In a world with so many types of plants, it can be hard to choose which ones to feature in your home. Sometimes it can even be hard to pick which type you want. There are small plants, large plants, spiky plants, delicate plants, plants that stick straight up into the air, and plants that hang down.
Today we’re going to be looking at the plants that hang down because within the genre of hanging plants, there are many intriguing options that could fit anyone’s tastes. They come in all shapes, sizes, and difficulty levels!
So let’s get into our selections for twenty of the best hanging plants you can have in your home.
Table of Contents
1. String of Pearls
The string of pearls plant, also known as the string of beads, is a great option to start off this list because it’s easily one of the most unique hanging plants out there. It cascades out of its pot with delicate tendrils, but these vines have peculiar, bead-shaped leaves attached to them.
Another feature that makes this houseplant such a good trailing variety is the fact that it grows quite quickly. A fully grown string of beads plants will end up being about 1 to 3 feet (0.3 to 0.9 meters) long. And the rate at which it grows is anywhere from 5 to 15 inches (12 to 38 centimeters) in a single year.
But because of its fast growth, you might need to prune it more often than some other plants. In every other way though, this variety is quite easy to take care of.
2. English Ivy
Unlike the previous suggestion, the English ivy can be a bit of a diva. Lighting, temperature, the right watering schedule, and more can all be very important in keeping your English ivy thriving. But it’s pros easily outweigh the extra bit of care you need to provide it with.
Firstly, this plant is extremely versatile and can be displayed in almost any way you’d like. You can have it as a trailing and hanging plant, or because of its woody vines that stick to most surfaces, you could even have it as a climber. If you’re interested in more climbing houseplants then check out this article.
And secondly, the English ivy actually has air purifying qualities! And although toxic in large enough doses, small doses of this plant could actually have medicinal properties for humans.
3. Donkey’s Tail
The donkey’s tail is also commonly referred to as the burro’s tail, and it’s a trendy option for those that want to have a plant with a popular aesthetic. The main thing that makes this houseplant do so well on social media is its light, almost pastel, green color.
It also has a very interesting texture, and will look totally different from other plants you may have displayed in your home. Just be sure not to overwater it though, because it is a succulent and doesn’t need much moisture to thrive.
4. Philodendron
You have plenty of trailing plant options in the philodendron genus, over 500 different varieties exist, and among them are options for hanging plants and even climbing ones. Furthermore, within all these different choices lie a lot of variation in terms of color, shape, and texture. So you’re sure to find a member of this genus to suit your tastes.
This plant is known for being quite hardy, so if you’re not confident in having a green thumb then this may just be the genus for you. In general, it’s hard to kill these plants and they can thrive even in less than optimal conditions.
Any variety of the philodendron will make for a beautiful trailing plant because of its waxy foliage, and tendency to stay a vibrant green all throughout the year.
5. Boston Fern
The Boston fern might not be the longest trailing plant on this list, but it’s droopy fronds definitely earn it the distinction of being a hanging plant. The lush leaves of this fern are sure to spruce up any area that you place the basket in, but beware, this plant can be a bit finicky.
Despite its reputation for being a bit temperamental though, this houseplant can actually live to be almost 100 years old if taken care of properly. So as long as you take the time to learn what it needs, this plant can grace your home for essentially as long as you want it to.
Additionally, this type of fern is great if you have small kids or pets because it’s non-toxic to humans and animals.
6. String of Nickels
The string of nickels plant needs a special type of care because it’s a tropical air plant. This means that in its natural environment it survives by attaching to trees and taking moisture and nutrients from the air around it. So for instance, indoors it needs to be misted often to replicate its original climate.
The vines of this plant can grow up to 10 feet (3 meters) long. For this reason, it should definitely be a contender if you’re looking for a hanging plant with a longer trail. It fits that bill entirely!
And many find that this variety’s ovular leaves, which attach to the vines, to be really aesthetically pleasing and great for photos!
7. Spider Plant
The spider plant varies quite a bit from the other sorts of hanging plants we’ve mentioned so far, the reason being that it has considerably different foliage. Rather than it being made of vines or circular leaves, this plant has long, pointy, arching leaves.
But despite its differences, the spider plant is a still a great hanging plant choice because the arching leaves do grow long enough to drape downwards. So it all just depends on what type of foliage looks the best to you.
When making your decision, keep in mind that an added bonus of the spider plant is its ability to adapt to most environments. This plant is seen as almost indestructible so it’s perfect for beginner gardeners.
8. Wandering Jew
The tradescantia, or as most people know it – the wandering jew plant, is popular because it’s a variety that actually flowers all year long. Even if it’s grown indoors. This is fairly uncommon, as most plants have difficulty blooming outside of their native habitat.
This is stunning as a trailing plant due to the fact that the foliage can be so thick. But if you want that hanging plant look bushy then you might have to help it along by pruning it frequently. If you do so, then you’ll be rewarded with dense, lush greenery.
And if you’re liking the look of your tradescantia then it’s a really easy plant to propagate and make more of. It responds to a variety of propagation methods, and can be grown from cuttings or leaflets depending on your preference.
9. Chenille Plant
The chenille plant could be an interesting option for you if you’d like to make a statement with your houseplants. It isn’t necessarily a popular plant, and it’s even less popular as a houseplant. So it would be a fairly unique option.
The foliage of the chenille plant isn’t too crazy, but the blooms of this variety is really where you start to see a difference between it and most houseplants. The red flowers resemble a cat tail in some ways, they’re very fluffy and full. There truly aren’t other blooms like them.
10. Hoya
The wax vine is also known as the hoya, and refers to an entire genus of houseplants that are known to be great hanging plants. And there are a lot of different variations to choose from depending on your preferred look of foliage.
One great thing about this genus is that each variety are evergreens, which means that they’ll stay a lovely green color all year around.
The wax vine is a tropical succulent, so you should adhere to the care that those types of plants need. But if you take proper care of this hanging plant then you could be looking at a lifespan of 10 to 15 years!
11. Christmas Cactus
The idea of a cactus appropriate for Christmas might seem a bit strange, but this houseplant lives up to its name by blooming during the winter. So when other plants are dormant for a season, this cactus is still producing its red flowers.
And not only can you let the Christmas cactus hang down, but it’s actually suggested that you do because it will end up growing more stems that way. This makes for a very interesting hanging plant since, as you can tell from this list, hanging cacti are quite rare.
Just keep in mind that this variety takes a while to grow, so if you want one automatically spilling out of its pot then you may need to choose a fully grown one.
12. String Of Hearts
At first glance you might think that the string of hearts plant is related to the string of beads or the string of nickels, but actually, none of these plants are related. And they actually vary quite a bit from each other.
But the basic aesthetic is similar. The string of hearts plant consists of long vines, but instead of pearl shaped leaves, the foliage that comes from the vines are thin and heart-shaped as the name would suggest.
In any case, this is the final “string of” plant that we’ll be talking about. But the last is far from the least, and anyone would enjoy having this plant cascading down in their home.
13. Maidenhair Fern
The maidenhair fern is probably one plant on this list that you’re sure to have heard of before. This is arguably one of the most popular types of fern to exist and for a good reason.
This fern’s fronds are delicate and droopy, perfect for hanging out of baskets although they likely won’t reach as far as some vines. And another bonus is that they’re non-toxic to animals and humans. Meaning maidenhair ferns are safe to have around kids and pets.
The only downside to the maidenhair fern is that, like most ferns, it’s a bit fragile. You’ll need to provide it with the right living conditions, and it’s a bit more difficult to take care of than other more hardy plants.
14. Forest Cactus
The forest cactus is the perfect plant for bringing a bit of the rainforest into your home, it has a really tropical look and will be sure to start a conversation because of its unique cactus foliage. The leaves of this plant are surprisingly soft, and not rigid like other types of cactus plants, so it will actually flow quite gracefully from a pot.
And as a small but welcome surprise, this houseplant has been known to sprout some small pinkish blooms if it’s well taken care of. Plus, this cactus variety actually cleans the air, so it’s not just for show!
15. Grape Ivy
The grape ivy is often confused with being the same as the grape vine, but this isn’t the case. The grape ivy is a totally different plant, and will never produce any grapes despite its name.
This is a vine that will grow quite well in low light, so by hanging a basket in a dark corner, you can really liven up the space. Not many plants thrive in shady places but if you’d like to know about a few more then you can check out this article on low-light plants.
16. Morning Glory
You typically wouldn’t think of a morning glory plant as something you can keep indoors because of its well known tendency to climb against everything and grow out of control. But as long as you keep your morning glory in a pot, it will stay contained and can be grown as a houseplant.
You should keep in mind though, that despite the morning glory’s rather delicate appearance due to its trailing vines and bright flowers, it will need lots of direct sunlight to keep it healthy indoors. And you won’t have a healthy morning glory if it receives less sun than it needs.
17. Pothos
The pothos plant is a fast growing houseplant, and its foliage will be spilling out of its basket in no time. In fact, if its well taken care of then the pothos plant can grow up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) in a single month during its growing season! And a mature pothos can end up being 10 feet (3 meters) long and 3 to 6 feet (0.9 to 1.8 meters) wide.
Plus, if you do decide to add a pothos to your home then you’ll have plenty of different options which will provide you with different shapes and colors. You could have a pothos with heart-shaped, golden leaves. Or perhaps you’d prefer a pothos that comes in dark green with large leaves. Either way, you’ll find something you want within this houseplant’s variations.
18. Mistletoe Cactus
There’s no other way to describe the mistletoe cactus than as it looks like the mistletoe plant if it was a cactus, in this instance, the name is spot on. But even though the two plants look similar, they aren’t related at all.
The pencil thin, succulent vines will grow to be about 6 feet (2 meters) long so this houseplant is far from being a small succulent like so many others. But if the vines get too long for your taste you can simply trim them. Succulents are quite hardy so you don’t have to worry about damaging the mistletoe cactus when you prune it.
19. Lipstick Plant
The lipstick plant is a great hanging houseplant option for those who want their greenery to sprout some blooms indoors. And actually, these small and tubular red flowers are where this variety gets its unique name from.
The flowers tend to bloom in clusters, and the foliage quite literally cascades and trails downward. This plant was made for hanging from baskets!
The only downside to this plant is that it’s been known to have a less than desirable scent. It’s not too strong though, so if smells don’t bother you then it’s still a great option.
20. Monstera
As the name suggests, certain variations of monstera can grow to be monsterously large. And in fact, the swiss cheese plant which is a species of monstera was listed on one of our articles about plants with large leaves, as well as one about large houseplants.
There are definitely some species of monstera that are perfect for serving as hanging plants, but they will of course take up a lot more space than some of the more delicate houseplants on this list. The vines will drape down, up to 10 feet (3 meters), but the large leaves attached to the vines will be sure to make a statement.
But the foliage comes in beautiful designs, and one of the monstera genus’s most recognizable features are the holes in its leaves.
To Conclude…
Hopefully you’ve enjoyed this list of popular hanging houseplants, and perhaps you’ve gained some inspiration on which types you’d like to grow yourself. No matter which of these beauties you choose, your home will look all the better for it.
And if you’re interested in more lists like this then you could check out some of our other articles, such as this one on plants that can grow in water.