Top 39 Hanging Basket Plants for Sun

Mini Bells with Wave petunias in a hanging basket

Putting together a hanging basket full of flowers can be a lot of fun.

One of the first things to consider is where you will be hanging your basket. If your hanging basket location will be getting part to full sun exposure, this list is for you. We put together this list of flowering plants that grow best in part to full sun.

Hanging your basket in a shady spot? Check out our list of shade-loving plants for hanging baskets.

With hanging baskets, you have many options for plants, including spillers and fillers. The combination makes for a beautiful display. For that reason, we grouped our “spillers” together in this list (#21 to #27).

The remaining plants, the fillers, pair well with these spillers. In most cases, you can also simply grow only “filler” plants in your hanging basket and avoid any spillers (although spillers are very popular for hanging baskets).

All of the flowers listed here can be grown as an annual in central PA and other northern regions in the United States. Check your plant’s tag for specific plant care instructions.

One last note: It’s important that you keep your hanging plants well-watered if it’s going to be in full sun. You can check if the plant needs to be watered by lifting the basket from underneath (it’ll feel noticeably light if it needs to be watered) or feeling the surface level of potting soil (the top inch of soil should be moist).

Now, on to our list! Below you’ll find our favorite 30 flowers for hanging baskets.

To jump to a specific plant on this list, click a link below:

  1. Ivy geraniums
  2. Lobelia
  3. Lantana
  4. Begonias
  5. Scaevola
  6. Black Eyed Susan Vine
  7. Petunias
  8. Calibrachoa
  9. Alyssum
  10. Pansies
  11. Portulaca
  12. Geraniums
  13. Sunpatiens
  14. Hens & Chicks
  15. Marigolds
  16. Verbena
  17. Vinca
  18. Dianthus
  19. Osteospermums
  20. Sun Coleus
  21. Nierembergia (Cup Flower)
  22. Diamond Series
  23. Bacopa
  24. Creeping Jenny
  25. Sweet Potato Vine
  26. Ivy
  27. Dichondra
  28. Vegetables
  29. Mandevillas
  30. Herbs

1. Ivy Geranium

Ivy Geraniums in a Hanging Basket
  • Sun exposure: Full sun
  • Mature size: 12-30 inches
  • Popular colors: Pink, red, salmon & white

2. Lobelia

lobelia in a hanging basket
  • Sun exposure: Part sun to full sun
  • Mature size: 6-9 inches
  • Popular colors: Blue, pink, purple, white, cherry-red (depends on the variety of lobelia)

3. Lantana

Lantana in a hanging basket
  • Sun exposure: Full sun
  • Mature size: Up to 6 feet spread & height (depends on the variety of lantana)
  • Popular colors: Mix of orange, red, yellow, blue, white, pink

4. Begonias

begonias in hanging baskets
  • Sun exposure: Full sun or full shade (depends on the variety of begonia)
  • Mature size: 6-18 inches
  • Popular colors: Red, pink, salmon, yellow, and many more!

5. Fan Flower (Scaevola)

Fan Flower in a Hanging Basket
  • Sun exposure: Part sun to full sun
  • Mature size: 6-12 inches tall, up to 2 feet spread
  • Popular colors: Blue, purple, white, pink

6. Black Eyed Susan Vine

Black Eyed Susan Plant in a Hanging Basket
  • Sun exposure: Part sun to full sun
  • Mature size: 3-8 feet high, 3-6 feet spread
  • Popular colors: Red, orange, yellow, white

7. Petunias

Bubblegum petunias growing in landscape
  • Sun exposure: Full sun
  • Mature size: 6-24 inches tall, up to 3 feet spread
  • Popular colors: Pink, purple, yellow, and many more!

Some popular petunias for hanging baskets include Supertunias or wave petunias. Curious about the difference between these two types of petunias? Here’s a quick guide.

8. Calibrachoa (Million Bells)

Million Bells in a hanging basket
  • Sun exposure: Part sun to full sun
  • Mature size: 6-12 inches tall, 12-24 inches spread (depends on the variety of calibrachoa)
  • Popular colors: Coral, yellow, orange, red, pink, blue, purple, and many more!

9. Sweet Alyssum

sweet alyssum in a hanging basket
  • Sun exposure: Part sun to full sun (alyssum may not bloom as much with little sun)
  • Mature size: 4-6 inches tall, 6-9 inches spread
  • Popular colors: White, pink, purple

10. Pansies

pansies in a hanging basket
  • Sun exposure: Part sun to full sun
  • Mature size: 4-8 inches tall, 4-6 inches spread
  • Popular colors: White, yellow, purple, blue (depends on variety of the pansy)

11. Portulaca

Portulaca in a hanging basket
  • Sun exposure: Full sun
  • Mature size: 3-9 inches tall, 6-12 inches spread
  • Popular colors: White, red, pink, orange, yellow (depending on the variety of portulaca)

12. Geraniums

geraniums in a hanging basket
  • Sun exposure: Part sun to full sun
  • Mature size: 5-36 inches tall (depending on variety of geranium)
  • Popular colors: Red, pink, orange, salmon, white, bi-colors, purple

13. Sunpatiens

New Guinea impatiens in a hanging basket
  • Sun exposure: Part sun to full sun
  • Mature size: 18-48 inches tall
  • Popular colors: Pink, red, white, and many more! (depends on the variety of Sunpatiens)

14. Hens & Chicks

Succulents in a hanging basket
  • Sun exposure: Part sun to full sun
  • Mature size: 3-6 inches tall, 6-12 inches spread
  • Popular colors: Link pink to reddish-purple hues, green

15. Marigolds

Close up of a marigold bloom
  • Sun exposure: Full sun
  • Mature size: 4-36 inches tall, 6-18 inches wide
  • Popular colors: Yellow, orange, white, red, gold, bi-color

16. Verbena

verbena in a hanging basket
  • Sun exposure: Full sun
  • Mature size: Up to 12 inches tall, 18 inches spread (depends on variety of verbena)
  • Popular colors: Red, purple, pink, peach, white, and many more!

17. Vinca

Vinca hanging basket
  • Sun exposure: Part sun to full sun
  • Mature size: 6-18 inches tall, 6-18 inches spread
  • Popular colors: White, pink, red

18. Dianthus

Dianthus Growing in a Hanging Basket
  • Sun exposure: Full sun
  • Mature size: 5 inches to 3 feet tall (depends on variety)
  • Popular colors: White, lilac, red, pink

19. Osteospermum (African Daisies)

Osteospermum Growing in a Hanging Basket
  • Sun exposure: Full sun
  • Mature size: 12-36 inches tall, 12-24 inches wide
  • Popular colors: Yellow, pink, purple, bi-color, and many more!

20. Sun Coleus

Sun Coleus in a Hanging Basket
  • Sun exposure: Part sun to full sun
  • Mature size: 6-36 inches tall, 6-36 inches spread
  • Popular colors: Variety of multi-color leafs (depending on the variety of sun coleus)

21. Nierembergia (Cup Flower)

Nierembergia Growing in a Hanging Basket
  • Sun exposure: Full sun
  • Mature size: 6-12 inches, up to 2 feet spread
  • Popular colors: White, purple, blue

22. Diamond Series (Proven Winners)

Diamond Frost in a Hanging Basket
  • Sun exposure: Full sun
  • Mature size: 12-36 inches tall, 12-36 inches spread
  • Popular colors: White

23. Bacopa (Water Hyssop)

Close up of white bacopa
  • Sun exposure: Part sun to full sun
  • Mature size: Up to 12 inches tall and spread
  • Popular colors: White, light pink (depends on the variety of bacopa)

24. Creeping Jenny

vines in a hanging basket
  • Sun exposure: Full shade to full sun (creeping jenny is very easy care)
  • Mature size: 2-4 inches tall, 12-18+ inches spread
  • Popular colors: Light yellow (in sun) to dark green (in shade)

25. Sweet potato vine

Sweet Potato Vine Growing in a Hanging Basket
  • Sun exposure: Part sun to full sun
  • Mature size: 6-16 inches tall, up to 10 feet vine spread
  • Popular colors: Yellow, black foliage (depends on the variety of sweet potato vine)

26. Ivy

Ivy Coming Out of a Hanging Basket
  • Sun exposure: Part sun to full sun
  • Mature size: 6-8 inches, up to 15 feet vine spread
  • Popular colors: Green, yellowish-green, bi-color

27. Dichondra

Dichondra
  • Sun exposure: Part sun to full sun
  • Mature size: 2 inches tall, 3-4 feet vine spread
  • Popular colors: Silver, green

28. Certain Vegetables (tomatoes, strawberries, etc.)

Strawberries in a hanging basket
  • Sun exposure: Part sun to full sun
  • Mature size: Varies
  • Popular colors: Varies

29. Mandevillas

Apricot mandevilla in our lancaster county greenhouse
  • Sun exposure: Full sun
  • Mature size: 15-20 feet spread
  • Popular colors: Red, white, apricot (depending on the variety of mandevilla)

30. Herbs

Oregano plant in the sun
  • Sun exposure: Part sun to full sun
  • Mature size: Varies depending on the herb
  • Popular colors: Different hues of green

31. Ornamental Grasses

Grasses in a hanging basket

32. Snapdragons

Watering snapdragons

33. Salvia

Watering salvia

34. Dusty Miller

Dusty miller plants

35. Celosia

Watering celosia

36. Zinnias

Watering zinnias

37. Gerbera Daisies

Watering gerbera daisies

38. Mexican Heather

Mexican Heather plants in a container

39. Spikes

Watering spikes