Best Trailing and Hanging Plants
The best trailing and hanging houseplants for shelves, baskets, and high spots, from fast easy vines to delicate strings, with care notes and which are pet-safe.
Trailing plants add height, movement, and softness that upright plants can't, cascading from shelves, hanging baskets, and the tops of cabinets. They're also a smart use of space in small rooms, growing up into unused vertical room rather than crowding surfaces. This list spans the spectrum from fast, beginner-proof vines to delicate, slower 'string' succulents for collectors.
Two practical notes. First, hanging plants often sit near the ceiling where it's warmer, brighter, and drier, so they may need water more often than the same plant lower down, check before assuming. Second, many of the most popular trailers (pothos, philodendrons, English ivy) are toxic to pets, so if you have curious cats, place them where they truly can't reach or choose from the pet-safe options noted below.
Easy, fast-growing trailing vines
For instant, beginner-friendly cascades, golden pothos is unbeatable: it grows quickly, roots from cuttings in water, tolerates low to bright light, and droops to tell you when it's thirsty. The heartleaf philodendron and colorful philodendron Brasil behave almost identically. Satin pothos (Scindapsus) adds shimmering silver-flecked leaves with the same easy care. English ivy trails densely and tolerates cool spots but is fussier about spider mites and is toxic to pets.
These vines are the workhorses of the hanging-plant world. You can prune them anytime to keep them full, and every trimming becomes a free new plant rooted in a glass of water.
Delicate string and chain succulents
The 'string' plants are the showpieces of any shelf. String of pearls drapes in strands of round bead-like leaves, and string of hearts trails fine chains of heart-shaped, silver-marbled foliage. Both are succulents, so they want bright light and infrequent watering; overwatering is the quickest way to lose them. String of hearts is the more forgiving of the two and happens to be pet-safe, while string of pearls is more delicate and mildly toxic.
These prefer to dry out fully between waterings and rot easily if kept wet. Give them the brightest spot among your trailers and water sparingly, especially in winter, and they'll reward you with long, elegant strands.
Trailing plants with flowers and texture
For variety beyond leafy vines, the hoya carnosa trails thick, waxy leaves and produces clusters of star-shaped, sweetly scented flowers when mature and happy; it's also pet-safe. The inch plant (Tradescantia) trails fast in purple and silver stripes and roots almost instantly. The Christmas cactus drapes its segmented stems and blooms in winter, and it's pet-safe too. For a fern option, the maidenhair and Boston ferns both spill softly from hanging baskets given enough humidity.
Mixing leaf shapes and textures, broad pothos leaves, fine string-of-hearts chains, waxy hoya, makes a grouping of hanging plants far more striking than several of the same kind. Vary the lengths too, with some trailing long and others kept tidy.
- Pinch or prune trailing tips regularly to keep plants full instead of bare and stringy at the top
- Hanging spots near the ceiling are warmer and brighter, so check soil more often there
- Rotate hanging baskets periodically so growth stays even all the way around
- For pet homes, choose string of hearts, hoya, or Christmas cactus over toxic pothos and ivy
FAQ
Why is my trailing plant bare at the top with leaves only at the ends?
This is leggy growth, usually caused by too little light, the plant stretches toward a window and drops or skips leaves along the way. Move it brighter, and prune the long vines back; cutting just above a node prompts the plant to branch and refill the bare upper section. The trimmings root easily in water and can be tucked back into the pot to make the whole plant fuller.
How often should I water a hanging plant?
It depends on the species, but hanging plants often dry out faster than expected because the air near the ceiling is warmer, brighter, and drier. Check the soil rather than guessing; for leafy vines like pothos that's often weekly, while string succulents may go 2-3 weeks. Bringing a hanging basket down to feel its weight or test the soil is the most reliable way to judge.
Which trailing plants are safe for cats and dogs?
String of hearts, hoya carnosa, and Christmas cactus are all pet-safe and trail beautifully. Many of the most common trailers, however, are toxic, including pothos, all philodendrons, English ivy, and string of pearls, which contain irritants that cause drooling and vomiting if chewed. If you have pets, choose the safe options or hang toxic ones where they genuinely cannot be reached.