Wonderful Houseplants That Trail Down and Bring Greenery to Your Home

Top House Plants That Will Trail Down and Spillover Your Shelves

If you’re looking to add some intriguing vertical elements and visual depth to your home, trailing houseplants are a great option to consider. In this article, we’ll overview some of the best plants for hanging baskets or shelves that will gracefully spill over the edges with lush foliage or colorful blooms. Whether you’re a plant novice or seasoned green thumb, there are greattrailing plant choices to match your care abilities and space limitations.

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)

Commonly called devil’s ivy or golden pothos, this is arguably one of the most foolproof trailing plants you can buy. Pothos are very tolerant of low light and forgive of neglect, thriving in conditions that would cause other plants to perish. They grow rapidly using aerial roots to climb or spill over the edges of pots and baskets. I have faced situations where a large pot of pothos took over an entire shelf with its trailing vines. Its heart shaped green or variegated leaves offer lovely visual texture. Pothos are practically indestructible and make an excellent choice for beginners or high-traffic areas.

English Ivy (Hedera helix)

With its dark evergreen foliage, English ivy takes trailing houseplants to the next level. It grows quite quickly to create lush vertical walls of leaves. English ivy prefers partial to full shade and appreciates moderate water. It can get quite large, so give it space to really climb. However, be aware that it can be invasive outdoors in some regions. English ivy brings a sophisticated charm like you’d see on the walls of historic buildings. The glossy leaves come in solid green or variegated varieties, with some cultivars even producing purple leaves in fall.

Swedish Ivy (Plectranthus verticillatus)

A lower maintenance option compared to English ivy is Swedish ivy, which prefers medium to bright indirect light. It thrives on neglect, hardly ever needing water and thriving in low humidity. Swedish ivy has soft textured fuzzy dark green leaves that resemble buckwheat hulls. It prefers to trail rather than climb. Therefore, it’s perfect for hanging planters, shelves, or draping attractively over the edges of furniture. Propagation is simple by stem cuttings. This low care plant makes an excellent choice for forgetful plant parents or offices.

Tradescantia zebrina (Wandering Dude)

1. Purple heart: Features green and purple oval leaves. Color is most vibrant in good light conditions. I have this plant and the leaves are stunning!
2. Nanouk: Glaucous blue-gray foliage with creamy white stripes. More compact habit than other varieties.
3. White orchid: Soft gray-green leaves splotched with white windows. Blooms light pink in summer.

Tradescantia, also known as wandering dude or inchplant, grows rapidly using fragile zigzag stems. It roots wherever the stems touch the soil, allowing it grow in lush cascades. Tradescantia benefits from bright indirect light and prefers soil kept slightly moist. These colorful varieties will bring a tropical feel to bookshelves or hanging pots. Another bonus is its hardiness – it bounces back easily from neglect. Tradescantias are super easy to propagate by stem or leaf cuttings for spreading your lush trails.

Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum)

With its distinctive heart shaped leaves ranging from 2-6 inches, heartleaf philodendron has a classic vining houseplant appearance. Its foliage comes in solid green or variegated forms with creamy edges. Philodendron prefers medium to low light and average indoor temperatures. Under ideal conditions, heartleaf philodendron can climb quite high trailing elegantly from hanging baskets or poles. While it tolerates low humidity better than some other philodendrons, its lush foliage makes an attractive hanging or trailing element for any home. Propagation is simple by stem or leaf cuttings.

Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

Ubiquitous and nearly indestructible, spider plants are kind of amazing basically. While often grown upright in pots, their long grassy flexible stems and miniature offshoots allow spider plants to gracefully trail over the edges of containers too. Their narrow pointed green leaves offer lovely linear texture. Spider plants can tolerate a range of conditions from low light to high and every light level in between. They’re sort of famous for being virtually impossible to kill, whether by over or under watering. Even when trimmed back hard for propagation, they bounce right back. Their ability to self propagate with offsets makes them great for filling an entire shelf with casual foliage.

String of Pearls (Senecio rowleyanus)

For a wispy and delicate look, string of pearls is a top pick. As the name suggests, it has pea-sized ovoid green or golden leaves on string-like stems. String of pearls thrives in very bright light and well draining slightly gritty soil. Although slow growing, it produces lovely cascades spilling over the sides of baskets. Propagation requires separating stem sections with multiple beads and repotting. Its flowers are small yellow cymes blooming in spring. While more temperamental than pothos or tradescantia, string of pearls is stunning when happy. Place it in a hanging basket and bright southwest window to really show off its beauty.

Purple Wandering Jew (Tradescantia pallida ‘Purpurea’)

A striking variation on the standard wandering jew, purplewandering jew has fuzzy oval leaves of deep burgundy. New growth emerges bright rose before darkening. It has all the ease of care of tradescantia but with bolder color. In bright light, the hues will really pop. Allow it to spill elegantly from hanging pots, over shelves, or cascading down walls for a dash of foliar drama. Purple wandering jew thrives in fertile soil kept consistently moist. It propagates readily from stem cuttings for spreading color throughout your plants.

With a variety of care needs to choose from, I hope this overview of top trailing houseplants provided some great options to upgrade your space with beautiful foliage textures both lush and delicate. Consider personal style, care abilities, and growing conditions when selecting plants best suited for your yard or home. Don’t hesitate to experiment until you find your perfect matches. Green thumbs of varying skills can enjoy the enjoyment that trailing plants provide through their graceful cascades.

Top Trailing Houseplants

FAQ

1. What types of plants can trail down from shelves or hanging pots?

   There are several kinds of plants that can grow downwards in a hanging manner. Popular choices involve pothos, philodendron, spider plants, and english ivy. Pothos is sometimes called the “hanging plant” since its vines will extend quite a long way with just a little assistance from a support system.

2. How long will plants grow before they start to trail?

   It depends on the specific variety, but most trailing plants will begin to trail in just a few weeks or months. Pothos is known to start growing downwards quite fast. English ivy, on the other hand, might take a little longer – perhaps a few months – before the vines are long enough to hang down. So don’t fret if it doesn’t happen right away. Just be patient.

   

3. What’s the best way to encourage trailing growth?

   The number one way to encourage downward trailing growth is to provide the plant with something to grab onto as it grows. Make sure any hanging pots, baskets, or shelving have some kind of feature like hooks or lattices for the vines to curl around. You can also gently tie the vines to a support using twine or fishing line as they grow longer. Proper light and water will also help the plants trail their fastest.

4. Are there any safety issues to watch out for?

   While trailing plants tend to be low maintenance, you’ll want to make sure the vines don’t end up in an area where they could pose a problem. For instance, don’t let English ivy grow so long that it trails into a high-traffic walkway where someone could trip. Likewise, don’t position hanging pots directly above your head where dripping water could be an issue. Other than that, most of these plants are quite hardy and easygoing.

5. How do you keep trailing plants looking their best?

   To keep trailing plants in top form, water them when the soil becomes dry to the touch. Like any plant, they need consistent moisture to thrive but won’t like soggy wet feet. You can also fertilize during the growing season in spring and summer. Prune off any brown or leggy vines to encourage new growth. Give the plants plenty of indirect sunlight and they’ll reward you with nonstop fabulous foliage and trailing vines for many months.

6. How long will trailing plants continue to grow?

   In general, trailing houseplants tend to be very long-lived. Properly cared for, they’ll continue trailing for years and years. Maybe that’s part of the appeal – you can watch them slowly progress, getting longer and fuller as the seasons change. The vines may grow quite long, though it’s unlikely they’ll ever reach the length of an actual climbing plant or vine. But they sure can cover a wide area given enough time. So get comfortable – you could have a steady trailing companion for a long time!

   

7. What’s the best way to use trailing plants in a home’s decor?

   Trailing plants offer a carefree way to incorporate greenspace throughout a home. Try hanging pots of trails from ceilings, shelves, or using them in hanging baskets near windows. Place trailing varieties in elevated pots on furniture too. It provides privacy for side tables or the look of a lush living curtain. Combine different trailers for visual appeal. Their relaxed style suits almost any room – from bathroom to great room – easy beauty at its finest!