Keep Flower Baskets Full & Lush With A Trailing Plant That Can Take The Heat

Flower baskets are synonymous with the spring and summer, providing a colorful backdrop as warmer temperatures and longer days bring people outside. At the same time, the rising temperatures mean we need to more closely monitor our plants. Too much sun quickly dries out the soil and turns our once-lush floral display into a faded, wilted eyesore.

Thankfully, there are plenty of options that are heat-tolerant, easy to grow, and work well in flower baskets. By choosing the right plant for a hanging basket that is in full sun, you can be a little less vigilant with the watering can — and spend more time enjoying summertime in your backyard. Impatiens, petunias, and begonias are popular choices for baskets, but consider swapping in the less expected sun-worshipping trailing ice plant (Lampranthus spectabilis). It is grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 through 10, and Heat Zones 8 through 12. If you're unfamiliar with Heat Zones, this means that the trailing ice plant can tolerate more than 210 days in temperatures above 86 degrees Fahrenheit. 

There are multiple ice plant types, with many of them typically being grown as a ground cover and varying in size, so make sure you're choosing the right one. This particular variety works well in a hanging basket because of its petite size. Its spring blooms measure about 2 inches across and max out at 12 inches high. This succulent will stand out in a flower basket with its slender, bold-colored petals in magenta, bright pink, red, or purple. The blooms are complemented by a tiny yellow center and narrow, fleshy green leaves.

Although these trailing ice plants are low-maintenance, they still have preferences that we need to consider when planting and caring for them. The plant, native to southern Africa, needs a growing environment that mimics the desert. Give it soil that drains well, but otherwise, it's not picky. In fact, it can survive (though likely not thrive) in nutrient-deficient soil. Putting it in a succulent potting mix is perfect, but if you only have general potting mix, add peat moss, perlite, or coarse sand to ensure that the soil is well-draining.

The material of the hanging basket also makes a difference. Coco fiber and moss baskets dry out faster than plastic, ceramic, and terra cotta, giving the plant the arid environment that it favors. Regardless of your soil choice, remember that the plant does not like wet soil. Let it dry out between wateringsand water it sparingly, even during the growing season.

Planting only trailing ice plants will give you a full, dazzling hanging basket, but if you want variety, select plants that share the ice plant's ideal growing conditions. Lantana (Lantana camera), a top pick for baskets, feature round clusters of tiny blooms in yellow, orange, and red. Like the ice plant, lantanas love full sun and well-drained soil. The feather or plumed celosia (Celosia plumosa) is another suitable companion, complementing the trailing ice plant with its brilliant colors and upright, wispy, flame-like shape.