Which hanging plants for the balcony are hardy? Which ones grow in the sun, in the shade or in partial shade? And what is the maintenance cost? Here you will find an overview of the most beautiful hanging balcony flowers.
The balcony usually does not offer much space to cultivate numerous plants. So it's worth getting creative and using every imaginable dimension - including the vertical. With the almost endless selection of plants, it helps to have selected the right varieties in advance. With us you will find out which elegant hanging plants on the balcony can be cultivated particularly beautifully and what requirements you have to pay attention to. If you value a balcony design for bees, we also recommend our special article on bee-friendly balcony plants.
Hanging plants for sunny balconies
A south-facing balcony not only offers intense warmth in summer. Special, heat and sun-loving plants can also be cultivated, which can easily cope with the sunny location. But which hanging plants on the balcony tolerate sun? We would like to recommend these to you:
Peunias
Some hybrids of the Petunia can also be cultivated hanging and are among the absolute classics. In full sun to part shade, they bloom in a variety of colors, some even bicolor, between May and October, hanging up to 80cm deep. Petunias are not drought tolerant. You need it moderately moist, never waterlogged. Regular fertilizing and trimming are necessary during the flowering period. Petunia ˈViolet starˈ, Petunia ˈChocolinaˈ and Petunia ˈConchita Doble Blueˈ are among the most beautiful varieties.
Warning: Petunias are poisonous to humans and pets!
Tip: Similar to the hanging petunia, but a little more unusual in appearance, theCalibrachoa are cultivated. It needs a slightly more acidic soil, but this is easily achieved by adding some acidic fertilizer such as our Plantura organic hydrangea fertilizer. The variety groups ˈCelebrationˈ, ˈSuperbellsˈ and ˈSweet Bellsˈ deserve special mention.
hanging verbs
The Verbena is well suited for planting on the edge of a pot or box in order to overhang from there by up to 50 cm. Because of its high water requirements, it should be watered almost every day in summer. With regular cleaning and fertilizing, it blooms continuously from May to October. The verbena grows as an annual and is not hardy. Popular groups of varieties are ˈLanaiˈ, ˈTemariˈ, ˈBabylonˈ and ˈTapienˈ, within which there are different varieties with different patterns and colors.
Black-eyed Susanne
The Thunbergia alata is usually cultivated as a climbing plant, but it also makes a good hanging plant. Its showy orange, yellow, white or pink flowers with a black center give it its characteristic name and enjoy full sun on the balcony from June to October. The plant is sensitive to wind and frost and should therefore only be planted in sheltered locations. Due to their high nutrient requirements, regular fertilization is necessary. Varieties such as ˈBlushing Susieˈ, ˈAfrican sunsetˈ or ˈBeauty spotsˈ are well worth seeing.
Tip: Hanging verbena, black-eyed susan and petunia all have high water and nutrient requirements. They should therefore be watered regularly during vegetation and supplied with a high-quality, liquid flower fertilizer such as our Plantura organic flower & balcony fertilizer once a week in order to cover their nutrient requirements. Due to its organic formulation, the nutrients are slowly released and trace elements are also introduced.
Blue Fan Flower
The Scaevola aemula is particularly suitable for full sun. It forms hanging shoots up to 1 m long and has a high water and nutrient requirement. The blue fan flower needs a slightly acidic environment and should therefore be placed in a high-quality, acidic substrate such asFor example, our Plantura organic acidic soil can be planted. It finally thanks the optimal care with a continuous bloom. In addition, she recovers well if she should dehydrate for a short time. Popular varieties include ˈBlue Wonderˈ or the dark blue ˈBlue Lagunaˈ.
Hanging plants for shady and semi-shaded balconies
Not everyone can look forward to a south-facing balcony with bright sunshine, but some hanging balcony plants can also be grown on shady and partially shaded balconies without any problems. We particularly recommend these:
Hanging Gonia
The Begonia boliviensis is another classic hanging plant for the balcony. It should be cultivated in the shade as it develops brown leaf edges from too dry air and too much sun. From May to October, it produces flowers in a wide variety of colors and can be wonderfully combined with other ornamental foliage plants. It does not tolerate direct midday sun. The varieties have double or single flowers and overhang by about 30 to 50 cm. Despite the water-storing shoots and leaves, the hanging begonia is not drought tolerant and needs to be watered extensively. However, their nutritional requirements are low. You can find out which varieties are particularly pretty in our article on the most popular begonia varieties. A real eye-catcher is the so-called "garland begonia" ˈIlluminationˈ, which forms very long and flexible shoots and is available in different colours.
Small-leaved ivy
A hanging plant does not always have to produce colorful flowers. The Hedera helix ˈMiniˈ is also pretty to look at in perennial green all year round. It grows very slowly and forms small leaves, which are particularly effective when planted under or around the edge. Ivy likes to grow in shady locations, likes it moderately damp, waterlogging and drought should be avoided. Fertilizing every two weeks during the growing season supports he althy growth.
Blue Mauritius
The Convolvulus sabatius is a real eye-catcher, which is characterized by its strong, sky-blue flowers and shimmering silver foliage. The annual plant shows its flowersbetween May and September and feels at home in light semi-shade. However, the beauty also needs special care: no dryness or waterlogging and an even nutrient content are the basis for its growth. In general, the varieties differ only slightly. However, the variety Convolvulus sabatius ˈNeon blueˈ, which develops intense blue flowers, deserves a special mention.
Tip: Hanging balcony plants, regardless of whether they are perennial or annual with lush flowers, usually have a high nutrient requirement that cannot be covered solely by the potting soil. A high-quality liquid fertilizer should be administered over the irrigation water. For example, our Plantura organic flower & balcony fertilizer is ideal for supplying the various green and flowering plants on the balcony and its nitrogen-potassium ratio is well suited for many of these ornamental plants.
Perennial hanging plants for the balcony
Most of our balcony plants are perennial - but overwintering is often not that easy. Caring for them like professional nurseries require a lot of time and some experience. In addition, a suitable location for overwintering is required, which is why most hobby gardeners do without it and only cultivate it once a year. However, those who make this effort often find that the plants no longer look quite as nice the following year if they have not been properly overwintered, fertilized and cut. Lack of light is also a problem. This is often denied to them in their home winter quarters, in contrast to large-scale gardening. However, with the right knowledge and a bit of tact, you can try your hand at overwintering these less demanding hanging plants:
hanging fuchsia
Pending Fuchsia hybrids in one or two colors and with shoots up to 50 cm long come into their own in partial shade. They bloom between June and October and exude a pleasant scent. Fertilizing and cleaning are part of the regular tasks during flowering to promote flowering. Temperatures of down to - 5 °C are easily tolerated, but beyond that the hanging fuchsia should move to winter quarters. They can be perfectly complemented by a more subtle foliage plant. In our special article we have summarized the most beautiful fuchsia varieties for you.
Carnation
The growth of the Dianthus caryophyllus is striking. It first grows to a height of about 30 cm and then begins to arch overhang. The hanging carnation blooms between June and October in a sheltered and sunny to partially shaded location before it is cut back to the ground after flowering and brought to a mild winter quarters. The varieties ˈSplendens erectaˈ and ˈBalkanfeuerˈ are pretty to look at.
Hoppy Oregano
The Origanum rotundifolium is no less than its name suggests: It tastes similar to the kitchen herb, so it can be eaten without hesitation, and produces hop-like, violet to pink flowers. With a bit of luck, a second flowering phase can be stimulated by pruning the first flower. Varieties such as ˈPagonda Bellsˈ or ˈKent beautyˈ are often found.
Also the hanging cushion bellflower (Campanula poscharskyana) and the cushion phlox (Phlox subulat) very hardy and can therefore be cultivated for several years. What the plants look like and how to care for them, you will learn below in the article.
Tip: Perennial plants should be repotted from time to time, otherwise the hanging plants will lack nutrients. If you do not want to repot every year, you can remedy this by using a coordinated fertilization with slow-acting, primarily organic granular fertilizer such as our Plantura organic flower fertilizer. This supplies the plant, maintains the quality of the soil and ensures a longer shelf life.
Particularly easy-care hanging balcony plants
Besides work and leisure stress, there is sometimes not enough time to take care of the beloved balcony plants. But with easy-care balcony plants, that's not a problem either. These hanging balcony plants are very easy to care for:
hanging geranium
The classic for the balcony is also quite undemanding at the same time, since it is not affected by temperature and humidity fluctuations or wind. The Pelargonium peltatum forms overhanging shoots that are about 25 to 80 cm, some varieties even 150 cm long, which come in a wide variety of colors between May and October. Hanging geraniums only grow once a year andlove sunny to partially shaded locations. Pleasant are varieties of the groups ˈCascadeˈ and ˈVille de Parisˈ, which do not have to be trimmed - like most single-flowering varieties. Unfortunately, the hanging geranium is of no interest to bees and other insects.
Push Up Phlox
The Phlox subulata also feels very comfortable on the south-facing balcony, which can even stay outdoors all winter long and remains evergreen. The phlox offers a high ornamental value with its one- or two-colored flowers, which it shows between April and June. Because of the drought tolerance and the moderate nutrient requirement even when in full bloom, it is one of the easy-care hanging plants. The varieties ˈBavariaˈ, ˈPurple beautyˈ and ˈKimonoˈ are worth seeing.
Hanging Pad Bellflower
A real eye-catcher is the Campanula poscharskyana, which boasts white or blue, bell-like, star-shaped flowers on shoots that are up to 60 cm long. The hardy flower blooms between June and September in partially shaded locations. Thanks to the moderate water and nutrient requirements, it is very easy to care for, but stagnant water should be avoided. The variety ˈE. H. Frostˈ and ˈBluevineˈ are particularly popular.
A balcony not only offers the opportunity to cultivate beautiful hanging plants, but also to grow some vegetables yourself. In this way you can, for example, grow tomatoes on the balcony.