9 trailing plants ideal for your terrace and balcony hanging baskets
Graceful, trailing plants that are easy to grow
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Trailing plants are essential for adding elegance and vitality to any outdoor space, especially when arranged in hanging baskets. These plants, with their graceful habit and trailing form, transform balconies, terraces and gardens. Whether it’s adding a splash of colour with vibrant flowers or playing with textures with lush foliage, each variety brings its own character to your outdoor decor. In this article, let’s explore 9 trailing plants that stand out for their beauty, their ease of cultivation, and their ability to enhance hanging baskets for a long time.
Aubrieta 'Cascade Blue' - Blue Aubrieta: a sun-loving perennial
Aubrieta ‘Cascade Blue’ is a popular choice for sun-exposed hanging baskets that require regular watering. This perennial grows by forming a dense cushion and carpeting of villous leaves in rosettes, with spreading, prostrate stems along the ground. From April onwards, it bears numerous small flowers of 1 to 2 cm in diameter, with four petals in a cross shape, ranging from lilac-blue to white-centred.
This plant requires well-drained soil, and prefers to be grown on its own, as it tends to outcompete other plants. In a square trough, Aubrieta gracefully trails down the sides, creating a striking visual effect given the density of its spring flowering.
Verbena Superbena 'Royale Peachy Keen' - Verbena: an annual not very susceptible.
The Verbena Superbena ‘Royale Peachy Keen’ is a hybrid verbena, perfect for decorating hanging baskets thanks to its vigorous growth habit, floriferousness and neatly compact form. This variety begins flowering earlier than other verbenas, continuing until the first frosts.
‘Royale Peachy Keen’ is distinguished by upright stems that cascade gracefully, bearing dense clusters of small orange flowers reminiscent of phlox, ranging from apricot to coral pink via salmon pink. This perennial, which does not survive frost, is generally grown as an annual in our climates, with rapid, easy growth. Dark green, rough and hairy leaves bear pronounced veins and dentate margins giving a wrinkled appearance.
Easy to care for, ‘Royale Peachy Keen’ thrives even if occasional watering is forgotten. It is ideal for creating striking contrasts beside verbenas and sages in deep blue tones.
Vinca major 'Alba' – large white periwinkle: for exceptional vigour in shaded areas.
Vinca major ‘Alba’, or large white periwinkle, is a hardy, spreading perennial that grows vigorously. Its long, base-woody, rooting stems spread quickly to form a dense, evergreen groundcover. This carpet of glossy green foliage, punctuated in spring by bright white flowers, is ideal for dressing a pot, which it quickly covers and overflows.
The foliage, formed of ovate and acuminate leaves, forms a dense green carpet about 20 to 30 cm high. The flowers that bloom in spring stand out for their bright white colour and their open form, with a centre delicately tinged yellow.
Very versatile, Vinca major ‘Alba’ thrives in varied conditions, preferring moist soils, but also tolerating drought and poor soils. It is ideal for greening difficult areas, providing year-round foliage and bright flowering. In hanging baskets, it offers a presence as enduring as it is attractive in partial shade or shade, even with occasional missed watering.
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Beautiful hanging baskets of flowersFuchsia 'Royal Mosaic': an annual that can be overwintered to enjoy for many years
The Fuchsia ‘Royal Mosaic’ is a trailing variety with two-tone, voluptuous bell-shaped flowers, measuring at least 10 cm. It is ideal for hanging baskets, creating lush flowering cascades.
‘Royal Mosaic’ quickly develops into a dense, trailing shrub reaching a height of 30 to 40 cm, with a spread of the same. The large, plump flowers, whose weight gently bows the stems, consist of a tube extended by four long and curled-back pale pink sepals, and a corolla of purple and pink petals, very double and variegated, nestled within the corolla formed by the outer sepals. The foliage of ‘Royal Mosaic’ is abundant, with dark green, glossy deciduous leaves.
Hardiness down to -5°C. ‘Royal Mosaic’ can be grown as an annual or as a perennial in mild climates, and can be brought indoors for the winter.
Lysimachia congestiflora 'Persian Chocolate' - Lysimachia: a colourful perennial
The Lysimachia congestiflora ‘Persian Chocolate’ is a creeping loosestrife variety with vibrant colours. It is distinguished by its spring foliage, purple-brown to purplish-brown and its bright yellow flowers. This perennial, closely related to primroses, forms a dense, persistent carpet in moist soils, including clay, and adapts to all exposures. Although not very hardy, tolerating frosts down to -7°C, it is frequently used in hanging baskets to create dark cascades adorned with yellow flowers.
This plant forms a dense carpet 10–15 cm high by 40–50 cm wide, with prostrate stems bearing glabrous, lanceolate leaves, transitioning from purple-tinged green to brown-purple. The leaves, up to 5 cm long, are soft and slightly glossy. Flowering extends from May to September, producing dense clusters of bright yellow flowers with a base almost red.
For pot culture, choose a rich substrate with good water retention and water it every other day. Consider pairing with a dwarf Alstroemeria from the Pitchounes series such as ‘Noah’ for example.
Begonia Summerwings 'Dark Elegance': a very floriferous annual for partial shade
The Begonia Summerwings ‘Dark Elegance’ is a captivating annual variety, offering a display of vermilion-red flowers in the form of single, elongated corollas, on green-purple, almost black and glossy foliage when backlit, which frames its bright flowers. With a semi-trailing habit, it is particularly suitable for containers and hanging baskets, enhancing outdoor spaces from early summer until the first autumn frosts.
‘Summerwings Dark Elegance’ is part of a series of recent hybrids, recognised for their rapid growth, abundant flowering, and compact, trailing habit. This plant quickly reaches 30 cm in height and 40 cm in diameter.
This begonia is undemanding, hardy to windy conditions as well as cool climates, and requires little maintenance. It thrives in partial shade as well as full sun and adapts perfectly to varied summers, whether rainy, cool or scorching.
The Summerwings begonias can be paired with Impatiens and with lobelias to create colourful and dynamic displays.
Glechoma hederacea 'Dappled Light' - variegated ground ivy: a not very hardy perennial with superb foliage
Often called Ground ivy, the Glechoma hederacea ‘Dappled Light’ is particularly prized for its semi-evergreen, aromatic foliage, distinguished by variegated colours including silvery-green, cream, grey and blue-green. In spring, it bears small blue flowers, similar to rosemary, adding a delicate touch to its bright foliage.
Close relatives of mints and thymes, this perennial groundcover is easy to grow. The ‘Dappled Light’ cultivar is characterised by highly ornamental variegated foliage. Its melliferous, pale blue-violet flowers appear in March and April. The plant emits a balsamic fragrance when its velvety leaves are crushed, attracting a range of pollinating insects.
Ground ivy ‘Dappled Light’ adapts to all light conditions, whether sunny or shaded. It is ideal in flowering pots and hanging baskets for a dramatic cascading effect.
Historically used in white magic, ground ivy was added to salads and beer. It is attributed with various medicinal properties, as well as a good vitamin C content.
Scaevola 'Blue Touch' - Fairy fanflower: an annual with unusual flowers
The Scaevola ‘Blue Touch’ is an annual plant that stands out for its rapid growth and its magnificent blue-mauve, fan-shaped flowers. It quickly forms a dense cushion of foliage.
Reaching 25 cm tall by 40 cm wide, Scaevola ‘Blue Touch’ has soft, long stems, perfect for hanging baskets. Its thick, glossy foliage, dark green in colour, is evergreen in frost-free regions. Flowering begins in April and continues through autumn. The flowers, arranged in a fan, are grouped on spikes arising at the leaf axils, each flower having five petals.
For optimal care, Scaevola requires regular watering during summer, but it is crucial to let the substrate dry slightly between waterings and to use containers with drainage holes to prevent water stagnation. This plant pairs well with other Scaevola, as well as with Nemesias to create attractive hanging baskets.
Hardy geranium 'Azure Rush': a perennial with a very long flowering period.
The hardy geranium ‘Azure Rush’ is a recent creation, derived from the famous variety ‘Rozanne’. Like its predecessor, it offers an abundance of qualities, but is distinguished by a more compact habit, foliage green with a hint of purple and a particularly dense branching. Coupled with its azure blue flowering, both generous and continuous from June to the first frosts, it makes it an ideal choice for hanging baskets.
This hardy geranium forms a rounded, compact shrub of 40 to 50 cm in height and spread. The medium-green foliage, deeply divided and sometimes tinged with purple, takes on a reddish colour in autumn before fading.
The ‘Azure Rush’ hardy geranium adapts remarkably well to growing in large pots or hanging baskets, in full sun or partial shade. Deadhead the spent flowers to encourage further flowering.
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