The 12 Best Heat-Tolerant Flowers For Gorgeous Hanging Baskets

It's tempting to purchase a hanging basket already beautifully arranged in the garden center, but make sure you know what plants you're buying. There are many plants that are well-suited for hanging baskets, but what looks good in late spring or early summer may not make it through to fall. Summer can take its toll on plants in hanging baskets, so spend some time choosing your own arrangement of heat-tolerant plants that can withstand the stresses that summer has to offer. Along with making your own easy DIY hanging planter, you'll not only save yourself money (to buy more plants!) but also spare yourself of the grief of watching your plants wither halfway through the growing season.

Just remember that plants in containers dry out more quickly than plants planted in the ground, and hanging baskets are even more exposed to the elements than containers sitting on the ground. You'll need to water your hanging baskets more frequently than the rest of your garden, and some plants might need a break from the sun in the harshest weather, but plants that are well-adapted or even native to hot climates have the best chance of making it through the growing season looking their finest.

Silver ponysfoot (Dichondra argentea) is a perennial native to Mexico, South America, and the American Southwest. It is hardy only in USDA hardiness zones 10-12, so it is usually grown as an annual. It thrives in full sun and is best known for its silvery leaves rather than its relatively humble pale flowers. It prefers dry to medium, well-draining soil and can put up with both heat and drought. It can drape many feet over the sides of a hanging basket, making for an elegant statement.

Trailing verbena (Verbena canadensis) does well in full sun. Be sure that you use well-draining soil, such as a potting mix or garden soil mixed with a light compost or perlite. Hang your basket in a well-ventilated area to prevent your verbena from developing powdery mildew, and deadhead spent flowers to promote new blooms. Verbena is a perennial hardy in zones 6 to 10, but is usually grown as an annual. Butterflies and other pollinators will enjoy its nectar as the leaves and blooms spill over the edge of the container.

Moss rose (Portulaca grandiflora) is a popular ground cover that also makes for a great hanging plant. It's a low-growing annual hardy in zones 2 to 12. Tolerant of both heat and drought, it forms a mat of ruffled flowers in many colors. Moss rose thrives in full sun in average soil that drains well and remains on the dry side of moist. It can easily self-sow, so deadhead the flowers if you want to prevent the development of seeds. With appropriate care, you can even care for moss roses in the winter and re-hang them the following spring..

Sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas) is a native of Central and South America and comes in either edible or ornamental varieties. Hardy only in zones 9 to 11, its vines can reach up to 10 feet in a growing season. It is grown as an ornamental for its abundant foliage rather than for its edible tubers. Plant it in a hanging basket in rich, well-draining soil and place it in either full sun or part shade. Its flowers attract pollinators.

Blue sage (Salvia farinacea) is an upright perennial usually grown as an annual, as it is hardy only in zones 8 to 10. It looks great in the center of hanging baskets, surrounded by trailing plants hanging over the edge. Place it in full sun in moist, well-draining soil, and it will weather the heat and drought of late summer. Its long-blooming, strikingly blue and purple flowers are a pollinator favorite.

Mandevilla (Mandevilla spp.) is a gardener's favorite that can grow up to 10 feet long. It's a perennial native to Central and South America that is hardy only in zones 10 and 11, but you can bring it indoors before the first frost. Caring for a mandevilla vine is relatively straightforward: it likes full sun with moist, well-draining soil, and profits from a liquid fertilizer every few weeks.

Tickseed sunflower (Bidens aristosa) is an annual hardy in zones 5 to 9 that can bloom all summer long. Look for trailing varieties of the plant, which are better suited for hanging baskets. Drought- and heat-tolerant, it needs full sun exposure and soil rich in organic matter to properly produce its yellow, pollinator-friendly flowers. Birds will snack on the seeds once the flowers have lost their bloom. By late summer, you might want to add a liquid fertilizer to your hanging basket to keep the blooms coming.

As its botanical name suggests, yerba mansa (Anemopsis californica) is a California native that is hardy in zones 7 to 10. A vigorous perennial in its native wetland habitat, it can be grown safely in hanging baskets without becoming invasive. Just note that its rapid-growing tendency means that it may outgrow a small pot quickly. It tolerates heat but needs full sun and soil that is consistently moist and doesn't dry out. Water frequently, and you'll be rewarded with beautiful, tiny white flowers and stems that turn bright red in the fall after the plant is done blooming.

Snapdragon vine (Maurandella antirrhiniflora) is unrelated to snapdragons except in the shape of its purple or violet flowers. Native to the American Southwest and Mexico, it's a perennial hardy in only zones 9 and 10. Plant it in full sun or part shade in a wide variety of soils , as long as it has good drainage. Snapdragon vine will trail over the side of a hanging basket 5 feet or more in a growing season. Deadhead the spent flowers and seed pods to extend its blooming season.

Butter daisy (Melampodium divaricatum) is an annual hardy in zones 2 to 11. It does best in full sun in a wide range of well-draining, occasionally dry soil, and is both heat- and drought-tolerant. It produces yellow daisy-like flowers that can bloom from May until the first frost. Goldfinches and other songbirds will enjoy its seeds. Its close cousin is the perennial Blackfoot daisy (Melampodium leucanthum), hardy in zones 6 to 10. Blackfoot daisy can also be a nice hanging plant, though it does not trail like butter daisy.

Million bells (Calibrachoa x hybrida) is tender perennial native to South and Central America and hardy in zones 7 to 11. Coming in a wide variety of cultivars and popular with gardeners, million bells needs moist, well-draining soil rich in organic matter and full sun. While it's low-growing, it produces an abundance of long-lasting trumpet-shaped flowers that attract hummingbirds and pollinators. Use a liquid fertilizer once a month to encourage more flowering.

Creeping zinnia (Sanvitalia procumbens) is an annual native to Mexico and hardy in zones 2 to 11. In a hanging basket, it will form low-growing mats that can trail over the side. It flowers best in full sun, where it produces an abundance of small yellow flowers throughout the growing season. Plant it in well-draining soil that is dry to moderately moist. Being heat- and drought-tolerant, creeping zinnia does not appreciate being over-watered.