A container garden looks especially lovely when flowers spill over the sides of pots, window boxes, and hanging baskets. These trailing plants add extra layers of color, fill empty spaces, and give even a plain planter a fuller appearance.

They’re a great choice for decorating a front porch, adding flowers to a balcony, or bringing more color to a patio. Some prefer full sun, while others do well in shadier spots, so there are plenty of options for different parts of your yard.

Here are 15 cascading flowers and trailing plants that can keep your containers full of color throughout the growing season.

Petunias (Petunia × hybrida)

Petunias are a longtime favorite for hanging baskets and containers because they come in so many colors and produce plenty of flowers. Their stems spread and trail over the edges of planters, with blooms lasting from spring until frost.

Million Bells (Calibrachoa)

Often called mini petunias, million bells produce masses of small flowers that cover their trailing stems. They’re especially pretty in hanging baskets, where the branches can spill as much as two feet over the sides.

Bacopa (Sutera cordata)

Bacopa has small white, pink, or lavender flowers that grow along delicate trailing stems. Its softer appearance works well alongside larger, brighter flowers in mixed containers.

Lobelia (Lobelia erinus)

Lobelia produces masses of blue, purple, or white flowers that hang over the edges of pots and baskets. It does especially well in spring and can continue flowering into summer in areas with milder temperatures.

Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)

Sweet alyssum has clusters of tiny flowers that create a soft, trailing effect as they grow over the sides of containers. Its sweet, honey-like scent also attracts pollinators, making it a lovely addition to a porch or patio.

Ivy Geranium (Pelargonium peltatum)

Ivy geraniums have glossy leaves and clusters of colorful flowers that look beautiful spilling from window boxes and hanging baskets. They bloom for a long stretch of the growing season and are a good choice for sunny outdoor spaces.

Trailing Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)

Trailing nasturtiums bring a relaxed cottage-garden look to containers with flowers in yellow, orange, and red. Their leaves and flowers are edible, too, and can add a colorful touch to salads.

Fuchsia (Fuchsia spp.)

Fuchsia flowers hang from the stems like little lanterns, with blooms in pink, red, purple, and white. These plants do well in shaded containers, where their unusual flowers can be enjoyed up close.

Verbena (Verbena spp.)

Verbena produces rounded clusters of colorful flowers along stems that spread and trail over container edges. Its tolerance for heat and long flowering season make it a popular choice for sunny patios and hanging baskets.

Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)

Creeping Jenny is grown mainly for its bright foliage rather than its flowers. Its chartreuse leaves tumble over the sides of pots, adding a splash of color that looks especially good beside flowering plants.

Trailing Pansies (Viola × wittrockiana)

Trailing pansies bring plenty of color to spring and fall containers, when many summer flowers have finished blooming. Their spreading growth fills out baskets and pots, while their cheerful flowers soften the edges.

Dichondra Silver Falls (Dichondra argentea)

Silver Falls is known for its silvery leaves and long trailing stems, which can spill several feet from a container. The foliage creates a lovely contrast with brightly colored flowers in mixed planters.

Fan Flower (Scaevola aemula)

Fan flower gets its name from its unusual blooms, which have a shape similar to a small hand fan. It keeps flowering through hot summer weather, and its trailing growth makes it a useful addition to mixed containers.

Trailing Snapdragon (Asarina scandens)

Trailing snapdragons produce delicate, trumpet-shaped flowers along stems that weave through hanging baskets and tall planters. Their combination of trailing and climbing growth adds height and movement to container displays.

Bidens (Bidens ferulifolia)

Bidens bring sunny yellow flowers to containers and continue blooming throughout the growing season. Their fast-growing stems spread over basket edges, creating a full display that also attracts butterflies and other pollinators.