11 Best Hanging Plants for Gorgeous Fall Displays

Fall is a lovely season, when the leaves change color and the weather gets cooler. As the summer annuals die off, switch out the plants in your hanging baskets for ones that do well in the cooler fall weather. You can welcome guests with weeks of color from the right fall hanging basket plants. They will also go well with your fall decor.

This article will show you 11 of the best ways to make beautiful fall hanging baskets. These champs keep their color through frost and cold, often until the first snowfall of winter. To get ideas for your fall hanging container designs, keep reading for tips, tricks, and the best plants to use.

Why Go For Fall Hanging Baskets?

Hanging baskets make it easy to decorate for fall. Put them on porches, patios, balconies, above front doors, or next to steps. As long as you choose plants that like cooler weather, fall hanging baskets will look better than summer ones for months.

As summer annuals die off, colorful autumn baskets fill the void until it’s time for holiday plants. They add bright fall colors to outdoor areas and entrances that make people feel welcome. You’ll enjoy their brightness and liveliness against the backdrop of falling leaves.

Top Plant Picks for Stunning Fall Hanging Baskets

Here are 11 can’t-miss options that thrive in autumn’s chill while delivering a sensational floral display:

1. Ornamental Kale and Cabbage

These cool weather-loving plants are prized for their gorgeous rosette foliage in shades of cream, pink, white and purple. Frilly, ruffled leaves become even more vivid in fall’s cooler temperatures. Toss them in mixed baskets or showcase on their own for unique texture and fall color.

2. Pansies and Violas

No fall basket would be complete without these flowering superstars. Pansies and violas bloom abundantly in shades of yellow, purple, blue, white and more right up till freezing temps arrive. New trailing types add gorgeous draping color.

3. Flowering Kale

Another beauty grown for its stunning leaves, flowering kale brings uniqueness to autumn displays. Look for kinds like ‘Color Up’ and ‘Colorburst’ featuring pink, purple and white foliage.

4. Cyclamen

Cyclamen’s dainty blooms inspired by butterflies give a charming touch to fall containers. These tuberous perennials produce flowers in white, pink, red and purple atop attractively marbled and patterned foliage. They keep blooming lightly into winter in warmer zones.

5. Garden Mums

These autumn icons come in a fantastic range of fall shades like yellow, burnt orange, burgundy, purple and bronze. Select mounded varieties that will combine beautifully with trailing ivy or pansies. Display mum baskets prominently to enjoy their seasonal blooms.

6. Ornamental Grasses

For delightful movement and texture, add ornamental grasses like millet, carex, pennisetum and stipa. Their slender blades rustle attractively in fall breezes and create lovely contrasts in texture and form.

7. Snapdragon

A traditional autumn favorite, snapdragons bloom prolifically in cool conditions with spikes of ruffled flowers. New trailing types add gorgeous draping color and fragance. Plant them with pansies and kale for sensational fall displays.

8. Ornamental Peppers

Peppers shimmer with glossy black, purple or red fruits that won’t fade as temperatures drop. Try varieties like ‘Black Pearl’, ‘Midnight Fire’ and ‘Sangria’ for stunning contrast alongside autumn-blooming flowers.

9. Dusty Miller

Grown for its striking silver-white foliage, dusty miller makes an ideal thriller plant for fall. It contrasts beautifully with the crimson leaves of ornamental peppers or rich hues of pansies and kale.

10. Flowering Cabbage

Similar to kale, flowering cabbage delivers unique color with pink, white and purple rosettes. Combine with pumpkins, gourds and fall blooms for on-theme appeal. Its colors become richer as temperatures cool.

11. Hardy Hibiscus

In warmer zones, hardy hibiscus blooms right into autumn with huge, tropical-looking flowers. It survives winters in zones 5 to 10, lighting up fall baskets with color. Plant it with ivy and violas for months of beauty.

Designing Stunning Fall Hanging Basket Displays

Creating a sensational fall hanging basket display is easy if you follow a few simple tips:

• Include “thrillers” like ornamental grasses or trailing ivy for draping structure.

• Add mid-level “filler” plants such as pansies, violas and flowering kale.

• Incorporate “spillers” like trailing snapdragons or cyclamen.

• Use baskets in colors that complement your autumn decor.

• Group multiple baskets together for big impact.

• Display where their vibrant colors will attract attention.

• Shift indoor hanging baskets onto covered porches or patios to extend enjoyment.

• Water regularly as fall wind and sun dry baskets faster.

• Move indoors or protect from hard freezes below 25° Fahrenheit.

Welcome Autumn in Style with Fabulous Fall Hanging Baskets

Fall hanging baskets let you decorate for the season with beautiful flowers and foliage that handle dropping temperatures with ease. Use them abundantly to create stunning displays sure to turn heads.

With the right plant choices, proper care and creative combinations, your autumn hanging baskets will keep their gorgeous colors right up until winter’s first snowflakes fall. So take advantage of cooler weather and get your fall hanging basket planting on!