Beautiful Annuals With Trailing Habits
Trailing annual flowers are ideal for hanging baskets, window boxes, containers and retaining walls.
They put on a stunning display of blooms and the good thing about annuals is that you can change them each year.
Here are 10 of the best cascading annual flowers for your garden.
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1. Petunia
Trailing petunias
They need at least six hours of sunlight each day and they can withstand hot weather and humidity.
Petunias bloom throughout summer and come in a range of colors including pink, purple, red, yellow and white.
2. Million Bells (Calibrachoa)
Million Bells
They bloom from spring until the frost hits and the flowers can be red, pink, purple, orange, yellow or white.
Million Bells are low maintenance and will grow well in full sun or part shade.
3. Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus)
Nasturtiums
The flowers are edible and can be orange, yellow, red or cream colored.
Nasturtium seeds can be planted directly in the container after the last frost of the season when the soil has warmed up or they can be started indoors and transplanted in spring.
RELATED: How To Grow Nasturtiums
4. Lobelia (Lobelia erinus)
Trailing Lobelias
They spread out easily and they’re a great choice for rockeries and containers.
Lobelias bloom from summer until the frost arrives and they grow best in partial shade.
5. Pansy
Pansies
The flowers can be yellow, purple, orange, red, white or a combination of colors and the flowers are edible.
Pansies grow best in cool climates in a position with full sun or part shade.
6. Nemesia
Nemesia
It grows best in part shade in areas with mild summer temperatures.
Regular deadheading will keep the plants blooming for a number of months. [1]
RELATED: 15 Colorful Annual Flowers
7. Sweet Alyssum
Sweet Alyssums
They’re commonly used as ground covers but they will also spill over the top of a container.
Sweet Alyssums are fast growing and the seedlings will tolerate light frosts.
8. Begonia
Trailing Begonias
The flowers can be pink, red, yellow or white and they bloom from summer until fall.
Begonias grow well in full sun or partial shade and they’re great for attracting bees and other beneficial insects to your garden.
9. African Daisy (Osteospermum)
African Daisies
The flowers can be yellow, orange, purple or white.
African daisies grow best in a sunny spot and need regular deadheading.
RELATED: 15 Full Sun Annual Flowers
10. Impatiens
The last trailing annual on this list is Impatiens
It has brightly colored flowers that can be red, pink, purple or white.
Impatiens grows best in a spot with partial shade and needs to be watered regularly during the growing season.
So there are 10 beautiful trailing annual flowers that are perfect for hanging baskets, containers, retaining walls and rockeries.
Planting these annuals will provide a bright splash of color during spring and summer.
You can also combine them with upright plants like hyacinths or tulips for a spectacular display.
Here’s a quick video that explains how to grow huge hanging basket flowers. I think you’ll find it helpful.
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Which of these trailing annuals do you like best? Let me know in the comments below.
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Wow, I didn’t realise there were so many trailing flowers. I’ve tried growing trailing petunias in my hanging baskets before and I didn’t have much success. I’m not sure what I did wrong. Which of these flowers would be the easiest to grow for someone who is not naturally gifted at gardening?
Nice post – some gorgeous plants in this list. We had red and white petunias this spring / summer and they’ve been stunning – still blooming but the foliage is looking a bit dry and straggly now we’re coming up to autumn here. Might have to replace with some pansies for the winter.
These flowers are gorgeous and I’m always amazed by how many types of flowers there are. Such an informative and detailed post.
I have always loved the look of African Daisies, especially in that deep purple shade. I have been considering putting together some window boxes for our house this year and if I do, they are definitely going to be part of that. Thank you for sharing this list – now I have a few other options for flowers that I could include in those.
My mother has three lovely, large hanging baskets and keeps several of these plants. It’s always a pleasure to see them when I visit her.
I am partial to petunias because they are so beautiful and pretty easy to grow in my area. I need to plant some since spring is right around the corner and I am so ready this year!
I plan on planting petunias in our window boxes this season! Can’t wait till it’s warm enough here.