20 Flowering Plants to Make any Balcony Beautiful

Author
Anna Beck

24.06.2023

Some plants are perfect for growing in pots on balconies and terraces. Here are some of our favorites

The balcony environment is suitable for adaptable plants that grow quickly and bloom beautifully for a long time. Because of these specific requirements, most balcony plants are vigorously flowering annuals that can quickly brighten up any space.

Balcony flowers can be grown on a windowsill, in hanging baskets or in conventional standing containers. However, it’s still important to know which species are suited for a bright, sunny balcony and which balcony plants are suitable for shaded sites. You can also combine these plants to take advantage of different flowering periods so that you can enjoy blooms all season long.

Here are the most beautiful balcony flowers that are easy to grow and will bloom beautifully in small spaces like balconies and terraces.

Flowering plants for sunny balconies

1. Petunia

Plant type: sun-loving annual

Light: sunny location

Water: the soil should stay moist but not soggy. More regular watering is needed during a prolonged period without rainfal and during heat waves

Flowering period: from aerly summer to fall

Petunias are one of the most popular balcony annuals thanks to their beautiful colorful flowers that spread their delicate scent at night. When given nutritious soil and plenty of sun, petunias grow quickly in any pot. These balcony plants are relatively drought and heat tolerant, but require regular watering when grown in pots. Like other balcony annuals, petunias benefit from cutting back faded flowers to encourage them to re-bloom. Cutting back petunias is advisable in mid-summer when they start to look overgrown and wilted. Petunias are particularly suited for container growing as they are trailing plants that quickly reach the flowering stage. Various petunia varieties bloom in shades of purple, pink, red and white.

2. Hardy geranium Geranium

Plant type: sun-loving annual

Light: full sun

Water: good drought tolerance. regular watering is needed during a prolonged period without rainfal and during heat waves

Flowering period: from spring to fall

Geraniums are considered among the ideal balcony plants. They are very easy to grow and can quickly reward you with bright, colorful flowers in shades of pink, red, purple or white in a variety of shapes. They’re available in both trailing and upright varieties, and can be annuals or perennials. They require plenty of direct, intense sun and occasional watering in order to bloom. Spent flowers should be cut back to encourage more flowering.

3. Mums Chrysanthemum

Plant type: annual or perennial

Light: sunny location

Water: the soil should stay moist but not soggy. More regular watering is needed during a prolonged period without rainfal and during heat waves

Flowering period: from summer to late fall

Mums are among the most popular flowers worldwide and can also be used as balcony plants. Chrysanthemums can also be grown as perennials, but they are mostly treated as annuals on the balcony. They are renowned for their resistance to mild frosts, which do not prevent them from continuing to flower until late autumn. Mums are easy to grow and can be mastered even by beginners. Their maintenance is limited to pruning off spent flowers to encourage new blooms.

4. Zinnia

Plant type: sun-loving annual

Light: sunny site

Water: the soil should stay moist but not soggy. Regular watering is needed during a prolonged period without rainfal and during heat waves

Flowering period: from summer to fall

Zinnias are also among the ideal balcony annuals. Their beautiful, rich flowers in shades of white, green, yellow, red and purple will brighten up any balcony and are known to attract butterflies. There are many species of this annual, but perhaps the best known is Zinnia elegans. Zinnias are one of the easiest balcony plants, as they grow quickly and flower profusely. All they need is nutritious soil, a sunny location and regular watering. Cut back spent flowers to encourage new blooms.

5. Verbena

Plant type: sun-loving annual or perennial

Light: full sun

Water: good drought tolerance. regular watering is needed during a prolonged period without rainfal and during heat waves

Flowering period: from spring to late fall

Verbena is an ideal plant for growing on windowsills or in hanging pots. These trailing flowers will brighten up any balcony or terrace with countless clusters of blooms throughout the season. All it needs is well-drained soil and a sunny location in order to thrive. Verbena is also drought-resistant, so it is often used as a rockery plant. This plant is available in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. It benefits from regular pruning of spent flowers, which initiates new growth and flowering.

6. Mandevilla

Plant type: sun-loving annual

Light: sunny location (at least 6 hours of direct sunlight)

Water: the soil should stay moist but not soggy. Regular watering is needed.

Flowering period: from summer until first frost

Mandevilla is another popular balcony plant. This annual is known for producing a flood of trumpet-shaped flowers in shades of white and red. Mandevilla is also one of those plants that can cope very well with direct sun and heat. This climbing plant is an ideal choice for hanging baskets or for growing with a support for the plant to climb on.

7. Marigold Tagetes

Plant type: sun-loving annual

Light: full sun

Water: the soil should stay moist but not soggy. Regular watering is needed during a prolonged period without rainfal and during heat waves

Flowering period: from spring to fall

There are only a few other balcony annuals that are as easy to grow and yet bloom as profusely as marigolds. These balcony or terrace flowers will beautify your home with their palette of gold and copper all season long. Marigolds need almost no maintenance and will also repel pests away from other balcony plant species. To encourage new flowering it is recommended to cut back spent flowers.

8. Johnny-jump-up Viola tricolor

Plant type: flowering annual

Light: sunny to semi-shaded location

Water: the soil should stay moist but not soggy. Regular watering is needed.

Flowering period: from spring to fall

Johnny-jump-ups offer an endless variety of flower colors and a long flowering period. That makes it a popular flower for balconies or patios, distinguished by their delicate fragrance, velvety shine and unique appearance. Johnny-jump-ups are very easy to grow in a pot. They thrive in nutritious soils and sunny locations, but cannot tolerate too much heat. In hot weather, they should be moved to a semi-shaded location. On the other hand, viola tricolor flowers can survive even mild frosts. The only maintenance they need is pruning off spent flowers to encourage new blooms.

9. Pinks Dianthus

Plant type: annual or perennial

Light: full sun

Water: the soil should stay moist but not soggy. Regular watering is needed.

Flowering period: from late spring to fall

Pinks are the ideal flowers for balconies or terraces. They are very easy to grow and can be combined with other flowers in containers. These annuals do well in pots as long as they have nutritious soil and regular watering. They will quickly give you a flood of colorful flowers in shades of white, red, pink and sometimes yellow. In addition, pinks produce a lovely spicy fragrance. Creeping varieties of dianthus are more suitable for balcony growing.

10. Creeping zinnia Sanvitalia

Plant type: sun-loving annual

Light: full sun

Water: good drought tolerance. Regular watering is needed during a prolonged period without rainfal and during heat waves

Flowering period: from summer to fall

Another plant species that’s well-suited for a sunny balcony is creeping zinnia, which attracts attention with its beautiful blooms reminiscent of small sunflowers. It resists both heat and drought very well, making it an excellent candidate for a balcony that gets sun all day long.

11. Lantana

Plant type: evergreen perennial in no-frost climates/otherwise grown as annual

Light: sunny to semi-shaded location

Water: geraniums grown in pots require regular watering

Flowering period: from May to October

Lantana is known for the beauty of its colorful flowers in shades of red, yellow and white. This hardy plant tolerates heat well, and the more sunlight it receives, the more it will flower.

12. Geranium Pelargonium

Plant type: evergreen perennial in no-frost climates/otherwise grown as annual

Light: sunny to semi-shaded location

Water: geraniums grown in pots require regular watering

Flowering period: from May to October

Geraniums are popular decorative plants mostly grown as balcony flowers, but they can also be used in gardens or as houseplants. To thrive, geraniums need frost-free conditions, along with plenty of light and moisture.

13. Pentas

Plant type: sun-loving annual

Light: full sun

Water: the soil should stay moist but not soggy. Regular watering is needed.

Flowering period: summer

Pentas are attractive flowers for sunny balconies and terraces thanks to their heat resistance and beautiful flowering. Pentas are particularly well known for their colorful star-shaped inflorescences. These sun-loving annuals attract pollinators, including bees, so they are also useful.

14. Leadwort Plumbago

Plant type: sun-loving perennial

Light: full sun

Water: the soil should stay moist but not soggy. Regular watering is needed.

Flowering period: from early summer to fall

Perennials can also adorn balconies and terraces that are exposed to all-day sun. One heat-resistant perennial is leadwort, which stands out with a flood of beautiful bluish inflorescences. This shrubby perennial can be grown in pots, cut back after the season, stored in the garage or basement for frost protection and then brought back out to bring joy again the following season.

15. Moss rose Portulaca

Plant type: sun-loving annual

Light: full sun

Water: good drought tolerance. Regular watering is needed during a prolonged period without rainfal and during heat waves

Flowering period: from early summer until first frost

If you're looking for colorful flowers that can handle direct sun even on the hottest days, moss rose is the perfect annual plant for your sunny balcony or terrace. The leaves of moss rose resemble needles and create a striking contrast with the bright-colored flowers. These balcony plants are also quite drought tolerant, so they don't need to be watered as often, a big benefit in hot sunny weather.

Flowering plants for shady balconies

16. Impatiens

Plant type: shade-loving annual

Light: shaded to semi-shaded site

Water: the soil should stay moist but not soggy. Regular watering is needed.

Flowering period: from spring to fall

Impatiens are one of a few annuals that prefer shady balconies or terraces. These shade-loving balcony plants are very easy to grow in containers. They produce bright, distinctive flowers that bloom all season long and work well in a variety of colors or in combination with other shade-loving plants. Impatiens only need a few hours of indirect light to flower.

17. Fuchsia

Plant type: shade-loving perennial

Light: semi-shaded location

Water: the soil should stay moist but not soggy. Regular watering is needed.

Flowering period: from summer to fall

Beautifully blooming fuchsias hanging from pots and swaying in the breeze are a great choice to decorate any balcony or terrace. These perennials are also known for their diversity, as there are hundreds of varieties in different shapes, sizes and colors. Fuchsias require regular watering and fertilizing to bloom profusely. They are best suited to semi-shaded balconies, as too much sun and heat could cause them to lose their flowers. Fuchsias also benefit from deadheading.

18. Begonia

Plant type: semi-shade-loving perennial

Light: semi-shaded site

Water: the soil should stay moist but not soggy. Regular watering is needed.

Flowering period: from late spring to fall

Begonias can also be used as balcony flowers. These perennials are available in many varieties of different shapes and colors, and the plants are interesting not only for their flowers but also for their beautiful thick leaves. Begonias are ideal plants for semi-shaded balconies and terraces, as they thrive with indirect diffused light, though they will not flower in full shade. Begonias require nutritious soil and regular watering.

19. Sweet Alyssum Lobularia maritima

Plant type: partial shade-loving perennial

Light: partial shade

Water: the soil should stay moist but not soggy. Regular watering is needed.

Flowering period: from spring to fall

Sweet alyssum creates a colorful carpet of tiny flowers that you can use to decorate your partially shaded balconies and terraces. Besides its traditional white flowers, alyssum is also available in shades of purple, pink and orange.

20. Lobelia

Plant type: semi-shade-loving perennial

Light: sunny to semi-shaded location

Water: the soil should stay moist but not soggy. Regular watering is needed.

Flowering period: from early spring until first frost

This beautiful balcony annual is very easy to grow and requires almost no maintenance. Lobelia blooms with dense flowers in shades of white, blue and pink which need to be cut back after flowering to encourage new blooms. Lobelia likes a sunny site, but will do better in partial shade if temperatures are too high. The trailing varieties of these annuals are particularly suitable for growing in pots.

There are many other types of balcony plants that we have not mentioned in our selection but are noteworthy as well: morning glory (ipomoea), bidens, treasure flower (gazania), heliotrope (heliotropium), floss flower (ageratum), coleus, bellflower (campanula), celosia and many others. A variety of culinary herbs are also a natural addition to a terrace or balcony. Herbs such as lavender, sage, rosemary, basil, thyme, lemon balm and others make the whole space smell nice and visually complement other balcony flowers.