15 Pink Flowers Perfect For Hanging Baskets
When you are looking for pink flowers to liven up your hanging containers you have a lot of great plants to choose from. As explained by Salisbury Greenhouse, petunias, million bells, and begonias are some of your best options, and thankfully they all come in pink!
Whether you have the greenest of thumbs or find plant care difficult, there is a flower out there for you. Consider your USDA zone, gather your supplies, and learn about some gorgeous pink flowers that will welcome guests and bring positive energy to the front of your home. Remember that flowers in hanging baskets can require more attention than normal. Likely, they'll need more water and fertilizer to thrive. With the right amount of love, any of these flowers will make for a wonderful floral display. Choose an annual that you can switch out year after year or a perennial that will provide you with gorgeous blooms every season. Trust your designer's eye and see what you can do with these 15 pink flowers.
Pelargonium
Pelargonium (pelargonium spp.), also called scented geranium or tender geranium, is a great container plant that is wonderful for use in hanging baskets. It produces summer-long pink, purple, white, or red blossoms, as per RHS, and leaves that may be scented with notes of lemon or rose.
Bloom Season: Late spring and summer
USDA Growing Zone: 9 to 12
Growing Conditions: Full sun
Soil Type: Free-draining
Size: 1 to 2 feet tall and wide
Begonia
Begonias (begonia spp.) are a common ornamental garden plant that features large leaves and showy flowers. Though some species can grow quite large, others are perfect for use in hanging baskets as told by Clemson Cooperative Extension. This includes begonia x semperflorens-cultorum 'Brandy' and begonia x tuberhybrida 'Salmon Pink'.
Bloom Season: Late spring and summer
USDA Growing Zone: 8 to 11
Growing Conditions: Organic, moist, and well-draining
Soil Type: Partial shade to full sun
Size: Typically 8 to 24 inches tall, but varies by cultivar
Cheddar pinks
Often referred to simply as "pinks", cheddar pinks (dianthus grataniapolitanus) are within the same genus as carnations, says Monrovia. They don't mind being planted in gardens or containers, as long as you provide them with plenty of sunlight and water. With the right care, this plant will reward you with fragrant blossoms in the spring and summer.
Bloom Season: Spring and early summer
USDA Growing Zone: 3 to 9
Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade
Soil Type: Rich and well-draining
Size: Between 4 inches and 3 feet tall
Mums
If you're looking for a fall-blooming flower for your hanging baskets, mums (chrysanthemums spp.) are for you. These well-known late bloomers are regarded for their gorgeous flowers which appear in a multitude of colors including several shades of pink, via Gilmour.
Bloom Season: Late summer to late fall
USDA Growing Zone: 5 to 9
Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade
Soil Type: Moist, well-draining
Size: Up to 3 feet tall and wide, smaller when grown in containers
Petunia
Petunias (spp.) are planted as annuals all over the United States. This genus has more than 20 species and hundreds of varieties, as pointed out by the University of Minnesota Extension. You can easily find pink cultivars of petunias of different species, but you can also get them in rarer colors such as black, purple, blue, and speckled.
Bloom Season: Spring
USDA Growing Zone: 10 to 11
Growing Conditions: Full sun
Soil Type: Well-draining
Size: 6 to 15 inches tall depending on the cultivar
Pink evening primrose
Common primrose flowers are typically found with flowers that are cream or yellow in color, however, one species named pink evening primrose (oenothera speciosa) features adorable pink blossoms, as per Monrovia. At first, its flowers appear white and turn pink as they open in the afternoon. This low-growing and spreading flower looks great in hanging baskets and requires little maintenance.
Bloom Season: Spring and fall
USDA Growing Zone: 5 to 9
Growing Conditions: Full sun
Soil Type: Well-draining
Size: 1-foot tall
Zinnia
Like many of the other flowers discussed so far, zinnias (zinnia spp.) are native to hot climates which makes them annuals in most areas of the United States, as explained by PennState Extension. Pink zinnias from the species Z. elegans or Z. angustifolia are good for hanging baskets as they attract pollinators such as butterflies and hummingbirds.
Bloom Season: Summer
USDA Growing Zone: 9 to 11
Growing Conditions: Full sun
Soil Type: Well-draining
Size: 6 inches to 3 feet tall depending on the cultivar
Dahlia
Dahlias (dahlia spp.) come in a range of colors and sizes. Because of this, you can plant different dahlia cultivars almost anywhere you want. Varieties of dahlias such as single flowering dahlia plants, according to Utah State University, are known for their daisy-like shape and shorter growth habit that makes them great for hanging baskets.
Bloom Season: Summer
USDA Growing Zone: 8 to 11
Growing Conditions: Full sun
Soil Type: Well-draining, sand, or loam
Size: Less than 1-foot high to more than 6 feet high depending on the cultivar
Azalea
Azaleas (rhododendron spp.) can be difficult to grow, but their stunning flowers blooming throughout the spring and summer makes the effort worthwhile. As described by Clemson Cooperative Extension, there are many species and varieties that show off several warm colors including pink, red, and yellow.
Bloom Season: Early spring to midsummer
USDA Growing Zone: 6 to 9
Growing Conditions: Partial shade
Soil Type: Well-draining, acidic, and organic
Size: Varies in height depending on the cultivar
Busy Lizzy
Busy Lizzies (impatiens walleriana) can be identified by their ovate green leaves and 1 to 3-inch wide flowers that can be bi-colored or double, says North Carolina State Extension. Most often, impatiens walleriana are grown as annuals because they require warm temperatures and frequent watering.
Bloom Season: Summer, spring, and fall
USDA Growing Zone: 10 to 11
Growing Conditions: Full to partial shade
Soil Type: Organic, moist, and well-draining
Size: 6 inches to 2 feet tall
Annual vinca
Annual vincas (catharanthus roseus), which are also known as periwinkle, are long bloomers that can produce flowers that are pink, white, purple, or red, explains Costa Farms. This low-maintenance flowering plant requires only sun and regular watering, so it is perfect for containers such as hanging baskets on your porch.
Bloom Season: Early summer to fall
USDA Growing Zone: 10 to 11
Growing Conditions: Full sun
Soil Type: Well-draining
Size: 12 to 18 inches tall
Million bells
Million bells (calibrachoa spp.) are almost exclusively grown in hanging baskets. Named after their bell-shaped flowers that come in a wide range of colors such as pink, calibrachoas need lots of sunlight, warm temperatures, fertilizer, and frequent watering, according to the University of Minnesota Extension.
Bloom Season: Spring to fall
USDA Growing Zone: 9 to 11
Growing Conditions: Full sun
Soil Type: Organic, acidic, and well-draining
Size: Up to 1-foot high and 2 feet wide
Bleeding hearts
Bleeding hearts (dicentra spectabilis) are most often grown in the garden, but don't let that stop you from enjoying their pink heart-shaped blossoms in a hanging planter. With regular pruning, you can create a small, bushy hanging plant that is bursting with flowers, as told by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Bloom Season: Early spring
USDA Growing Zone: 2 to 8
Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade
Soil Type: Well-draining and humus-rich, may be clay or sand
Size: 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide
Cyclamen
Florist's cyclamen (cyclamen persicum) is one of the few pink perennial flowers that grow nicely in containers. Also called Persian cyclamen, this plant is dormant during the summer and shows off fragrant, pink, heart-shaped blossoms in the winter and spring, says North Carolina State Extension.
Bloom Season: Winter and spring
USDA Growing Zone: 9 to 11
Growing Conditions: Shade to part shade
Soil Type: Loamy, moist, and well-draining
Size: 6 to 9 inches tall
Sweet Alyssum
Sweet Alyssum (lobularia maritima) is a compact perennial or annual plant that can be used in containers or as ground cover. Its tiny, fragrant flowers can be pink, white, yellow, red, or purple. They can last year-round in certain climates as they attract pollinators such as butterflies and bees, as described by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Bloom Season: Spring to fall or year-round in warmer regions
USDA Growing Zone: 5 to 9
Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade
Soil Type: Well-draining
Size: 3 to 9 inches tall