21 Best Trailing Plants for Pots and Containers
Transform any planter into a flowing masterpiece with versatile cascading greenery.
Trailing plants play a unique role in container gardening. Their graceful vines tumble over the edge of pots, lending dimension, movement, and lush beauty to any spaceâindoors or out. Whether you want dramatic trailing blooms, attractive foliage, or effortless spillers, thereâs a trailing plant for any style or situation. This guide highlights 21 of the best trailing plants for pots and containers, from drought-tolerant species to lush, tropical spillers.
Why Choose Trailing Plants for Containers?
Container arrangements flourish with plants that possess a trailing or cascading habit. These plants can serve as stand-alone stars or as spillers in multi-plant combinations. Hereâs why trailing plants are invaluable in pots:
- Visual Appeal: Their arching, draping stems soften edges and add height, depth, and fullness to planters.
- Versatility: Many can thrive both indoors and outdoors, in full sun or partial shade, and are available in various growth habits and colors.
- Wildlife Attraction: Flowering trailing plants often attract pollinators and beneficial insects.
Certain trailing plants work best in sun-drenched outdoor spaces, while others adapt easily as houseplants, brightening rooms with their flowing foliage or blooms.
The “Thriller, Filler, Spiller” Formula
One classic approach to container design involves the âthriller, filler, spillerâ strategy. Hereâs how it works:
- Thriller: A tall, attention-grabbing plant, usually placed at the center or rear.
- Filler: Bushy, medium-height plants that fill out the body of the container.
- Spiller: Trailing plants that cascade elegantly over the containerâs edge.
Trailing plants shine as the âspillers,â providing natural drapes and flow to any pot. This combination ensures a balanced, visually pleasing arrangement.
Top 21 Trailing Plants for Pots and Containers
The following plants are among the best choices for bringing spills and cascades to your containers, window boxes, or hanging baskets. For each, youâll find key requirements and growth highlights.
1. Trailing Lobelia (Lobelia erinus)
- Sun: Full sun to partial shade
- Hardiness Zones: 2â11
- Features: Violet-blue flowers, blooms from spring to fall
This prolific bloomer delivers clouds of small, violet-blue flowers from spring well into fall, especially if grown with some shelter from strong midday sun. Trailing lobelia acts as an effective spiller and a pollinator magnet.
2. Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)
- Sun: Full sun to partial shade
- Hardiness Zones: 3â9
- Features: Vivid chartreuse or green foliage, fast growth
A vigorous grower, Creeping Jenny provides bright golden-green foliage that tumbles energetically from hanging baskets and pots. It prefers moist soil and adapts to both sun and partial shade, making it a versatile year-round spiller.
3. String of Pearls (Senecio rowleyanus)
- Sun: Bright indirect light
- Hardiness Zones: 9â12 (indoors elsewhere)
- Features: Succulent âbeadsâ, drought tolerance
This quirky succulent produces long, trailing stems festooned with bead-like leaves. Dramatic in modern containers and easy indoorsâjust avoid overwatering.
4. Sweet Potato Vine (Ipomoea batatas)
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- Sun: Full sun to partial shade
- Hardiness Zones: 9â11 (annual outside)
- Features: Bold cut-leaf foliage in chartreuse or deep purple
Popular for bold foliage colors, sweet potato vine spills in vibrant chartreuse or burgundy. Fast-growing and low-maintenance, it pairs beautifully with flowering fillers.
5. Trailing Petunia (Petunia hybrids)
- Sun: Full sun
- Hardiness Zones: 9â11 (grown as annual)
- Features: Profuse blooms in a spectrum of colors
Modern trailing petunias (e.g. âWaveâ series) provide an abundant, season-long waterfall of color. Their rapid growth and extensive trailing make them a staple for baskets and large pots.
6. Ivy Geranium (Pelargonium peltatum)
- Sun: Full sun to partial shade
- Hardiness Zones: 10â11 (annual elsewhere)
- Features: Glossy foliage, trailing habit, vibrant flowers
Uniquely adapted to trailing, this geranium boasts glossy, ivy-shaped leaves and clusters of striking blooms. Itâs ideal for window boxes and can spill several feet.
7. Bacopa (Sutera cordata)
- Sun: Full sun to partial shade
- Hardiness Zones: 9â11 (annual elsewhere)
- Features: Small white, lavender, or pink blossoms
Bacopaâs waterproof stems trail gracefully, dotted with delicate blossoms that bloom reliably all season. Best in consistently moist containers.
8. Trailing Verbena (Verbena hybrids)
- Sun: Full sun
- Hardiness Zones: 8â11 (annual elsewhere)
- Features: Waterfall of vivid clustered blooms
Creates cascades of color for months, requiring just regular feeding and moisture. Perfect for hanging baskets, tubs, and for softening edges.
9. Calibrachoa (Million Bells)
- Sun: Full sun
- Hardiness Zones: 9â11 (annual elsewhere)
- Features: Petunia-like blooms, prolific flowering
Often called âmini petunias,â Calibrachoa tumble vigorously and bloom profusely from spring to frost.
10. English Ivy (Hedera helix)
- Sun: Shade to partial sun
- Hardiness Zones: 4â9
- Features: Evergreen, trailing stems, classic foliage
This versatile, easy-care spiller is perfect for year-round structure in shade containers or as an indoor hanging plant.
11. Dichondra âSilver Fallsâ
- Sun: Full sun
- Hardiness Zones: 8â11
- Features: Silvery foliage, drought-tolerant
Known for its silvery, fan-shaped leaves, âSilver Fallsâ brings elegant shimmering cascades to any pot, thriving even in hot, dry spots.
12. Trailing Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
- Sun: Indirect light (indoors)
- Hardiness Zones: 10â12 (indoors elsewhere)
- Features: Easy indoor care, air-purifying
Pothos are famous for trailing gracefully in low-light indoor spaces. Their heart-shaped leaves are green or variegated, requiring minimal attention.
13. Tradescantia (Spiderwort, Inch Plant)
- Sun: Bright, indirect light to light shade
- Hardiness Zones: 9â12 (grown as houseplant farther north)
- Features: Colorful, striped or purple foliage
Tradescantia vines add a splash of magenta, silver, or purple to indoor pots or shaded balconies, and root easily from cuttings.
14. Busy Lizzie (Impatiens walleriana)
- Sun: Shade to partial shade
- Hardiness Zones: 10â11 (annual outside)
- Features: Bright, non-stop blooms, disease-resistant varieties
Vigorous, space-filling annuals that spill gentlyâideal for shaded tubs and baskets where dazzling colors matter.
15. Lysimachia âAureaâ
- Sun: Full sun to partial shade
- Hardiness Zones: 3â9
- Features: Gold-leafed trailing stems, fast-spreading
Softer and more golden than classic Creeping Jenny, this cultivar provides cheerful color as it spills rapidly in pots.
16. Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
- Sun: Full sun
- Hardiness Zones: 2â11 (grown as annual)
- Features: Vibrant edible flowers, round leaves
Bright round leaves and jewel-toned edible blooms trail beguilingly; perfect for kitchen gardens or whimsical containers.
17. Sedum morganianum (Burroâs Tail)
- Sun: Bright light
- Hardiness Zones: 10â11
- Features: Plump gray-green leaves, drought-tolerant
This succulent forms dramatic trails of bead-like leaves and thrives in hanging pots with well-draining soil.
18. Muehlenbeckia (Wire Vine)
- Sun: Full sun to partial shade
- Hardiness Zones: 6â9
- Features: Tiny round foliage on wiry stems
Fine-textured trailing stems with miniature leaves add a whimsical, airy touch to containers and small hanging baskets.
19. Golden Moneywort
- Sun: Sun to part shade
- Hardiness Zones: 3â9
- Features: Golden foliage, spills densely
This vivid trailing plant hugs container edges tightly, providing dense, golden drapery for long seasons.
20. Fuchsia
- Sun: Partial shade
- Hardiness Zones: 9â11 (annual elsewhere)
- Features: Dramatic, pendulous flowers
Combines dramatic, hanging blossoms with trailing stems. Fuchsia is a favorite for shaded porches and hanging baskets.
21. Creeping Zinnia (Sanvitallia procumbens)
- Sun: Full sun
- Hardiness Zones: 4â9
- Features: Miniature yellow âzinniaâ blooms all summer
Daisy-like flowers trail modestly, ideal for bright baskets where compact growth is desired.
Tips for Arranging Trailing Plants in Pots
- Balance heights: Place tall âthrillersâ in the center or back, surround with âfillers,â and tuck trailing âspillersâ close to the edge.
- Layer textures: Mix bold foliage (e.g., sweet potato vine) with fine-textured trailers (e.g., Muehlenbeckia).
- Choose contrasting or complementary colors: Pair golden Creeping Jenny with purple petunias for dramatic color impact.
- Plant close together: In containers, you can space plants more closely than in garden beds for an instant full look.
- Prepare for growth: Select a pot deep enough to support roots and broad enough for trailing stems to drape freely.
- Check sun requirements: Match the light needs of all plants sharing a pot for maximum vigor.
How to Care for Trailing Plants in Containers
- Water Regularly: Most container-grown plants need more frequent watering than those in the ground. Trailing plants with lush foliage, like bacopa or sweet potato vine, typically require consistently moist soil.
- Feed Often: Use a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer every couple of weeks during the active season. Flower-heavy trailers like petunia and verbena benefit from regular feeding.
- Prune and Deadhead: Pinch back leggy stems and remove faded blooms to encourage branching and prolonged flowering.
- Winter Protection: Many trailing container plants are tender perennials. Either bring pots indoors before frost or propagate new cuttings to overwinter inside as houseplants.
Sample Container Combinations Featuring Trailing Plants
| Thriller | Filler | Spiller (Trailing Plant) |
|---|---|---|
| Coleus | Calibrachoa | Sweet Potato Vine |
| Geranium | Lantana | Creeping Jenny |
| Dwarf Papyrus | Agastache | Creeping Zinnia |
| Ornamental Grass | Verbena | Bacopa |
| Mandevilla | Plectranthus | Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’ |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Can trailing plants grow indoors?
A: Yes. Many trailing plants, such as pothos, string of pearls, and tradescantia, thrive indoors with bright, indirect light and proper moisture.
Q: How do I keep my trailing plants from looking scraggly?
A: Regular pruning or pinching back of stems, removing spent flowers, and promoting branching keeps container-grown trailers thick and healthy.
Q: Which trailing plants are best for sunny locations?
A: Excellent choices for full sun include sweet potato vine, dichondra ‘Silver Falls’, creeping zinnia, verbena, and calibrachoa.
Q: Whatâs the difference between annual and perennial trailers?
A: Annuals bloom for one season and die with frost, while perennials survive for several years if given ideal climates or brought indoors in winter.
Q: Are there shade-loving trailing plants?
A: Definitely. Ivy, busy lizzies (impatiens), and tradescantia all trail beautifully in shade or dappled light conditions.
Final Thoughts
Adding trailing plants to your pots, hanging baskets, or containers invites dynamic beauty, layered color, and an air of effortless abundance to any garden setting. There is a trailing plant for every light condition and design style, from bright succulents for sunny spots to lush vines for shaded patios. Mix and match these top picks to craft stunning container displays year-roundâand let your garden spill over with creativity and charm!
References
- https://www.epicgardening.com/trailing-plants-pots/
- https://tedsgardens.com/the-8-best-trailing-plants-for-container-gardens/
- https://diygardening.co.uk/ideas/best-trailing-plants/
- https://plaidsandpoppies.com/thriving-in-pots-8-tips-for-successful-container-gardening/
- https://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/container-gardening-guide
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