For continuous color in the landscape, few plants rival verbena. This low-maintenance annual or perennial needs little supplemental care, yet rewards with months of bloom.
There are many happy colors of verbena flowers, such as red, pink, apricot, lavender, purple, blue, white, and bicolor. Plants that grow in mounds, trails, or straight up have clusters of small star-shaped flowers that go with their green lance-shaped leaves with finely toothed edges.
Use verbenas in containers, hanging baskets, borders or mass plantings. This hardy plant can handle different soils, heat, and drought, and is very attractive to butterflies and other insect pollinators. Most are grown as annuals, but some common types are hardy in USDA zones 7-11.
When it comes to choosing plants for hanging baskets trailing verbenas are one of the best options. With their vigorous growth habit and nonstop flowering these beautiful plants will spill attractively over the sides of your hanging baskets, creating stunning displays of color.
In this guide, you’ll learn all about growing trailing verbenas in hanging baskets how to select the right varieties, proper care and maintenance, design ideas, and handy growing tips for success
Why Trailing Verbena Excels in Hanging Baskets
Also called trailing vervain, trailing verbena refers to any cascading or weeping verbena plant in the Verbena genus. Most commonly, it applies to certain varieties of garden verbena (Verbena x hybrida).
Thanks to their spreading growth habit, trailing verbenas are ideal for planting in hanging baskets and containers. Benefits include:
- Cascading stems spread up to 3 feet long.
- Continuous flowering from late spring to fall.
- Withstand heat, drought, humidity once established.
- Flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
- Range of flower colors like purple, pink, red, white.
- Fragrant foliage.
- Can be grown as annuals or short-lived perennials.
When allowed to flow freely out of a hanging basket, trailing verbena creates a beautiful floral effect perfect for decorating patios, porches, balconies and more.
Selecting the Best Trailing Verbena Varieties
There are many lovely varieties of trailing verbena to choose from. Some top picks include:
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Superbena® Trailing Red Verbena: Vibrant red blooms on vigorously spreading plants. Grows 10-12 inches tall.
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Superbena® Trailing Pink Verbena: Prolific bright pink flowers on mounding, spreading plants. Height 10-12 inches.
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Superbena® Trailing White Verbena: Masses of snowy white blooms on plants that get 14 inches tall and 36 inches wide.
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TapienTM Violet Blue Verbena: Intense violet-blue flowers on trailing plants. Grows to 14 inches tall.
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Lanai® Upright Pink Verbena: Sturdy, upright pink blooms. Height 15 inches. Nice combined with trailers.
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Superbena® Peachy Keen Verbena: Peach-apricot blooms on prolific, mounding plants that spread to 24 inches wide. Height 12 inches.
How to Care for Trailing Verbena in Hanging Baskets
Trailing verbenas planted in hanging baskets require some simple care to enable them to thrive. Follow these tips:
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Sunlight: Grow in full sun for the most flowers. Provide at least 6 hours of direct sun daily.
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Soil: Use a high quality, well-draining potting mix. Make sure the basket has drainage holes.
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Water: Keep soil moist, watering when the top inch becomes dry. Don’t let plants wilt.
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Fertilizer: Feed every 2 weeks with a water soluble fertilizer like Jack’s All Purpose 20-20-20.
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Temperature: Prefers warm weather 70-90°F. Bring baskets indoors if temperatures dip below 50°F.
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Pruning: Pinching back leggy growth encourages fullness. Deadhead spent blooms.
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Pests & Disease: Mostly pest-free but watch for aphids and whiteflies. Avoid overhead watering which can cause powdery mildew.
Tips for Planting Trailing Verbena in Hanging Baskets
Follow this advice when planting up your trailing verbena hanging baskets:
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Plant in spring after the last frost date when outdoor temperatures are reliably warm.
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Choose at least 3-5 verbena plants per basket depending on basket size. Plant them 8-12 inches apart.
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Set the root ball 1-2 inches below the rim so trailing growth spills over the edge.
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Surround with cool season annuals like lobelia and calibrachoa which can be removed later as temperatures warm.
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Adding a lightweight filler like peat moss around the root balls prevents soil from washing out.
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Insert a slow release fertilizer packet per directions into the soil to feed plants for 6-8 weeks.
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Make sure basket has drainage holes before planting and hangs where it can receive sufficient rainfall or watering.
Eye-Catching Hanging Basket Combinations with Trailing Verbena
Trailing verbenas pair beautifully with other plants. Combining different colors, textures and plant forms creates attractive, cascading hanging basket displays.
Complimentary Colors: Trailing Red Verbena, Supertunia® Royal Velvet® Petunia, Whirlwind® Pink Scaevola
Contrasting Colors: Trailing White Verbena, Serena® Purple Angelonia, HoneycombTM Yellow Bacopa
Multi-Color: Trailing Red Verbena, Mini VistaTM Pink Fuschia Bubblegum® Supertunia®, Vista® Snowdrift Bacopa
Sunset Colors: Trailing Peachy Keen Verbena, MesaTM Light Yellow Gaillardia, Rockapulco® Orange Impatiens
Blue & White: Trailing Violet Blue Verbena, Superbells® White Calibrachoa, Little Lucky® White Bacopa
FAQs about Growing Trailing Verbena in Hanging Baskets
What is the best trailing verbena for hanging baskets?
Some top choices are Superbena® Trailing Purple Verbena, TapienTM Violet Blue, and Superbena® Trailing White Verbena. All cascade beautifully over basket edges.
Where should I hang a verbena hanging basket?
Place verbena hanging baskets where they can receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily and are protected from strong winds. Near a patio or entryway where they can be easily viewed and watered is ideal.
How often do you water verbena hanging baskets?
Check soil daily, watering whenever the top 1-2 inches become dry. Water thoroughly so that excess drains from the bottom. Trailing plants in hanging baskets may need watering daily during hot, dry weather.
What is eating holes in the leaves of my hanging verbena?
Caterpillars are often the culprits behind chewed leaves on verbena. Check for green caterpillars or dark frass droppings. Remove any you find daily by hand or use natural Bt spray for heavy infestations.
How do I overwinter verbena in hanging baskets?
Trailing verbenas are not hardy below 50°F. In frost free climates, trim plants back in late fall and allow to overwinter outside. Protect from freezing. Or take cuttings to propagate new plants next spring.
With their endless flower production and graceful trailing effect, it’s easy to see why verbenas are a perfect choice for hanging basket displays. Follow these tips and make this summer the most colorful yet by planting up verbena hanging baskets for your garden.
PLANTING & CARING FOR VERBENA
How to plant: Pick a spot that gets at least 6 to 8 hours of full sun a day and has good air flow. Follow these steps and space 12-18” apart, depending on the variety.
- Break up the soil in the planting area until it’s 6 to 12 inches deep.
- Take the plant out of its nursery pot and loosen its roots if they are stuck.
- Plant the seed so that the top of the root ball is level with the soil around it.
- Put soil back into the hole and lightly tamp it down to get rid of any air pockets.
- Water regularly until plants are established.
It grows best in soil that has been mixed with compost, but it can grow in a wide range of soils as long as they drain well. Compacted or clay soil can lead to root rot.
Watering: Verbena does best in moderately moist soil, but can tolerate some drought. Too much water can result in root rot or mildew. Provide regular water and allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Irrigate more frequently during prolonged heat or dry spells.
For the best flowering, follow the directions on a slow-release all-purpose fertilizer or use a water-soluble fertilizer once a month during the growing season. Learn more in this guide to fertilizing annual plants.
Pruning: Deadhead spent flowers. Trailing and groundcover types can be cut back several times during the growing season to make them flower and send out new growth. Cut back up to 1/4 of the stem length. Plants can be trimmed at any time if they outgrow their space.
Verbenas come in different types. Here are some of the most commonly grown:
Purpletop verbena (V. bonariensis), also known as tall verbena, is an upright form with purple flowers. Hardy in USDA zones 7-11, plants grow 3-6’ tall and 1-3’ wide. This plant’s open, airy shape makes it good for use as a background or structure. It attracts butterflies and other pollinating insects.
Garden verbena (V. x hybrida), with a mounding or trailing habit, is the type most commonly grown. Plants can reach 6-18” tall and 12-30” wide. Hardy in USDA zones 8-11, this tender perennial is most often treated as an annual. Dozens of varieties come in a range of flower colors. Popular for hanging baskets, window boxes, container gardens and landscape beds.
Tuberous verbena (V. rigida, which is also called slender vervain, can handle both high and low temperatures, which makes it a great plant for the deep south. Plant in well-drained soils in full sun. You can grow this tender perennial in USDA zones 7–10, but in cooler places you can treat it like an annual.
Does verbena need full sun?
This sun lover flowers best with at least 6-8 hours of direct sun every day. See more full-sun annuals.