Top 10 hanging plants for your home
Don't have enough room on your shelves or surfaces for more plants? I have the solution. Look up!!
There's so much more room up there. So maybe you need to start looking into hanging plants.
Hanging your plants can be such a great way to display plants. So many of our tropical houseplants will naturally hang down from trees in rainforests so they will love being put up high.
Plus, it will allow you to add in more plants adding clutter or taking up floor space.
I've got 10 hanging plants that I love and have hanging in our shop that I wanted to introduce you to.
1. Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
Also known as Devil's Ivy, the Pothos is a brilliant hanging plant for your home. It was beautiful cascading vines and vibrant green leaves.
The leaves of this fast-growing vine are long, thick and glossy. You can also get variegated varieties with cream or white stripes on dark green foliage too.
Pothos plants are native to India where they grow on trees so they prefer indirect sunlight indoors. I think they're great for hanging on the side of kitchen or bathroom cabinets where they can trail down the side.
They're perfect for kitchens because they'll love the humidity. They also thrive in moist environments such as around sinks or dishwashers where there's often excess moisture.
They're so easy to keep too and will forgive you a few forgotten waterings.
2. Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
Perhaps one of the most popular houseplant, the spider plant have long, arching leaves that cascade down. Even better...it will start producing little spiderette babies that also dangle down.
These are really fast growing and you can propagate them easily from the spiderettes too!
Always check the moisture levels as Spider plants hate wet roots. If you get brown tips it could be due to too much water or the chlorine in your water, so you could switch to using rain water.
Keep them in a bright space but not direct light. They will also love it if you mist them once in a while and dust of their leaves.
3. String of Pearls (Senecio rowleyanus)
Now, the String of Pearls is VERY delicate but incredibly beautiful. It has strands of cascading pea or bead like succulent leaves that are really beautiful and can get up to 1 metre long!
In their natural home in west Africa you'll find them trailing over rocky ground.
Try putting this at eye level in your home, on top of a cupboard and I guarantee you'll stop every time to look at it. You may even get some white flowers in spring that smell like cinnamon!
Like most succulents, it's much better to err on the side of caution when it comes to watering and keep it relatively dry. You don't want mushy brown pearls. In fact it won't mind being neglected as all those 'beads' hold water to keep it going during a drought.
When it comes to watering, I like to put it in a tray of water and let it soak up the water from the roots. This will stop the top of the soil and the crown of the plant getting too wet.
4. English Ivy (Hedera Helix)
I know, you think this is more suited to outdoor, but actually, English Ivy will do well inside as long as you keep it moist.
I bet you have some your could repurpose from your garden!
It's perfect for indoor hanging baskets too, where it will trail down the sides of the container.
Remember though that Ivy prefers bright light and cool temperatures (around 18oC), so keep it away from windowsills that get direct sun all day long.
5. Monstera adansonii
You'll know it's big brother, the Swiss Cheese Plant - Monstera deliciosa, but Monstera Adansonii has become really popular recently as the Monstera's little sister.
This miniature cheese plant loves to sprawl about the place. It has the same beautiful "swiss-hole" leaves but with even more holes that give it a real lacy effect.
It will look great hanging out on a top shelf or tumbling over a bookshelf.
It likes moist soil, but not wet and if it's too waterlogged its leaves turn yellow. Put it somewhere where it will get bright, indirect light. It will also like some humidity too.
Bonus feature. It's really easy to propagate to make more!
6. Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum)
One of my favourite houseplants, the Heartleaf Philodendron has beautiful heart-shaped leaves that will trail elegantly off a shelf.
This South American native is a really large, tropical plant that can be grown as a houseplant. It can even get to a height of 1.5m in your home.
It needs bright light and lots of water. It's also great for hanging baskets!
7. Fishbone Cactus (Epiphyllum anguliger)
A great one if you tend to forget about your houseplants as it can cope with some drought. These flattened stems will hang elegantly over a hanging basket from the ceiling.
8. Burro's Tail (Sedum Morganianum)
The Burros Tail plant has these very plump, trailing leaves and is really unusual. It likes lots of light.
9. String of hearts (Ceropegia woodii)
The string of hearts has the most beautiful silvery variegated heart-shaped leaves. It can get very long too!
10. Rhipsalis pulchra
This has long thin finger-like stems which would remind you a bit of the sea vegetable, samphire.
As a hanging plant it will form a lovely shaggy mass of fronds.
It's also known as the mistletoe cactus as it has white berries. This one hates humidity so keep it out the kitchen and bathroom.
Top tips for caring for your hanging houseplants
When you have hanging plants, it can often be hard to check what's going on in the top of the pot. You can't easily see if the soil is dry or waterlogged or if the crown of the plant is ok or not.
I recommend taking them down every one to two weeks and checking how the plant is doing.
Also stick your finger into the soil to test the moisture level. If the top inch or so is dry I would put the whole pot in the sink to soak for a bit, let it drain and then replace into its hanging position.
Hanging plants are such a great way to add greenery to your home and help you create an indoor jungle feel. They can also cover up unsightly cupboards or boring corners.
If you're looking for happy, healthy hanging houseplants in Northern Ireland, why not give us a call, or drop into our shop in Banana Block, East Belfast. We also do plant styling and houseplant maintenance too.