13 Best Indoor and Outdoor Hanging Plants for Your Home

String of Hearts

If you have an area that receives bright indirect sunlight, Jennifer Schutter, horticulturist and editor of Plantcarefully!, says you may have the perfect spot to hang the low maintenance favorite, string of hearts.

These fleshy vines don't require direct sunlight. Rather, they thrive in indirect sunlight and prefer to dry out in between waterings. You can arrange the delicate, heart-shaped cascading vine vines around windows or items as they grow throughout the season.

“String of hearts is considered a semi-succulent, so it can go quite a while without water and actually prefers it,” Schutter says, adding that they appreciate well-draining soil and should only be watered when the top two inches of the soil are dry. 

• Zones: 10 to 12
• Size: 1 to 2 inches tall, 1 to 2 inches wide 
• Growing conditions: bright indirect light; water when top inch of soil is dry

Spider Plants

Spider plants are popular indoor hanging plants that have beautiful green and white striped leaves, according to Kelly Martin, founder Urban Garden Gal.

“They’re easy to care for and can tolerate a wide range of growing conditions, so they’ll do well in just about any room of the house,” she says, adding that you can propagate them from their namesake plantlets that hang down from the plant like little spiders. 

Give them indirect sunlight and refrain from overwatering or you’ll risk rotting the beautiful fronts that grow from the center of the plant. 

• Zones: 9 to 11 
• Size: 12 to 15 inches tall, up to 2 feet wide 
• Growing conditions: Indirect light/partial sun; water when top inch of soil is dry

Ivy

A low-maintenance favorite, ivy is great for hanging baskets because of the long trailing stems that are loaded with leaves. These can be grown indoors or out, and include many different options, according to Martin.

“There are many different varieties of Ivy including English Ivy, Boston Ivy and Persian Ivy, with foliage in many shades of green or variegated,” Martin notes. “Ivy grows best in partial shade and needs regular watering to keep the soil evenly moist.”

• Zones: 4 to 11
• Size: varies, but can get very long/tall and requires pruning
• Growing conditions: Partial shade; keep soil moist

String of Pearls

If you're constantly traveling for work, this hanging plant might be best for you: Kranz says this succulent requires little water in comparison to others on this list. But the cascading beads that hang off your planter will require a fair amount of direct sunlight, but if you place your plant in the right conditions, it may even produce flowers.

• Zones: 9 to 12
• Size: 1 to 2 feet tall, 1 to 2 feet long
• Growing conditions: bright, indirect light; well draining soil

Philodendron

These fastidious plants can gracefully cascade down a tall container. They're very adaptable, can grow in low light, and don't require frequent watering. Like other plants, it comes in many varieties. Schutter's favorite is the low maintenance heart-leaf philodendron.

"This medium to bright, indirect light-loving plant is known for its glossy heart-shaped leaves that hang down on trailing stems," Schutter says “Heart-leaf philodendron are what we call an interior design staple plant. They're so flexible, as they can climb, hang, or be vined to provide a living accent with an abundance of heart-shaped leaves.

• Zones: 9 to 12
• Size: 1 to 3 feet tall, 1 to 6 feet wide
• Growing conditions: medium to bright, indirect light; well-draining soil
  

Satin Pothos

This variety of pothos is particularly durable—it requires low light and can withstand dry soil if waterings are few and far between. Well watered, however, these vines will grow until leaves spill over the hanging planter and into the space around you.

• Zones: 10 to 12
• Size: 4 to 10 feet long 
• Growing conditions: bright, indirect light; water when top inch of soil is dry

Golden Pothos

Another variety of pothos you can try is the golden pothos, which is great for areas that receive low light. Schutter says these plants are extremely flexible, noting that they prefer indirect light but can doing well in a variety of environments. This fast-growing vine with heart-shaped, variegated leaves has tons of air-purifying properties, and does well as both an indoor and outdoor hanging plant.

“Use a planter with a built-in trellis or arrange on shelves for a bit of visual contrast," she says. "[Also], use a well-draining soil and water when the top inch of soil is dry."

As an added bonus, this plant is very easy to propagate, which means you can use cuttings to fill out your planter or to add more plants to your home. 

• Zones: 9 to 12
• Size:  20 to 40 feet long, 3 to 6 feet wide 
• Growing conditions: Bright, indirect light; water when top inch of soil is dry
  

String of Dolphins

If you’re looking for a hanging plant that will serve as a conversation starter, look no further than the string of dolphins which looks exactly like its name implies.

“It has small dolphin-shaped leaves that grow on long, slender stems,” explains Martin. “String of Dolphins plants are very easy to care for and only need occasional watering, but they need a brightly lit spot to grow well.”

• Zones: 9 to 12
• Size: 1 to 3 feet long
• Growing conditions: Bright, indirect light; very well-draining soil

Hanging Hoya

This cousin to the string of hearts plant doesn't need very much water and can flourish in medium to low light. The hoya obovota variety is particularly beautiful because of its large, circular leaves, which can hold plenty of water. This makes the plant even more self-sufficient than other varieties, Kranz says.

• Zones: 10 to 12
• Size: up to 2 feet long
• Growing conditions: moderate, indirect light; water when top inch of soil is dry

Fuchsia

For those looking for a flowering plant there’s fuchsia. Martin says this popular outdoor hanging plant can be identified by the beautiful pink, red, and purple flowers it produces. 

“Fuschias grow best in partially shaded areas, and they benefit from regular applications of fertilizer to encourage an abundance of blooms,” she says. "Fuschia plants aren’t frost tolerant, so they’ll need to be overwintered indoors in cool climate areas.”

• Zones: 7 to 10
• Size: 1 to 3 feet tall; 1 to 5 feet wide
• Growing conditions: full or bright indirect sun; keep soil moist

Boston Ferns

It's one of the most common houseplants for a reason—hearty and dense, these ferns are easy to maintain and can flourish both indoors and outdoors. But Kranz says outdoor spaces may be best for this plant since it requires heavy watering and moist soil, which is why you'll likely find them in warn, humid areas of the South.

• Zones: 9 to 11
• Size: up to 7 feet tall  
• Growing conditions: medium to bright, indirect light; keep soil moist

Oxalis Triangularis

Commonly known as the false shamrock plant, this hanging plant is photophilic, which means its leaves close at night when sunlight fades. Kranz says these beautiful plants are great for shady porches and backyards, but since they grow in the wild, they can also be placed in direct sunlight. Like many others on this list, the false shamrock plant doesn't need to be overwatered, and can be watered sparingly.

• Zones: 6 to 11
• Size: 6 to 12 inches tall, 12 to 24 inches wide 
• Growing conditions: medium to bright indirect light; water when top few inches of soil are dry

Peperomia

There are more than 1,000 species of peperomia that gardeners can plant, including the peperomia ruby cascade. This variety has small, round leaves and a red underside that makes it a striking addition to your home.

Schutter notes that it prefers bright, indirect light, and that it does best in regular potting soil. You should allow soil to dry between waterings though, as it doesn’t like to be oversaturated. 

As for where to hang your plant, Schutter says you should “showcase in a simple, minimalist pot to allow the vibrant colors of its leaves to stand out” in an indoor location. “While hanging plants can typically be kept out of the reach of pets, peperomia ruby cascade is completely pet-friendly and safe to have around.”

• Zones: 10 to 12 
• Size: up to 3 feet tall 
• Growing conditions: medium to bright, indirect light; water when top inch of soil is dry