10 Best Plants for a Winter Hanging Basket

Love the look of your hanging basket and wish you could keep something up all year? As colder temperatures arrive in winter, some of the most popular hanging basket plants will die back as they’re either a summer annual or they’re not winter hardy.

If you’re looking to create a winter hanging basket, we’ve put together a list of winter hardy plants that will survive, and also thrive, through the winter months.

I’ve always thought that surrounding yourself with lush foliage and plants is a great way to stave off the winter blues. When your other plants have lost their leaves, a hanging basket or container filled with lush foliage can be a vital connection to nature.

These plants are perfect for filling out winter hanging baskets and any containers or planters that you want to fill with evergreen foliage and color. They’re tolerant of winter conditions. But can still provide a lush and attractive-looking display.

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Best plants to put in a hanging basket for winter

From evergreen trailing foliage plants to colorful flowers, look out for these plants at your local nursery to create a beautiful winter hanging basket.

For each plant, I’ve also listed their ideal growing zones so you know if it’ll survive a winter in your region.

1. Stonecrops (Sedum)

These cold hardy succulents are perfect for providing a little trailing foliage and color in a winter hanging basket. They’re amazing, low-maintenance plants that look great year-round.

Not all stonecrops are winter hardy, so check the label or description of a plant before buying to make sure it can handle the temperatures you usually experience in winter.

Stonecrops are also great for creating a container rock garden that will stay evergreen year-round.

USDA zones: 4-9 (depending on the variety)

2. Winter Violas and Pansies

Violas and pansies are popular plants for hanging baskets, but there are winter-hardy varieties too! While they look like a delicate summer annual, winter flowering violas are actually incredibly hardy. Many varieties will survive light frost or snowfall and will often flower from fall right through until Spring.

USDA zones: 3-8

3. English Ivy 

A trailing, evergreen classic, a hanging basket wouldn’t be complete without a little trailing foliage, and ivy is perfect.

You can find lots of different ivy varieties in different shades of green and variegation patterns. Most species are winter hardy, so it’s the best evergreen plants for trailing foliage in a winter hanging basket. It’s also one of the best low-maintenance evergreen climbers that can provide privacy or simply lush foliage year-round.

USDA zones: 4-11 (depending on variety)

4. Heather (Calluna)

A small, upright shrub that can bring warm fiery colors to a winter hanging basket or container. It works well at the center of a hanging basket, to provide color and texture. It’s also one of the most colorful plants that flower in winter.

Native to Northern climates and high altitudes, heather is hardy and a perfect plant for a winter hanging basket or planter. Because of its small size, it’s also a popular evergreen plant for balconies and small gardens.

USDA zones: 4-8

5. Cyclamens 

As a late winter flower, don’t expect them to bloom right through the winter. However, adding a few cyclamen bulbs among heather or other plants on this list will guarantee a beautiful basket as late winter rolls around.

Cyclamns are shade loving plants that thrive in shady locations, so they work well if your garden doesn’t receive much sunlight.

USDA zones: 5-8

6. Evergreen Ferns 

Evergreen ferns can add a lush, fullness to a winter hanging basket, especially as their long, loose foliage can hang over the edge. Like cyclamens, ferns are shade loving plants that are perfect for shady gardens.

Not all ferns are evergreen or winter hardy, so make sure you check the label before buying. The Hart’s Tongue Fern (Asplenium scolopendrium) and Deer Fern (Blechnum spicant) should both tolerate winter conditions and stay evergreen.

USDA zones: 5-9 (depending on the variety)

7. Dwarf Conifers 

There are some gorgeous and incredibly tiny dwarf conifers that can add vibrant foliage and soft textures to a winter hanging basket. As they’re so slow-growing, most dwarf conifer species can stay in a hanging basket for a few years.

Juniperus squamata ‘Holger’ (Flaky Juniper Holger) would work well as a filler plant as it produces long sprays that will hang over the edge of a hanging basket. It also has gorgeous blue-toned foliage, which creates a lovely frosty/winter look!

If you live in areas with exceptionally harsh winters (zones 3-5), a mix of English ivy and hardy dwarf conifers is usually your best bet!

USDA zones: 3-9 (depending on the variety)

8. Coral Bells (Heuchera)

If your area usually experiences relatively mild winters, Coral Bells can be a colorful addition to a winter hanging basket. In colder areas, the leaves will begin to die back, but in warmer areas, they’ll stay evergreen.

If you leave your hanging basket up year-round, you’ll be treated to a display of flowers in the summer! Though really it’s the vibrant foliage that usually draws people to Coral Bells. You can find some varieties with purple leaves and other heuchera plants with silver leaves. They’re one of the most popular colorful plants for a shady garden.

USDA zones: 4-9 (not usually evergreen in zones 8 and below)

9. Creeping Jenny 

Another very popular hanging basket plant that can also survive mild winters. The golden green color of Creeping Jenny is great for bringing warmth to a winter hanging basket or planter display.

While it’s hardier than coral bells, Creeping Jenny is a herbaceous perennial in areas with very cold winters. This means that in USDA zones 7 and below it will likely die back.

USDA zones: 4-9 (not usually evergreen in zones 7 and below)

10. Saxifraga 

These winter hardy alpines are perfect for bringing delicate, filler foliage to a winter hanging basket. They produce delicate flowers through the summer too that will often stay well into autumn.

Some varieties lose their foliage in winter, so make sure you choose an evergreen Saxifraga variety. Like Stonecrops, Saxifraga is also a great plant to choose if you’re creating a container rock garden too.

USDA zones: 6-9

How to look after your winter hanging basket

Help your winter hanging basket thrive with these top tips! From unexpected weather to choosing the right soil…

• Make sure you choose the correct compost. Heathers and alpines like saxifraga and sedum tend to prefer more acidic soil. So an ericaceous compost is best for them. You can add handfuls of different composts if you’re mixing different plants together in your hanging basket.
• Ensure your hanging basket is secure during stormy weather. The last thing you want is your hanging basket or planter flying off your balcony or crashing onto the porch.
• If you’re expecting any out-of-the-ordinary weather for your zone (e.g. a week of exceptionally freezing temperatures). It might be worth protecting your hanging basket or container with a fleece or other protective cover, like this winter protection cover from Amazon.
• Keep your plants watered in dry periods, but don’t overwater.