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Hanging Basket Full Sun Flowers: The 11 Best Choices

By Calin Oancea and Florin Gabriel

5/3/20246 min read

In this actionable, no-fluff article, we will reveal which the overall best hanging basket flowers for full sun are, which we saw, inspected and grew in reality.

Here are the best flowers for your hanging baskets in full sun:

  1. Petunia

  2. Lantana

  3. Million Bells

  4. Impatiens

  5. Bacopa

  6. Verbena

  7. Portulaca

  8. Snapdragon

  9. Fuchsia

  10. Geranium

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Verbena

  • Height: 25-30 cm (10-12 in)

  • Color Varieties: Blue, pink, red, white, purple

  • Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil

After growing it we found that Verbena is a popular choice for its clusters of small, pink flowers. It performs best in the intense sun and brings a lovely cascade effect to baskets.

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a blooming Geranium annual plant in full sun
a blooming Geranium annual plant in full sun
  • Height: 30-40 cm (12-16 in)

  • Color Varieties: Red, pink, white, orange

  • Growing Conditions: Prefers full sun and well-draining potting mix

Geraniums are favored for their robust blooms and aromatic leaves, we found that this makes them excellent for sunny hanging baskets and pods. These full sun shrubs with summer flowers have a thick foliage and sturdy flowers withstand summer heat well.

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Geranium

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Petunia

  • Height: 15-30 cm (6-12 in)

  • Color Varieties: Available in pink, purple, red, white, and bi-colors

  • Growing Conditions: Thrives in full sun with well-drained soil

Petunias are a popular full sun annuals in hanging baskets due to their wide range of colors and their ability to bloom prolifically throughout the summer. These resilient flowers are perfect for sunny spots where they can bask in the light all day.

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a red Impatiens flower in a full sun basket
a red Impatiens flower in a full sun basket

Impatiens

  • Height: 15-30 cm (6-12 in)

  • Color Varieties: Pink, red, white, purple, orange

  • Growing Conditions: Partial to full shade, moist, well-drained soil

Although Impatens typically are hanging basket flowers for shade, certain varieties of New Guinea impatiens thrive in full sun, especially when they are well-watered. After growing them we saw that Impatiens are an excellent choice for adding color to your hanging planters in sunnier and shadier spots.

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multiple yellow Lantana flowers in a full sun hanging basket
multiple yellow Lantana flowers in a full sun hanging basket
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Lantana

  • Height: 30-60 cm (12-24 in)

  • Color Varieties: Yellow, red, orange, blue, white, pink

  • Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil

Lantana is a hardy full sun exotic flower known for its vibrant, multi-colored clusters of flowers which attract butterflies and hummingbirds. After we grew this plant we saw that it loves heat and full sun and the flower has an exotic lime smell and is toxic.

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multiple bright red Million Bell flowers
multiple bright red Million Bell flowers

Million Bell

  • Height: 15-25 cm (6-10 in)

  • Color Varieties: Pink, yellow, red, blue, purple, and more

  • Growing Conditions: Full sun, moderate watering

Like miniature petunias, Million Bells bring amazing, bell-shaped flowers. We found that they work nicely as spiller plants for sun which spill beautifully over the edges of baskets.

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a pink Portulaca flowering full sun hanging basket plant
a pink Portulaca flowering full sun hanging basket plant

Portulaca

  • Height: 10-15 cm (4-6 in)

  • Color Varieties: Pink, red, yellow, orange, white, and multi-colored

  • Growing Conditions: Full sun, dry to moderate moisture, well-drained soil

Portulaca thrives in hot, sunny environments, making it ideal for hanging baskets in full sun. Its succulent leaves and vibrant blooms are drought-resistant. We recommend deadheading its blooms, just like Geraniums, because it will lead to healthier growth and more flowers.

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Fuchsia

  • Height: 30-40 cm (12-16 in)

  • Color Varieties: Pink, purple, red, white

  • Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade, moist, well-drained soil

While some Fuchsias prefer shade, we found that sun-tolerant container plants do exist and offer amazing pendulous flowers that are perfect for display in your sunny hanging baskets.

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a Black Eyed Susan full sun flower for hanging baskets
a Black Eyed Susan full sun flower for hanging baskets
  • Height: 90-180 cm (3-6 ft)

  • Color Varieties: Orange, yellow, white with dark centers

  • Growing Conditions: Full sun, moist, well-drained soil

The Black Eyed Susan vine that our experts like to grow produces cheerful flowers with a striking dark eye, climbing happily up trellises or spilling over the sides of a hanging basket.

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Black Eyed Susan Vine

a white Bacopa flower for sunny hanging baskets
a white Bacopa flower for sunny hanging baskets

Bacopa

  • Height: 10-15 cm (4-6 in)

  • Color Varieties: White, blue, pink

  • Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade, moist soil

Bacopa’s small star-shaped flowers make it an excellent trailing plant for hanging baskets. The hanging basket flower requires full sun to bloom profusely but appreciates a bit of afternoon shade in hotter climates.

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Snapdragons

  • Height: 20-30 cm (8-12 in)

  • Color Varieties: Yellow, red, pink, orange, white, purple

  • Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil

Snapdragons bring a unique, vertical element to baskets with their tall, colorful flower spikes. We saw tht they prefer cooler spring and fall weather but can perform well through summer in sunny locations and work well as drought tolerant sun plants onec esthablished.

a Snapdragon thriller plant in sun
a Snapdragon thriller plant in sun
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Sources

Nature and Sustainability uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies to support the facts we describe in our articles. Please read our editorial policy to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Snapdragon: Antirrhinum - Wikipedia

  2. Verbena: Verbena - Wikipedia

  3. Lantana: Lantana camara - Wikipedia

  4. Lantana Poisoning Information: Lantana (Lantana camara) | Queensland Poisons Information Centre (health.qld.gov.au)

  5. Portulaca: How To Grow And Care For Portulaca (southernliving.com)

  6. Bacopa: Bacopa monnieri - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)

  7. Fuchsia: Fuchsia | Flowering, Shrub, Perennial | Britannica

  8. Million Bells: How to Grow and Care for Million Bells (thespruce.com)

  9. Verbena: Verbena: How to Grow and Care with Success (gardenia.net)

  10. Black Eyed Susan Vine: Black-eyed Susan Vine, Thunbergia alata – Wisconsin Horticulture

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Calin Oancea
Calin Oancea
Green Box
Green Box

Article By:

Calin has been in the garden industry for 5 years and knows a lot about gardening and plants. He owns this website and is responsible for most of the content.

Reviewed By:

Florin, a more technical guy, is responsible for the design, reviewing the articles and making improvements, and optimizing for SEO so that everything we publish looks deam good.