserve native Texas plants.
Heliotrope
Once you try it, you'll be devoted to this Heliotrope. Let's start with the fact that it is simply a beautiful plant. That alone is enough to be enamored with it. However, it pairs that classic beauty with unexpected toughness.
South African Phlox
This revolutionary new series of Jamesbrittenia will blow you away. This heat tolerant South African native has seemingly been on the cusp of greatness for years but has never quite broken through with the right combination of plant performance and beauty. We have finally cracked the code.
Tuberous Verbena
Cake Pops verbena are very heat and humidity tolerant and are great plants for the deep south, in addition to the rest of the county. This verbena doesn't cycle out of color, so you'll get reliable color all summer long. Cake Pops is destined to become a Southern basket and combination recipe staple. It is easy, tough, durable and drought tolerant.
Summer Snapdragon
If you’re looking for easy care flowers for your containers and landscape but struggle to find something that survives your hot, humid summers, try Angelface and Angelface Super summer snapdragons. They bloom all season long with flowers on tall spikes, and don’t need to be deadheaded to keep them flowering.
Euphorbia
Now euphorbia comes in small (Diamond Delight ® ), medium (Diamond Frost ® ), and extra-large with the introduction of Diamond Mountain ™. If you’ve grown this versatile annual, you know it pairs well with just about everything in sun and part shade. Think of it like baby’s breath, adding a hint of white to complement everything around it.
What plants can be grown in the shade?
Some spillers, such as Coleus and Fuchsia, work best in the shade while others like Ivy Geraniums or Sweet Alyssum are sun loving annuals.
What is a summer Snapdragon?
Summer Snapdragon (Angelonia angustifolia) (chonrawit_b/123rf.com) Summer Snapdragons are easy to grow and care for, despite their delicate look. Technically not a member of the Snapdragon family, Summer Snapdragons are named after the strong resemblance their clusters of flowers have to actual Snapdragons.
How much sunlight does a fan flower need?
These cascading flowers for hanging baskets need up to eight hours of sunlight a day and adapt easily to several soils.
What is a thriller plant?
Thrillers, which are tall flowers that serve as focal points in containers, might be the first ones you think about when planting, but they are not the most important. When designing the perfect container planting, your focus should be on annuals that spill over the sides. Referred to as “spillers,” these border plants provide creeping foliage ...
When do geraniums bloom?
There are over 200 species of Ivy Geraniums – most begin blooming in the middle of spring and continue with occasional deadheading until the first frost.
How to keep moisture in a potting soil?
Check the soil daily during hotter temperatures and water when the ground feels dry to the touch. Use a potting soil with moisture retention abilities or cover with a layer of mulch to keep moisture in.
What is creeping Jenny?
Creeping Jenny is an excellent choice for a ground cover style planting, as the foliage spreads out, creating a lime green carpet of leaves.
What is a hanging basket?
Hanging baskets are a perfect way to take the beautiful colors and foliage of annuals to new heights. Whether you hang them from your porch or on stakes in the garden, hanging baskets add density and depth to your beautiful array of summer plants.
What is a lobelia plant?
The lobelia is an ideal annual, flowering plant for use in hanging baskets. It features delicate foliage growth and white, blue, and purple blooms that cascade over the edge of its planter for a lush and cottage-like look.
What is a petunia?
Petunias are an easy-going, low-maintenance annual that offers bright, long-lasting blooms in a wide array of colors. These fragrant beauties are known to attract hummingbirds and butterflies and are a natural choice for hanging baskets near a porch or back deck.
How long do petunias bloom?
In zones four through eight, petunias are considered biennials, meaning that they have a two-year life cycle and can bloom through fall.
What color are tulips?
They come in a range of colors from red, yellow, pink, purple, and white. The dense flowering pattern and staying power of the blooms makes them a no-brainer annual for full, lush hanging baskets on a porch or deck.
What color are hanging basket annuals?
These lush, drooping plants, with their waxy blooms and leaves, are the epitome of a beautiful hanging basket annual. The brightly-colored blooms, which can come in red, orange, and pink, are clustered tightly together for a showy display of color.
What is a million bells?
Million bells, or calibrachoa, is a beautiful trailing annual that comes in any color you can imagine. With a dense blooming habit and blooms that look like a cross between a petunia and a pansy, this plant will fill out quickly and grow in a very lush pattern.
What is a vinca plant?
Vinca plants are often used as a flowering ground cover (such as Vinca minor ), so it's a natural for trailing over the sides of containers. If you want blooms all season long, though, you'll want the Madagascar periwinkle, rather than Vinca minor, which blooms mainly in the spring.
What is an asarina vine?
Asarina has tubular flowers that resemble snapdragons. This is a short vine that will not just tumble out of your container, but it will ensnare itself in nearby plants—in the nicest of ways.
What is Alternanthera foliage?
Alternanthera has small colorful leaves that will trail and cover your container with charm. As a foliage plant, it will require negligible care from you while still looking good all season.
What is a biden?
Bidens (Bidens ferulifolia) Bidens are in the aster family. They have small, daisy-like flowers that are most familiar in yellow but also are now available in pinks, white, and orange. They will drape over the sides of your container and are extremely heat and drought tolerant.
What zone is candytuft?
Candytuft is hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 5–9 and makes a wonderful ground cover. In the confinement of containers, it blooms its heart out while covering the base of the vessel. It may overwinter if you plant it in your garden at the end of the season.
What is a helichrysum plant?
Helichrysum is grown for its small, felt-like leaves. The most familiar is a soft blue-gray, but there are pretty variegated varieties, too. The stems grow upward and tumble down, making both a lovely backdrop and frame for the other plants in your container.
What is a fan flower?
Fan flower is an evergreen tropical plant with deep green leaves and odd little flowers that have petals only halfway around their center disks, giving them the look of a fan. Their light purple color blends well with most other plants.
