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18 Hanging Basket Flowers That Love the Sun to Brighten Your Outdoor Space

If you want to brighten up your outdoor space with hanging baskets, choosing flowers that thrive in full sun is key. Picking the right sun-loving flowers ensures your baskets stay vibrant and healthy, even during the hottest part of the day.

Finding plants that can handle direct sunlight without wilting or fading can save you a lot of time and effort. This article will help you discover flowers that will keep your hanging baskets looking great in sunny spots.

Geraniums

Close-up of light purple geranium flowers with darker purple veins radiating from their centers in a garden setting
Image Credit: Alex Manders/ Shutterstock.

If you want low-maintenance flowers that love the sun, geraniums are a solid pick. They do well in hanging baskets, especially in full sun.

You can also mix them with other sun-loving plants if your pots are big enough. Geraniums handle heat and dryness pretty well, making them great for sunny spots.

Multicolor Begonia

Vibrant begonias in yellow, orange, and pink hues, growing in clusters against a white fence or railing, lush green leaves visible, bright summer garden scene
Image Credits: Adobe Stock.

If you want something bright and easy to care for, multicolor begonias are a great pick. They offer colorful blooms and attractive foliage, adding life to your sunny hanging baskets.

You don’t need to fuss much, just make sure they get plenty of indirect sunlight and regular watering. You can find ready-to-go options like the one from Lowe’s in a 1.5-gallon hanging basket to make things simple.

Rocktrumpet

Cluster of vibrant pink flowers with yellow centers blooming on a green bush, photographed in natural daylight
Image Credit: Adobe Stock.

Rocktrumpet is a great choice if you want something that thrives in full sun. You’ll enjoy its bright, trumpet-shaped flowers that add a splash of color to your hanging basket.

It’s pretty low-maintenance, so you don’t have to worry much about watering or special care. Perfect for sunny spots where other plants might struggle.

Petunias

Vibrant pink and purple petunias with dark veining, clustered together against green leafy background, multiple blooming flowers in soft focus
Image Credit: Chao-Lin Huang/ Shutterstock.

If you want bright, colorful blooms for your sunny hanging basket, petunias are a solid choice. They come in lots of colors and patterns, so you can mix and match to your heart’s content.

Petunias enjoy full sun and need regular watering and feeding to keep flowering well. With a little care, your basket will look lively all season long.

Pansies

Pansies in a window box, purple and yellow petals, lush green leaves, white curtain in the background, beige house wall, charming floral decor, cozy home setting
Image Credit: Kabar/ Shutterstock.

Pansies are great if you want bright, cheerful blooms in your hanging baskets. They handle full sun pretty well but appreciate some afternoon shade during hot spells.

You’ll notice their colors stay vibrant longer when they’re not overheated. They’re also easy to care for and add a classic touch to your sunny spots.

Myoporum

Close-up of a small white flower with purple speckles in center, small stamens visible, growing on green stem with leaves in background
Image Credit:Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz – CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons.

If you’re looking for a tough, sun-loving plant for your hanging baskets, Myoporum is a great choice. It can handle full sun and even some shade, making it pretty flexible.

This evergreen perennial spreads nicely and works well as a groundcover too. It’s low maintenance, so you don’t have to fuss over it much to keep it happy.

Begonia Dragon Wing

A close-up of vibrant orange and yellow begonia flowers, the petals curling gently at the edges, with soft layers of bloom, surrounded by dark green leaves, showcasing the intricate and colorful beauty of the flower
Image Credit: James St. John, CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons.

If you want a hanging basket flower that handles sun and shade, Begonia Dragon Wing is a solid pick. You’ll get bright red blooms and lush green leaves that fill out nicely.

It grows about 12 to 18 inches tall and wide, perfect for your porch or patio. Plus, it’s known for being heat tolerant and keeps flowering all summer long.

Begonia Boliviensis

Bright red tubular flowers hanging from zigzag stems with green serrated leaves, likely a trailing succulent plant growing over rocky surface
Image Credit: Jean – CC BY 2.0/Wiki Commons.

If you want a flower that handles sun well, Begonia Boliviensis is a solid choice. It’s great for hanging baskets and containers, showing off bright, cascading blooms that add color and life to your space.

You can grow it in full sun or some shade, making it pretty flexible.

Calibrachoa

Vibrant cluster of small red, orange, and pink calibrachoa flowers growing densely among green foliage
Image Credit: Christynat/ Shutterstock.

If you want bright, cheerful blooms that love the sun, calibrachoa is a great pick. You’ll need to give it at least six hours of sunlight daily, though it can handle a bit of shade.

Keep the soil moist but not soggy to keep your plants happy. It’s perfect for hanging baskets where it can spill over the sides and add color to your space.

Double Delight Petunias

Flowering garden bed with vibrant magenta petunias planted in rich reddish-brown soil. The trumpet-shaped blooms with dark centers create a colorful carpet against the earth. Plants are arranged in a scattered pattern with lush green foliage.
Image Credit:MathKnight and Zachi Evenor – CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons.

Double Delight Petunias are great if you want vibrant color in your hanging baskets. They handle sunlight well, especially in cooler climates.

You’ll notice their full cascading habit makes them perfect for filling out your basket with blooms. Just make sure they get enough sun to shine bright. They’re pretty low-maintenance and can really brighten up your outdoor space without too much fuss.

Mini Bougainvilleas

Vibrant magenta bougainvillea flowers in foreground with blurred mountain landscape behind. Bright pink blooms growing on thin branches with small green leaves. Background shows hazy mountains, pale sky, and glimpses of distant buildings
Image Credit:Javier Gonzalez /Pexels.

If you want a splash of bright color, mini bougainvilleas are a great pick. They do well in full sun and bloom often, giving your hanging basket a lively look.

These plants are low-maintenance but need good drainage and regular watering. Place them in a sunny spot, and your mini bougainvillea will brighten up your space with little effort.

Trailing Lantana

Lantana flowers in clusters of yellow and orange blooms surrounded by dark green serrated leaves on multiple stems
Image Credit: Duy Le Duc/Pexels.

Trailing lantana is great if you want a hanging basket that handles full sun all day. You’ll see plenty of flowers because it loves bright light.

It’s super heat-tolerant and drought-resistant, so it’s pretty low-maintenance once established. Just give it room to trail over the edges of your basket for a nice cascading look.

Bacopa

Small white flowers with yellow centers scattered among dense green succulent leaves, forming a compact ground cover plant
Image Credit: Forest & Kim Starr – CC BY 3.0/Wiki Commons.

Bacopa is a great choice if you want a low-maintenance hanging basket flower. It loves sun and produces plenty of small, delicate blooms that add a nice touch to your space.

You’ll like that bacopa plants mostly take care of themselves since they deadhead naturally. It pairs well with other heat-loving plants like sweet potato vine for a full look.

Wave Petunias

Wooden planter box overflowing with vibrant purple, pink, and white petunias against blue sky background
Image Credits: Adobe Stock.

Wave petunias thrive in full sunlight, so make sure your basket gets plenty of sun each day. They grow low and spread wide, filling out your hanging basket with colorful blooms.

Keep the soil evenly moist and feed them monthly with all-purpose fertilizer to keep the flowers blooming. Rotate your basket occasionally for even growth and a fuller look.

Red Geraniums

Cluster of vibrant hot pink geranium flowers in sharp focus against blurred green foliage background
Image CreditKarolina Grabowska:/Pexels.

Red geraniums are perfect if you want bright, classic color in your hanging baskets. They thrive in full sun and need about 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight daily.

You can pinch back the stems to encourage more blooms. These flowers also attract hummingbirds and butterflies, adding lively movement to your garden.

Lantana

Cluster of vibrant Lantana flowers in shades of yellow, orange, and pink, surrounded by green leaves, with a blurred garden background, close-up view, well-lit in natural sunlight
Image Credit: Sandhy Prasetyo/Pexels.

Lantana is great if you want bright, tropical colors in your hanging basket. It loves full sun and can handle heat well, so your plant will keep blooming even in hot weather.

You’ll notice its tiny flower clusters trail nicely over the edges. Plus, it attracts hummingbirds, adding a bit of life to your space.

Sun-tolerant Impatiens

White impatiens flowers, delicate petals, green foliage, vibrant white blooms, close-up view, fresh and healthy flowers, soft texture, lush green leaves, peaceful floral scene
Image Credit: Adobe Stock.

If you love impatiens but struggle with sun, there are varieties that handle full sun better. You can try SunPatiens, which actually thrive in bright, hot spots without wilting.

To keep them happy, plant them close together. This helps shade the roots and keeps soil moist, so your baskets stay lush even in strong sunlight.

Verbena

Clusters of tiny lavender-pink verbena flowers, delicate blossoms arranged in round umbrella-like clusters, soft green blurred background, detailed floral macro shot
Image Credit: Alex Manders/ Shutterstock.

If you want a flower that thrives in full sun, verbena is a solid choice. It loves bright light and well-drained soil.

You’ll notice vibrant flowers in shades from violet-blue to magenta that can trail nicely in hanging baskets. Just keep it watered regularly because it doesn’t like drying out. Verbena works well as an annual in cooler areas or a perennial if you’re in warmer zones like 7 to 10.

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