There’s always more space for beautiful indoor plants in your home when you select trailing plants that can be suspended from the ceiling in baskets, or allowed to spill from pots placed on shelves. Here are 10 favourite trailing plants for a brightly-lit indoor space, balcony or porch.

 

Boston fern.

Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)

Boston ferns form large and spectacular hanging baskets up to 90cm across. Use large wire baskets with fibre linings for best results. Ferns require bright light and protection from draughts (air-conditioning or central heating). Groom plants from time to time to remove dead fronds. As well as green, Boston fern varieties include some with gold, pale green and double fronds. ‘Mini Ruffle’ is a small variety with ruffled fronds.

Like the look of a Boston fern? Click here to view our range.

 

 

 

Cissus 'Ellen Danica'.

Cissus, grape ivy, kangaroo vine (Cissus rhombifolia)

Cissus is a lovely trailing plant with dark green trifoliate leaves. Plants can trail for a metre or more to form an impressive hanging basket or trailing pot plant on a shelf. New growth is often brownish. ‘Ellen Danica’ has larger, glossy leaves.

View cissus online.

 

 

 

 

 

 

codonanthe

Codonanthe in flower.

Codonanthe (Codonanthe)

This dainty trailing plant has small, green, slightly furry leaves often with small white or mauve flowers. It is part of the large African violet family and grows best in a brightly lit spot indoors out of direct light. Trailing stems can reach 60-90cm in length. Don’t over-water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donkey Tails.

Donkey tails, burro’s tail (Sedum morganianum)

This trailing succulent has thick, rope-like hanging branches of blue-green, fleshy leaves. It forms an impressive hanging plant reaching 60-90cm long. The stems are easily broken but can be used to grow new plants. Water when dry. Use free-draining mix.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goldfish Plant.

Goldfish plant (Columnea x banksii)

Tubular orange flowers among the mass of small, dark green leaves give this plant its descriptive common name. In a brightly lit spot, you can expect flowers for most of the year. Goldfish plant is also a member of the African violet family and usually grows around 30-40cm high and wide. Allow plants to dry out between waterings.

Check out goldfish plants on our website.

 

 

 

 

 

Peperomia.

Peperomia (Peperomia)

There are many different forms of peperomia to collect. Most have round variegated or patterned leaves. Select trailing forms for hanging baskets or as trailing pot plants. This is a good plant for beginners. Don’t over-water.

Click here to view our wide range of peperomias.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Rhipsalis in a macrame hanging planter

Rhipsalis.

Rhipsalis (Rhipsalis spp)

This flowering cactus is grown for its long, trailing, leafless stems. Some species have stems of flattened leaflets. Plants form small white or pink flowers. Stems can form curtains of growth reaching 60-90cm or longer.

View our rhipsalis range here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

String of Pearls.

String of pearls, string of beads (Senecio rowleyanus)

This succulent has long stems that resemble strings of round, green beads. It can trail 50-80cm. In very well-lit conditions, small white daisies bloom at the end of each stem. Broken stem pieces can be used to grow new plants.

Fancy a string of pearls for your home? Click here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spider plant.

Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

These all-green or variegated strappy-leaved plants produce long, hanging stems with small plantlets at their tips. Spider Plant stems can trail down for 30-60cm. Plants have white flowers. This is a good beginner plant.

Check out our range of spider plants here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tradescantia Zebrina.

Tradescantia (Tradescantia)

Although tradescantia is best known as a garden weed, there are several non-weedy trailing species that are popular as easy-to-grow indoor plants for baskets or as trailing pot plants. T. sillamontan has plush green and silvery leaves and mauve flowers, while T. pallida has dark purple leaves and pink flowers. Plants can reach 30cm or more in length.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Care tips for hanging and trailing plants

Indoor trailing or hanging plants need bright light and high humidity (avoid exposure to dry air). Water plants when they are dry. To avoid drips after watering, add a saucer under hanging baskets, but empty it regularly. Drainage water that remains in the saucer may cause water logging.

Liquid feed indoor hanging plants occasionally, particularly when plants are growing well. Use a good quality potting mix and repot fast-growing plants regularly. Handle with care, as many trailing indoor plants are delicate and their branches and foliage are easily damaged or broken.

Positions high up in a room lit by a low window may be darker than a nearby position on a lower shelf or table. Hanging baskets or trailing pot plants on high shelves may need to be rested outdoors in a sheltered position or moved into more brightly lit indoor positions to keep them growing well.

 

A note on pots

Pot choice is really important, not only to help your home decorating scheme to look cohesive but also to help your plant thrive. We have a gorgeous range of hanging planters available to suit every plant - click here to browse and pick your favourite.

Have a standard pot that suits your plant and your decor, but wish you could hang it? Flower Power has a solution for that! Enter our macrame pot hangers. Available in a variety of styles, sizes and colours, these decorative woven hangings will hold your favourite lightweight indoor pot with ease. Click here to view our range.