Hanging baskets traditionally feature cascading annual flowers, but non-floral alternatives offer sustained visual interest, unique textures, and practical utility. Moving beyond traditional annuals allows gardeners to create dynamic displays that last beyond a single blooming season. These alternative plantings provide year-round appeal through varied leaf shapes and colors. This approach is appealing for those seeking low-maintenance options or wishing to integrate edible plants into their outdoor living spaces.
Foliage Plants for Color and Texture
Foliage plants offer a consistent display of color and texture, maintaining their appearance long after most seasonal flowers have faded. These plants are chosen for their structural qualities rather than their brief, transient blooms.
Trailing varieties are effective for spilling over the basket’s edge, creating the classic cascading look. Ipomoea batatas (Sweet Potato Vine) provides dense, vigorous vines in shades ranging from lime green to deep purple-black. Another valued spiller is Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’, which produces long, shimmering stems of fan-shaped, silvery-gray leaves that contrast sharply with darker foliage.
For upright elements, the Coleus genus is unmatched, offering highly saturated, vibrant colors on broad leaves that can serve as the central anchor in a basket design. Cultivars feature striking patterns in reds, pinks, yellows, and greens, providing the visual impact of a flower without the need for constant deadheading. Textured options like variegated ivy, Hedera helix, or various Plectranthus species introduce different leaf sizes and tactile qualities.
The longevity of these foliage choices means the basket remains lush and attractive throughout the entire growing season and often well into cooler weather. They require less frequent maintenance than many flowering annuals, which often need daily deadheading. The focus shifts to simply maintaining the health and shape of the leaves, allowing for a more hands-off gardening approach.
Edibles and Herbs for Utility Baskets
Transforming a hanging basket into a functional, accessible garden space is achieved by planting edibles and herbs. These utility baskets combine aesthetic appeal with the convenience of having fresh ingredients within reach of a kitchen or doorway. Selecting varieties with a naturally trailing or compact growth habit is necessary for success in this elevated environment.
Many herb varieties are ideally suited for this purpose, including trailing thyme (Thymus serpyllum), creeping oregano, and the prostrate rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus prostratus group). These not only spill over the sides attractively but also release aromatic oils when brushed against, enhancing the sensory experience of the space. Bushier herbs like basil and compact varieties of mint can be placed centrally to provide height and fullness.
Edible fruit and vegetable plants also thrive in hanging containers when dwarf or tumbling varieties are chosen. Tumbling tomatoes, such as ‘Tumbling Tom’ or ‘Micro Tom’, are bred to cascade over the rim, keeping the fruit off the ground and making harvesting easy. Alpine strawberries are excellent spillers, producing small, flavorful berries.
The primary consideration for productive edible baskets is the increased need for water and nutrients. The limited volume of soil means moisture evaporates quickly, often requiring watering once or twice daily during peak summer heat. Incorporating a slow-release granular fertilizer at planting time, supplemented with a liquid feed every two weeks, ensures the plants have the energy to produce a continuous harvest.
Low Maintenance Succulents and Drought Tolerant Varieties
Hanging baskets placed in harsh, sun-exposed locations benefit from low-maintenance succulents and other drought-tolerant varieties. These plants store water in their fleshy leaves or stems, allowing them to withstand conditions where frequent watering is impractical. Their unique architectural shapes and varied textures offer a modern, sculptural look to the display.
Trailing succulents are the most visually appealing for this application, creating dense, dramatic curtains over the basket’s edge. Popular choices include Senecio rowleyanus (String of Pearls) and Sedum morganianum (Burro’s Tail), which features thick, cascading ropes of overlapping leaves. Othonna capensis ‘Ruby Necklace’ is another striking option, with cylindrical leaves that turn a vibrant purple-red in bright sunlight.
These varieties require a specialized, fast-draining soil mix to prevent root rot. Unlike moisture-loving plants, overwatering is the most common cause of failure for succulents in baskets. The need for watering is dramatically reduced, often only once the soil has completely dried out, making them ideal for gardeners who travel or have exposed, hot balconies.
Other drought-tolerant, non-succulent options include Portulaca (Moss Rose), which offers bright, cup-shaped flowers and fleshy leaves that tolerate extreme heat. Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’ is also adapted to arid conditions and provides a robust, reliable display in environments that would quickly wilt traditional annuals.
Principles of Hanging Basket Design
Successful non-floral hanging basket design relies on the strategic combination of plants with different growth habits to create a balanced, visually engaging display. The traditional “thriller, filler, spiller” method is perfectly adapted to using foliage, herbs, and succulents as the primary elements. This technique ensures the finished basket has height, fullness, and a graceful trailing effect.
The “thriller” is the upright, central focus, providing vertical structure and drawing the eye. This role can be filled by a colorful Coleus cultivar, a bushy basil plant, or an upright succulent like a small Aloe vera. The thriller should be planted directly in the center of the basket, establishing the maximum height of the arrangement.
“Filler” plants surround the thriller, adding mass and volume to the body of the container. These plants are typically more mounding and include mid-sized herbs like parsley, low-growing Plectranthus varieties, or small, non-trailing Sedum species. Fillers serve to bridge the space between the central element and the cascading edges, making the composition appear lush and full.
The “spiller” plants are positioned along the outer edge and are intended to trail over the side, softening the container’s rim and adding movement. This group includes Ipomoea batatas, String of Pearls, or creeping thyme. Consistency in care needs is paramount; combining a drought-loving succulent with a moisture-demanding edible will inevitably lead to the failure of one or both plants.