Picking a hanging plant sounds simple.
You see something trailing and green at the nursery, you bring it home, and you hang it up. Then it dies.
Not because you’re bad with plants. But because the wrong plant ended up in the wrong spot. Too little light for a sun-lover. Too much dry air for something tropical. A pot too heavy for the hook you chose. I’ve made all three mistakes in my own apartment.
These 13 best indoor hanging plants are grouped by where they work best: low-light spots, bedrooms, bathrooms, and homes with pets.
Each one comes with honest care notes so you know what you’re committing to before you spend money.
What Makes a Good Indoor Hanging Plant?
Not every houseplant belongs in a hanging basket. Some look odd when suspended. Others grow upright and look worse the higher they get.
A good hanging plant does one of two things: it trails down naturally, or its leaves fan out wide enough to fill the space. Think long vines that cascade over the edge of a pot, or broad leafy fronds that drape outward.
A few other things to check before you buy:
- Light first: Match the plant to the light you actually have. Not the light you wish you had. This is the single most common mistake.
- Weight: A ceramic pot full of wet soil is heavy. Adhesive hooks hold up to 3-5 lbs. Heavier pots need a ceiling joist or toggle bolt. A DIY macrame plant hanger spreads that weight better than most store-bought hooks.
- Drainage: Hanging pots dry out faster than floor pots because warm air circulates around them on all sides. You will water these more often than you expect.
Picking the right hooks matters just as much as picking the right plant, and there’s more than one way to hang plants without drilling into plaster or drywall.
13 Best Indoor Hanging Plants That Thrive Indoors
These indoor hanging plants are easy to care for, thrive in typical home conditions, and instantly add greenery and movement to any space.
Best Indoor Hanging Plants for Low Light
Low light doesn’t mean no light. It means indirect light, or a spot away from windows. These plants handle that well.
1. Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
Pothos is the plant that can survive almost anything.
Missed waterings, dark corners, dry air. It keeps going. Mine has lived through all three in my Portland apartment, and it’s still one of my favorites seven years in.
The vines can trail several feet indoors, and there are enough varieties (golden, neon, marble queen) that you’re unlikely to get bored.
Beyond how easy it is to keep alive, pothos plants benefit include filtering common indoor air pollutants.
- Light: Low to bright indirect
- Water: When the top 2 inches of soil are dry
- Watch out: Toxic to cats, dogs, and children. Keep it out of reach.
- Best spot: Hallways, living rooms, bathrooms
2. Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum)
People confuse this with pothos all the time.
The leaves are a similar shape, and the trailing habit is similar. The care is nearly identical. But the heartleaf philodendron has slightly thinner, more matte leaves and tends to trail in a cleaner, less bushy way.
- Light: Low to medium indirect
- Water: When the top inch of soil is dry
- Best spot: Bedrooms, home offices, shaded corners
3. Spider Plant (Chlorophytum Comosum)
Spider plants produce offshoots: small baby plants that dangle from the mother on long stems. They look good in a basket, they’re forgiving about watering, and they’re safe for pets and children.
- Light: Low to bright indirect
- Water: When the top half of the soil is dry
- Good to know: Pet-safe and child-safe
- Best spot: Kitchens, kids’ rooms, bathrooms
4. English Ivy (Hedera helix)
Ivy handles a cool north-facing room better than most trailing plants.
The long cascading vines look great in a basket. One thing to watch: dry air attracts spider mites. If your home runs warm and dry in winter, mist it occasionally or move it to a bathroom.
- Light: Low to bright indirect
- Water: Let the top inch dry between waterings. Keep lightly moist
- Best spot: Cool rooms, north-facing windows
5. Grape Ivy (Cissus rhombifolia)
Not as well-known as the others here, but worth it.
Grape ivy produces long, arching vines with glossy leaves and handles low light surprisingly well, as long as the soil stays moist. Good for spots where pothos have already become too obvious.
- Light: Tolerates low light when the soil stays moist. Prefers bright indirect light
- Water: Once a week. Do the finger test first
- Best spot: Living rooms, dining rooms
Best Indoor Hanging Plants for Beginners
These plants can handle the kind of inconsistent care most beginners actually give, including occasional neglect and whatever light the room has.
If a hanging basket still feels like a commitment, easy houseplants in regular pots are a lower-stakes place to start.
6. Tradescantia (Tradescantia zebrina / Nanouk)
Fast-growing, colorful, and hard to kill. Tradescantia produces purple-and-green-striped leaves that look striking in a basket. It trails quickly, so you’ll get a full-looking plant faster than most other options.
Trim it back if it gets leggy. Cuttings root in water within a week.
- Light: Partial to bright indirect
- Water: Keep slightly moist. Tolerates brief dry spells
- Best spot: Windowsills, living rooms
7. Peperomia
Peperomia stays compact and doesn’t ask for much. It only needs water when the soil is fully dry. It won’t trail dramatically like pothos, but it works well in small spaces and handles low to medium light without any fuss.
Good for a home office shelf or a small apartment.
- Light: Medium to low indirect
- Water: Only when the soil is completely dry. Very drought-tolerant
- Best spot: Offices, small apartments, shelves
Best Indoor Hanging Plants for Bedroom
These easy-care trailing plants grow well in low to bright indirect light and are ideal for adding color and softness to bedroom interiors.
8. Neon Pothos
The neon pothos is the same plant as the golden pothos, but with lime-green leaves that glow in lower-light bedrooms.
It’s worth calling out separately because the color makes a real difference in a room that needs brightness without direct sun. Same easy care as regular pothos.
- Light: Low to moderate indirect
- Water: When the top 2 inches of soil are dry
- Note: Toxic to pets. Keep out of reach if animals sleep in the room.
- Best spot: Bedrooms with limited natural light
9. String of Hearts (Ceropegia Woodii)
String of hearts is compact. It’s a good pick for a bedroom where you want greenery without bulk. The thin vines carry small heart-shaped leaves, and the whole plant stays manageable.
It prefers bright light and dries out quickly, so a spot near a bedroom window works best.
- Light: Bright indirect
- Water: Let the soil dry completely between waterings
- Pet safety: Non-toxic to cats and dogs
- Best spot: Near a bright bedroom window
10. Hoya Carnosa (Wax Plant)
Hoya is a slow grower. Some people find that frustrating.
Others find it ideal because it won’t take over the room. The waxy leaves look good year-round, and when it gets enough bright light, it produces small clusters of fragrant star-shaped flowers. Worth the wait.
- Light: Bright indirect
- Water: Let soil dry between waterings. Handles some neglect
- Pet safety: Non-toxic to cats and dogs
- Best spot: Bright bedroom windows
Best Indoor Hanging Plants for the Bathroom
Bathrooms tend to be humid, often low-light, and sometimes cramped. The plants here work well in those exact conditions.
11. Boston Fern (Nephrolepis Exaltata)
Boston ferns love humidity. A steamy bathroom is one of their favorite places to live. The long drooping fronds fill a basket well and look lush when they’re happy.
The catch is they need consistent moisture. Let them dry out, and the fronds go brown and crispy fast.
- Light: Bright indirect. Handles bathroom light well
- Water: Keep evenly moist. Check every 2 to 3 days
- Pet safety: Non-toxic to cats and dogs
- Best spot: Bathrooms with a window
One practical note: use a pot with drainage holes and a saucer below, or a cachepot liner. Bathroom humidity is good for the leaves but root rot from sitting water will kill the plant faster than anything else.
12. Bird’s Nest Fern (Asplenium Nidus)
The bird’s nest fern has broad, flat fronds that fan outward rather than drooping down.
It looks less like a traditional hanging plant and more like a bold sculptural piece hung up top. It handles lower light better than the Boston fern. Good for bathrooms without a window.
- Light: Low to medium indirect
- Water: Keep consistently moist. Avoid pouring water into the center rosette. It sits and causes rot.
- Best spot: Windowless bathrooms, steamy rooms
Best Indoor Hanging Plants that are Pet-Friendly
If you have cats or dogs, this matters a lot. Pothos and philodendron are toxic and should stay well out of reach. The plant below is listed as non-toxic by the ASPCA.
13. Burro’s Tail (Sedum Morganianum)
Burro’s tail is a succulent with thick, fleshy leaves that stack tightly along long, trailing stems.
It looks unlike anything else on this list. The stems can grow up to 2 feet and drape beautifully from a basket. It’s slow to get going, but once established, it’s very low maintenance.
Water it infrequently, give it a bright spot, and leave it alone.
- Light: Bright indirect. A south or east-facing window works well
- Water: Every 10-14 days. Let the soil dry out fully between waterings
- Pet safety: Non-toxic to cats and dogs per ASPCA
- Best spot: Bright living rooms, sunny windowsills, home offices with good light
One thing to know: the leaves fall off if you brush against them. Put it somewhere it won’t get knocked. Once you find the right spot, don’t move it.
For a full list of toxic and non-toxic plants, the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control database is the most reliable resource.
How to Care for Indoor Hanging Plants
A few care rules apply across almost every plant on this list.
- Hanging pots dry out faster than floor pots: Warm air circulates around all sides of a suspended pot. Check the soil more often than you would a regular pot. Once every few days is not too frequent in summer.
- Always use drainage: A pot without drainage holes traps excess water around roots, causing rot. Always use drainage holes with a drip tray or cachepot for proper water control.
- Feed once a month in spring and summer: A balanced liquid fertilizer is enough. Skip it entirely in autumn and winter when most plants slow down.
- Prune to encourage fullness: Trim long stems just below a leaf node to encourage branching. Cuttings can regrow, and most trailing plants root easily in water within weeks.
Wrapping It Up
The best indoor hanging plants are the ones that match the room you’re putting them in, not just the ones that look good in photos.
For low-light spots, start with a pothos or a spider plant. For bedrooms, a string of hearts near a window is hard to beat. For bathrooms, a Boston fern in a steamy corner with decent light will reward you.
And if you have pets, stick to the ASPCA-verified safe list: spider plants, hoya, Boston fern, and string of hearts.
Hanging pots dry out faster than floor pots, because warm air hits them from every side. Water yours more than you think they need. That one adjustment will keep most of the plants on this list alive and growing.
Which one are you starting with? Drop a comment below. If the hooks are still the sticking point, most ceiling anchors let you hang plants without drilling into plaster or drywall.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Easiest Indoor Hanging Plant for Beginners?
Pothos. It handles low light, irregular watering, dry air, and occasional neglect. It’s hard to kill even with inconsistent care, which is exactly what most beginners have.
What Indoor Hanging Plants are Safe for Cats and Dogs?
Spider plants, Boston ferns, string of hearts, and hoya carnosa are all listed as non-toxic by the ASPCA. Pothos and heartleaf philodendrons are toxic to pets and should be kept out of reach.
Can I Grow Hanging Plants in An Office with No Natural Light?
Pothos is the strongest option. It’s one of the few plants that grows under fluorescent lighting alone. Heartleaf philodendron and spider plants also handle office lighting, though they’ll grow more slowly.
