Best Hanging Houseplants

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For beginners and low-light rooms

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)

The most forgiving trailing plant available. Pothos tolerates low light, irregular watering, and general neglect better than almost any other houseplant. Its long, waxy, heart-shaped leaves trail beautifully from shelves or hanging baskets, growing several feet long in a single season in good conditions.

Pothos is toxic to cats and dogs. In low light the vines still trail but grow more slowly and the leaves are smaller. Golden pothos (green with yellow variegation) is the most common; Marble Queen (white and green), Neon (lime green), and N-Joy (crisp green and white) are popular varieties with similar care needs.

Light: Low to bright indirect. Water: Every 7 to 14 days; tolerates drought. Toxicity: Toxic to cats and dogs.

Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum)

Often confused with pothos, heartleaf philodendron has softer, more velvety deep green leaves and an equally easygoing nature. It trails enthusiastically and tolerates low light, though it grows faster and looks better in medium to bright indirect light.

Non-toxic myth aside: philodendrons are actually toxic to cats and dogs (calcium oxalate crystals). Closely related to pothos in care and appearance but with distinctly different leaf texture.

Light: Low to bright indirect. Water: Every 7 to 14 days. Toxicity: Toxic to cats and dogs.

Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

Classic, cheerful, and nearly impossible to kill. Spider plants produce long arching leaves and eventually send out trailing stems tipped with miniature spiderette plants — which hang down beautifully from baskets. The spiderettes can be rooted directly in water or soil.

Non-toxic to cats and dogs (mildly hallucinogenic to cats, which find the plant attractive, but not dangerous). Brown tips are common in dry air or with fluoride in tap water; switch to filtered water to minimize this.

Light: Low to bright indirect. Water: Every 7 to 10 days. Toxicity: Non-toxic to cats and dogs.

For medium light spaces

Tradescantia (Tradescantia zebrina, T. pallida)

Fast-growing and strikingly colored, with silver-striped purple leaves (T. zebrina) or deep burgundy-purple leaves (T. pallida, Purple Heart). Tradescantia trails and bushes out simultaneously, creating a full, lush look quickly. Easy to propagate from cuttings in water.

Grows fastest in bright indirect light; lower light causes the purple color to fade to green. Mildly irritating if chewed by pets. Cuttings root in 1 to 2 weeks in water.

Light: Medium to bright indirect. Water: Every 7 to 10 days. Toxicity: Mildly irritating to cats and dogs; not severely toxic.

Hoya (Hoya carnosa and related)

Hoyas are slow-growing but rewarding trailing succulents with thick, waxy leaves. They eventually produce clusters of star-shaped waxy flowers with a sweet honey scent, usually in spring and summer. Do not remove the flower spurs after blooming; they bloom again from the same spots.

Hoyas prefer to be slightly rootbound and do not like being repotted frequently. They tolerate drought well (the thick leaves store water) and need bright indirect to thrive and flower. Non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Light: Medium to bright indirect. Water: Every 10 to 14 days; let soil dry. Toxicity: Non-toxic.

Syngonium (Arrowhead Plant)

Young syngoniums form a compact clump; as they mature they develop long trailing vines. The arrowhead-shaped leaves come in shades of green, white, pink, and burgundy depending on the variety. They prefer medium indirect light and consistent moisture.

Toxic to cats and dogs. Pink varieties (Neon Robusta, Strawberry Cream) need more light to maintain their color.

Light: Medium to bright indirect. Water: Every 7 to 10 days. Toxicity: Toxic to cats and dogs.

For bright indirect light

String of Hearts (Ceropegia woodii)

Delicate heart-shaped leaves with silver marbling on wire-thin dark stems. One of the most popular hanging plants on social media — and for good reason. It is semi-succulent (stores water in small tubers along the vines) and more drought-tolerant than its delicate appearance suggests. Needs bright indirect light to maintain silver variegation.

Non-toxic to pets. Propagates easily from stem cuttings or the beaded tubers. Variegated form (String of Spades) exists but is slightly less common.

Light: Bright indirect; some morning sun is fine. Water: Every 10 to 14 days; drought tolerant. Toxicity: Non-toxic.

String of Bananas (Senecio radicans)

Easier to keep than string of pearls but with a similar trailing succulent aesthetic. The banana-shaped leaves are chunkier and more robust than pearls, and the plant is more forgiving of occasional missed waterings and slightly lower light.

Toxic to cats and dogs (like all Senecio species). Produces small white flowers with a cinnamon scent in good conditions.

Light: Bright indirect; tolerates some direct morning sun. Water: Every 10 to 21 days. Toxicity: Toxic to cats and dogs.

Burro's Tail (Sedum morganianum)

A succulent with thick, fleshy, blue-green leaves densely packed along long trailing stems. Individual leaves fall off easily if bumped or brushed — handle with extreme care and place out of high-traffic zones. Once established in a spot, do not move it.

Toxic to cats and dogs. Very drought tolerant. Needs bright indirect light and minimal watering in winter. Stems can grow several feet long over years.

Light: Bright indirect to some direct sun. Water: Every 14 to 21 days; very drought tolerant. Toxicity: Toxic to cats and dogs.

For bright light spaces with some sun

String of Pearls (Senecio rowleyanus)

The most visually striking trailing succulent — spherical bead-like leaves on thin, thread-like stems. Notoriously fussy about watering and light. Needs a very specific balance: bright indirect with some direct morning sun, watered only when the pearls begin to look slightly less plump and the soil is completely dry.

Overwatering causes the pearls to burst and rot. Underwatering in too much sun causes them to shrivel. Gets it right and it is stunning. Gets it wrong and it dies quickly. For experienced succulent growers.

Toxic to cats and dogs. Plant in a pot that allows the vines to hang freely rather than sitting on the soil surface, where they rot.

Light: Bright indirect with some direct morning sun. Water: Every 14 to 21 days; soil must dry completely. Toxicity: Toxic to cats and dogs.

Lipstick Plant (Aeschynanthus)

A trailing epiphyte with dark, glossy leaves and bright red tubular flowers that emerge from burgundy-red calyxes — resembling little tubes of lipstick. When it blooms, it is spectacular. It needs consistent bright indirect light to flower, and some direct morning sun helps.

Non-toxic to cats and dogs. Keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. Blooms most abundantly in spring and summer with a slightly drier, cooler rest period in winter to trigger flowering.

Light: Bright indirect; some direct morning sun for best flowering. Water: Every 7 to 10 days in summer; reduce in winter. Toxicity: Non-toxic.

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Practical tips for hanging and shelving

Light is lower than you think at ceiling level

A plant placed on a high shelf or in a hanging basket near the ceiling may receive significantly less light than a plant at table height near the same window. Light decreases with distance from the window. Measure with a light meter or test with a beginner plant first before putting a light-demanding plant at ceiling height.

Watering hanging baskets

Hanging baskets dry out faster than pots on surfaces because air circulates around the pot on all sides. Check hanging plants more frequently, especially in summer. Many people find it easier to take the pot down to water it over a sink rather than watering in place and risking drips.

Weight when wet

A watered hanging basket can be significantly heavier than an empty one. Make sure ceiling hooks, brackets, and hanging hardware are rated for the full wet weight of the pot plus soil. Use drywall anchors or ceiling studs, not bare drywall screws, for hanging plants.

Shelf plants vs true hanging

Most trailing plants work well on a high shelf or bookcase where they can cascade down naturally. This avoids the need for ceiling hooks and lets you water in place more easily. True hanging baskets (suspended from the ceiling) are better for very long trailers like pothos and heartleaf philodendron whose vines would extend beyond a shelf.