Yahoo Finance 13 Best Hanging Plants for Every Room of Your House
Houseplants can help improve the quality of your living space. But they can also take up floor and shelf space, which may be an issue if your collection is already extensive. One way to get more plants into an area without taking up surface space is to hang them.
Popular indoor hanging plants include some well-known trailing varieties such as pothos and spider plants. However, dozens of plant varieties make lovely hanging plants that aren't necessarily known for their trailing growth habit. Whether you're looking for an indoor flowering plant to add a pop color or a plant that can survive low light, Justin Hancock, head of brand marketing at Costa Farms, shares his top picks for the best houseplants to hang in every room of your house—including that tricky corner no other plant seems to tolerate.
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Alsobia
"There aren't a lot of hanging houseplants that flower well, but Alsobia does," says Hancock. Alsobia dianthiflora can survive low light but grows and flowers best in medium to bright light. This hanging flower plant features furry green leaves with a purple midrib. In ideal conditions, Alsobia will reward you with white gloxinia-like flowers with fringed edges that make it look like snowflakes popping out of the lush green leaves. "The fringed flowers are really distinctive and make for an unexpected surprise when they appear," says Hancock.
Brasil Philodendron
Philodendrons are considered practically indestructible by many plant parents. These easy-going plants can be grown hanging in a basket or climbing up a moss pole or trellis. Brasil Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum 'Brasil') is a showstopper with its heart-shaped, dark-green leaves variegated with chartreuse and gold in the center. "It tolerates low light but looks—and grows—best in a spot with medium to bright, indirect light," says Hancock.
Cebu Blue Pothos
Cebu Blue (Epipremnum pinnatum Cebu Blue) is a fun new version of traditional golden pothos. It features leaves that are longer and more narrow than golden pothos' heart shape. "This variety sports green foliage that has a distinct silvery-blue cast, which is visibly different in different light conditions," says Hancock. The plant grows fast in bright, indirect light, making it ideal for taking cuttings and sharing with friends and family. Cebu Blue is just as easy to grow like any other pothos and will practically work in almost any room.
Hoya compacta
Hoyas are the trendy plants of the year due to the wealth of varieties available, hanging habits, drought tolerance, and beautiful flowers (that are often fragrant). "Among the hottest is Hoya compacta, which features leaves that curl and crinkle around the plant's stems," says Hancock. Hoya compacta is a slow grower that tolerates low light but grows and blooms best in a bright spot. Hoyas are durable houseplants that can survive some neglect, making them perfect for a tricky area in your home that no other plant seems to tolerate.
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Little Swiss Monstera
Little Swiss Monstera is a smaller version of the ever-popular Monstera deliciosa with a trailing growth habit that looks graceful hanging from a basket. Botanically known as Monstera adansonii, it's also dubbed the "Swiss Cheese" plant due to its irregular holes on the leaves. They can be quick growers when given the proper light and propagate easily. "There's something adorable about the way the leaves have all these little windows in them," says Hancock, "The effect is especially delightful when they overlap as they trail from a basket."
Manjula Pothos
"While Golden Pothos is a tried-and-true favorite hanging plant, Manjula is a fun newer selection that shows off leaves wildly variegated in shades of cream and white," says Hancock. Like its cousins, Manjula is easy to care for and boasts bigger leaves with a somewhat slower growth rate. Best of all, it tolerates low light but looks—and grows—best in a spot with medium to bright, indirect light.
Mini Adam Ivy
A hanging ivy plant is a houseplant classic. "English ivy is still elegant and a relatively easy-care choice for gracing our living rooms and bedrooms," says Hancock, "Mini Adam (Hedera helix 'Mini Adam') is a particularly fun variety that shows off relatively small leaves boldly edged in cream and white." It's also exceptionally well-suited for cool, bright rooms.
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Nanouk Tradescantia
Nanouk (Tradescantia fluminensis 'Nanouk') is a stunning newer selection of the old-school inch plant. This beauty boasts larger-than-average green leaves festively streaked in cream and pink. "While it's often used as a tabletop plant when young, once the stems grow and start to trail, it's a lovely pick to hang," says Hancock. Hanging this beauty gives you a better view of the hot pink coloring on the undersides of the leaves.
Prayer Plant
Many plant lovers probably remember these plants from their grandparent's homes. Prayer plants (Maranta leuconeura) are known for their playfully patterned leaves. "Earning its moniker from the fact the leaves fold at night like a set of praying hands, it tolerates low light and adds a little excitement and contrast to any houseplant collection," says Hancock. Although most people do not think of them as low-light hanging plants, Marantas will eventually trail beautifully once they grow out. If you have a dark corner in your home that needs a little lift, a prayer plant is a great choice.
Silver Monstera
The Silver Monstera (Monstera siltepecana) is currently one of the most trendy houseplants on the market. "Trendy both because it's a Monstera and for having silver-frosted foliage," says Hancock, "This is a newer addition to our Exotic Angel Plants collection that plant parents can't get enough of." Similar to Little Swiss Monstera, it's a compact plant that looks wonderful when hanging. Like other Monstera varieties, it does best in bright light.
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Sterling Silver
"Fabulously tolerant to a range of indoor conditions, this uncommon aroid features heart-shaped leaves that bear a delightful silver overlay," says Hancock. Botanically known as Scindapsus treubii 'Moonlight', this versatile plant looks lovely in a hanging basket or trained on a moss pole or trellis. Sterling Silver is a relatively slow grower, so you won't have to worry about it growing out of bounds. "It tolerates low light but grows best in a spot with medium to bright, indirect light," explains Hancock, "Keep it away from drafts for best performance."
Spider Plant
The spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) is loved for its durability and resilience. The plants feature grassy leaves that are available in solid green or variegated with cream or white. "You're also sure to love the little plantlets it produces at the ends of its hanging stolons," says Hancock. Spider plants propagate easily via the little plantlets and are a fun plant to share with other plant lovers. "It tolerates low light (and drought and low humidity) like a champ," explained Hancock, "But grows faster in medium to bright conditions."
Strawberry Begonia
Strawberry Begonia (Saxifraga stolonifera) gets its name due to its similar growth habit to strawberries. "As it grows, it produces offshoots that grow on raspberry-red stolons that hang down from the plant like a living mobile," explains Hancock. Propagating this plant is simple and easy—clip off these offshoots, pot them up, and grow them out as new plants. Strawberry Begonia prefers medium to bright light.
