Adding plants to your office, bedroom, or yard is a surefire way to improve your decor and add a sense of peace. But you might not have space on your crowded bedside table or desk for a new plant. When that’s the case, consider hanging plants to keep them out of your way.
Hanging plants may seem intimidating, but once you know how to do it, you’ll realize it’s a simple process! We’ll cover how to hang plants and introduce how to a few plants that work well in hanging baskets and pots.
How to Hang Plants
Follow these steps to add a hanging plant to your ceiling.
1. Determine Your Ideal Location
While many people imagine hanging plants cascading down from the ceiling, this isn’t your only option. You can also hang potted plants from a curtain rod, exposed beam, headboard, or any other place where you can attach a hook or wrap a piece of twine. However, before you grab your biggest pothos and hang it, make sure the location can handle the weight without crashing down.
Keep environmental factors like sun exposure and temperature in mind when you’re choosing a location to hang a plant. If you have a specific hanging plant in mind, make sure to select a spot that provides the type of environment it likes.
2. Drill a Hole and Hang a Hook
Many people wonder how to hang plants from the ceiling in a way that doesn’t cause anything to come crashing down. When it comes to safely installing a load bearing hook into your ceiling, you have two options: locate a joist or stud and install a regular J-hook or install a specialized load-bearing hook into your drywall. If you’re hanging a larger plant, locating a piece of wood is the better option.
If your joists and studs aren’t visible, using a stud finder is the easiest way to locate a solid piece of wood. Now it’s time to drill a small pilot hole through the drywall and into the stud—just make sure the drill bit is smaller than the threaded end of the hook. Finally, twist the hook into the whole until it’s secure.
Small plants and pots that weigh less than ten pounds can safely hang from a drywall ceiling…as long as you use the right type of hook. Head into the hardware store to find toggle screws designed just for this purpose. These screws have wings that help distribute the weight of your hanging plant and prevent the ceiling from collapsing. To install one of these screws, drill a pilot hole, fold up the wings onto the screw, insert the wings into the ceiling, then screw the hook until the wings sit flush against the other side of the ceiling.
3. Choose the Right Plant
Once you have your location, select a plant that works well in a hanging form. After all, the best garden flowers aren’t the same as the best houseplants! Compact or trailing plants typically work well, but you should avoid tall plants that grow straight up.
4. Arrange it in a Planter Suitable for Hanging
Now it’s time to put your plant in a pot that works well for hanging. Lighter pots are better options than heavy ones, so look for plastic, terra cotta, or thin glazed ceramic containers. No matter which material you choose, make sure the bottom of the pot has drainage holes and an attached catch dish to collect extra water.
One popular option is to add your plant to a suitable pot and then place the pot in a macrame plant hanger. An alternative is to place your plant in a single piece hanging basket.
5. Hang Your Plant
The last step is the moment you’ve been waiting for! Attach your plant’s hanger to the hook and admire your handiwork.
Hanging Houseplants for Small Spaces
If you live in a studio apartment or have a tiny work office, you may assume you don’t have room for a houseplant. But that’s simply not true! These indoor hanging plants add intrigue to small spaces without overwhelming them.
String of Hearts
Light: bright, indirect light
Soil: well-draining
Water: water only when the top half of the soil is dry
Temperature and humidity: 60-90ºF with low to moderate humidity
A type of trailing succulent, the heart-shaped leaves make it easy to see where this plant got its name. Although the plant’s “strings” can grow over ten feet long, their compact form makes them a good fit for tight spaces. And if you find your plant is taking over an area, you can trim the bottom of the stems.
Air Plant
Light: medium to bright indirect light
Soil: no soil necessary, plant in the open air
Water: soak the entire air plant in water for half an hour once every one to two weeks
Temperature and humidity: 60-90º and moderate to high humidity
Not all hanging plants need to be planted in soil! As their name suggests, these plants can grow in the open air, rather than in soil. That means you can tuck them inside hanging glass spheres or nestle them inside open wire vases. Since they rarely grow over a few inches long, they are perfect for small spaces. And if you’d like a larger display, you can hang multiple air plants beside one another.
Order our Xerographica Air Plant for delivery
Hanging Houseplants for the Kitchen and Bathroom
These two areas of the home likely have a bit more humidity than the rest of your home. So capitalize on this moisture and choose houseplants that thrive in humid conditions that mimic the tropics.
Maidenhair Fern
Sun: moderate indirect light; avoid bright direct light
Soil: rich and well-draining
Water: aim to keep the soil moist but not saturated; water when the top inch of soil is dry
Temperature and humidity: 60-80ºF with high humidity
This fern has delicate green leaves that sprout out from dark and thin stems. When grown as a hanging plant, the stems cascade down in an elegant and graceful form. One thing to note about these plants is that they require A LOT of humidity. Tucking them in your bathroom—even hanging them in your shower—will provide them with regular humidity they will love.
Prayer Plant
Light: perform best in bright indirect light, but can tolerate low light
Soil: well-draining and moist
Water: water when the top inch of soil is dry; distilled water or rainwater is best
Temperature and humidity: 65-85ºF and high humidity
When they’re starting their lives, prayer plants often look best nestled in pots placed on a table or plant stand. However, with the right care, the plant’s vibrant, patterned leaves will transition into a trailing form. When they reach this point, you can place their pot in a macrame hanger and tuck it above your sink or in your shower. Prayer plants are also plants that don’t need much sunlight, so they’re a great way to add a pop of color to dim spaces.
Order our Grateful Prayer Plant today
Hanging Houseplants for Living Rooms
Whether you want to fill an empty corner with greenery or make use of high ceilings, there’s a hanging plant that can provide what you’re looking for.
Boston Fern
Light: bright indirect light
Soil: rich and well-draining
Water: keep the soil moist but not wet; water about once a week
Temperature and humidity: 60-80ºF and high humidity
Perhaps the most iconic fern, a Boston fern in a hanging basket is a welcome addition to practically any space that has room for it. If you provide it with the right care and environment, it can easily reach multiple feet in diameter, making it a good statement plant. Boston ferns thrive on high humidity, so boosting the air moisture with a humidifier will help keep these plants in tip-top shape.
English Ivy
Light: prefer bright light but can survive in dim conditions
Soil: well-draining and well-aerated
Water: water only when the top few inches of soil are dry
Temperature and humidity: 60-85ºF and low to moderate humidity
The trailing tendrils provide a country cottage feel, and they can adapt to a wide variety of conditions. That means you can hang English ivy in front of a bright living room window or attach it to a ceiling hook in a dim dining room corner. The plant’s vining stems are easy to trim and prune, which means you can make the plant fit nicely into your space.
String of Pearls
Sun: bright direct or indirect light
Soil: well-draining
Water: water only when the top half of the soil is dry
Temperature and humidity: 60-90ºF and low humidity
If your home is dry—perhaps from a wood-burning stove or desert humidity—this succulent is an optimal choice for your home. It thrives in low humidity, yet its lush round leaves offer pop after pop of life. You should be aware that these plants only live a few years, but they are easy to propagate if you want a continuous supply of green pearls.
Spider Plant
Light: bright indirect light
Soil: rich and well-draining
Water: water when the top few inches of soil is dry
Temperature and humidity: 65-85ºF and moderate to high humidity
A hardy houseplant, the spider plant can handle a bit of neglect that results from a busy household or a travel-packed schedule. Along with their long, thin leaves, spider plants also develop fun lil’ plantlets, also known as pups or spiderettes. Spider plants can survive in a variety of light conditions, but they are more likely to produce plantlets when they receive lots of bright light. While we’re on the topic of easy to care for plants, check out some of our favorite low maintenance garden plants.
Hanging Houseplants for the Bedroom
Not only can houseplants add a bit of natural tranquility to your bedroom, but they may also help improve air quality and help reduce stress. Try hanging one of these plants beside your bed or above a dresser for a nice green touch.
Pothos
Light: bright yet indirect light
Soil: rich and well-draining
Water: water when the top few inches of soil is dry
Temperature and humidity: 60-90ºF and moderate to high humidity
If you’re looking for an easy-to-care-for hanging houseplant, a pothos is a great option. Not only are these plants easy to keep alive, but they’re super simple to propagate by stem cuttings. Pothos come in numerous varieties, including the lime green ‘Neon’ and white and dark green streaked ‘Marble Queen.”
Satin Pothos
Light: moderate to bright indirect light
Soil: well-draining
Water: water when the top two inches of soil is dry
Temperature and humidity: 65-85ºF and moderate to high humidity
Despite its name, this houseplant is not a true pothos. However, it has the same trailing form and heart-shaped leaves as its namesake plants. Satin pothos leaves are dark green with silvery spots, and the entire leaf seems to be coated in a light coat of shimmery silver. Due to its trailing habit, it looks stunning cascading down out of a hanging basket.
Philodendron Micans
Sun: prefers bright or moderate indirect light but can tolerate low light
Soil: rich and well-draining
Water: water when the top few inches of soil are dry
Temperature and humidity: 60-85ºF with high humidity
There are hundreds of species of philodendrons, you can find more than a few trailing varieties. However, the micans is one of the top picks if you want a hanging plant. It has heart-shaped leaves with a velvet-like texture that adds warmth to bedroom spaces.
Have your own potted Eye Adore You Philodendron plant delivered
Brighten Your Life with Plants and Flowers
Now that you know how to hang plants, it’s time to order plants for delivery! We carry a selection of plants that work well hanging in pots and others that work well on desks and bedside tables.
And if you already have a plant ready for hanging, check out our selection of farm-fresh flowers ready for delivery.
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