The Low-Maintenance Hanging Basket Flower That Can Take The Heat And Adds Beauty To Your Patio

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If you have a hanging basket that spends its summer days in full sun, you know how hard it can be to keep it watered. Make your life easier and your plants happier by choosing drought-tolerant flowers. When it comes to balancing beauty and heat-tolerance, you can't go wrong with trailing ice plants (Lampranthus spectabilis). You might be used to seeing these southern African succulents used as groundcovers, but when added to a basket, they can make a great low-maintenance option to add unexpected color and texture. And unlike petunias, another heat-tolerant trailing plant that thrives in full sun, you aren't likely to see these unique plants in your neighbor's hanging pots.

Trailing ice plants come in a variety of colors, from bright pink to white, with gray-green leaves, and will attract butterflies to the garden. They also provide an advantage of blooming from early summer into the middle of fall in cooler climates. As you might have guessed, these heat-tolerant plants don't love freezing weather and are mostly grown as annuals in USDA zone 8 and north.

Many experienced gardeners know that there is a ​​simple formula you should use when designing a container garden. You need a thriller, a spiller, and a filler. As the name suggests, trailing ice plants have the spiller part covered, and as they spread, they will help on the filler front, too. Their daisy-like flowers can grow upwards of 12 inches tall.

Trailing ice plants like their soil dry, so consider mixing your potting soil with perlite, coarse sand, or pumice to ensure good drainage. Or you could take the easy route and use succulent potting mix. While well-drained soil is absolutely key for these plants, their flowers and succulent leaves will add color and texture to your hanging baskets without a lot of fuss. Because of its need for dry soil, you will want to choose its companion plants wisely. Rose moss (Portulaca grandiflora) is a great choice to complement the desert vibe that trailing ice brings to the garden. They look like succulent roses, tolerate poor soil conditions, and love the sun. You can also explore these other drought-tolerant flowers for your baskets.

Once your plants are in their permanent home, be sure to keep an eye on soil moisture. If the top few inches are dry or the soil is beginning to crack, it's time to water. The plants will also let you know if they're feeling the heat by presenting droopy or shriveled leaves, which are other signals they could use a drink. Remember, baskets dry out faster, so even this drought-tolerant plant will need watering.