Arricca Elin SanSone is a freelance writer, editor, and digital content developer. She specializes in lifestyle and interior design content with a focus on gardening. Arricca earned dual bachelor’s degrees summa cum laude in English and classics from Hiram College, as well as an MBA cum laude from Georgia Southern University. Before writing full-time, Arricca studied in Rome, traveled in Europe, and taught school in Asia. With over a decade of experience, Arricca has pitched, researched, and crafted fresh story ideas and content to appeal to national audiences. She has written thousands of articles for print and digital publications such as Country Living, Good Housekeeping, Prevention, House Beautiful, and more. She’s passionate about gardening, baking, reading, and spending time with the people and dogs she loves.","jobTitle":"Contributing Writer","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/rover/profile_photos/29dc1f78-ddae-4377-840a-1dba434b76d7_1525357351.file"},{"name":"Terri Robertson","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/author/241553/terri-robertson/","@type":"Person","description":"
Terri Robertson is the Senior Editor, Digital, at Country Living, where she shares her lifelong love of homes, gardens, down-home cooking, and antiques. "}],"@context":"http://schema.org","about":{"@type":"ItemList","numberOfItems":22,"itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Hoya","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/g27424920/best-hanging-plants/#slide-1","description":"There are hundreds of different types of hoya, commonly known as wax plant because of their fleshy, waxy leaves. Most of them do well in hanging baskets. This sturdy house plant prefers bright, indirect light. 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You'll love displaying them indoors in a hanging basket. With long, blue-ish fronds and a delicate aura, they're much sturdier than picky Boston ferns. Give them bright, indirect light, and keep the soil slightly moist. SHOP BLUESTAR FERNS","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/blue-star-fern-in-a-white-pot-close-up-royalty-free-image-1715621364.jpg"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":11,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Begonia Boliviensis","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/g27424920/best-hanging-plants/#slide-11","description":"These gorgeous begonias have arrow-shaped foliage and a profusion of brightly-colored flowers that bloom all summer long. Hummingbirds love them! They prefer part shade. ","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/close-up-image-of-vibrant-red-hanging-baskets-with-royalty-free-image-1715616018.jpg"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":12,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Staghorn Fern","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/g27424920/best-hanging-plants/#slide-12","description":"This stunning fern looks amazing when mounted on wood or suspended in a hanging basket. Staghorn ferns need bright, indirect light and should be soaked weekly for 10 or 15 minutes to water them. 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Hanging plants are an easy way to make the most of every kind of space, both indoors and out.
Indoors, hanging plants don't take up floor space or tabletops. Plus, you can keep them out of the reach of curious kids and pets! They also add color and drama to boring corners or awkward spaces in your home.
Many indoor hanging plants, such some types of ferns, also can summer outdoors, as long as you bring them in for the winter before temperatures drop into the 40s.
Outdoors, hanging plants, such as petunias and fuchsia, are a way to add instant charm to your garden, decorate your front porch or patio, or make your back deck more inviting. Whether you're looking to fill window boxes or want to display a colorful collection of patio plants, hanging baskets are an easy solution.
They're also a great way to boost curb appeal. “Hanging baskets are a great final touch to a space that needs more texture than architecturally planned,” says landscape designer Daniel McCurry of Father Nature Landscapes in Birmingham, Alabama.
But be aware that outdoor hanging plants require a little more attention. "Because of their suspension in the air, hanging baskets require daily watering. So only buy them if you have the capacity for daily watering or drip irrigation for them," says McCurry. Also, be sure to locate them in an area that won't impede foot traffic so people aren't running face-first into them.
Technically a tender perennial, many modern petunia hybrids are grown as annuals in all USDA Plant Hardiness Zones. They'll bloom all summer long until a hard frost.
Look for low-maintenance varieties that don't need deadheading to keep the blooms coming, such as Supertunias.
Boston ferns are inexpensive, and they add so much texture and color to part-shade or full-shade spots in your garden. "I love the look of a hanging fern outdoors. The detail of the leaves as they unfurl is mesmerizing," says Melissa Lallo Johnson of @fancyflowerfarmer, a master gardener based in the Midwest.
If grown indoors as a houseplant, they can be a little fussier because they prefer high humidity levels, which is hard to replicate inside our homes, especially in winter. However, if given bright light, they can do fine. But be aware that they tend to drop fronds, so they're a little messy.
Bacopas look amazing tumbling out of window boxes and containers. They come in several different colors including blue, pink and white and make an excellent "spiller" plant, for mixed containers. They prefer full sun but will put up with afternoon shade, especially in very hot climates.
Pothos are one of the best indoor hanging plants to grow because they will tolerate a wide variety of light levels.
Although they prefer bright, indirect light, they will do fine in low light (but won't grow as quickly). Water only when the top few inches of soil feel dry because they don't like to stay wet.
There are many different varieties, including those with golden, white, or speckled foliage. But they're all easy to grow!
Spider plants have been a popular houseplant for decades because of their pretty, arching form and green and white or green, white and yellow foliage. Indoors, give them bright, indirect light, though they will adapt to low light levels. Keep the soil evenly moist.
Bonus: Snip off the baby "plantlets" that appear on long, arching stems and pot them up to make new plants.
The exotic-looking flowers of these stunning outdoor plants attract tons of hummingbirds. Give fuchsia full shade, and keep them watered all season long. A dose of all-purpose fertilizer will keep blooms coming.
This fern has only become available more recently, but they're a must-have. You'll love displaying them indoors in a hanging basket. With long, blue-ish fronds and a delicate aura, they're much sturdier than picky Boston ferns. Give them bright, indirect light, and keep the soil slightly moist.
These gorgeous begonias have arrow-shaped foliage and a profusion of brightly-colored flowers that bloom all summer long. Hummingbirds love them! They prefer part shade.
12
Staghorn Fern
lawcain//Getty Images
This stunning fern looks amazing when mounted on wood or suspended in a hanging basket. Staghorn ferns need bright, indirect light and should be soaked weekly for 10 or 15 minutes to water them.
Fan flowers, also called scaevola, have the most striking fan-shaped flowers in shades of electric blue, pink, or white. They don't need to be deadheaded and are a tough plant for full sun conditions. They will bloom all summer until a hard frost.
14
Nasturtium
getty images
Nasturtiums have a wonderful vining or climbing habit, but they also work cascading out of hanging baskets. They tolerate full sun to part shade. The lovely blooms and peppery leaves are also edible, so add them to salads or float the flowers in beverages for extra zing.
How cute are these plants? Aptly named, the long, dangling beads can reach several feet long. They're a must-have succulent for any brightly-lit indoor space. Water when mostly dry because they retain water, as all succulents do.
One of the best annuals for outdoor hanging baskets because of their long bloom time, calibrachoa never need to be deadheaded and will keep blooming and blooming! They also come in every color you can imagine from lemony yellow to hot pink. Give them full sun.
As easy-care as pothos, these vining plants have glossy, green heart-shaped leaves. Heart leafs prefer bright, indirect light, but will tolerate low light--though they won't grow as quickly. Water only when the top few inches of soil feel dry.
Sweet alyssum are an annual that tolerates both chilly spring and fall mornings and the heat of summer. Just keep these low-growing plants watered and they will bloom all summer long. They also attract tons of pollinators, and you'll love the sweet honey scent.
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19
Burro's Tail
getty images
These sedums earns their name from the long, tail-like woven stems, which look stunning hanging from a pot or basket. Give them bright, indirect light, and, because they're succulents which retain water, water only when the top few inches of soil are dry.
Sweet, little pansies and violas are the perfect spring and fall flowers. They'll fade in the heat of summer, but if sheared back, they may rebound in fall. They like full to part sun, and many types re-seed so they'll pop up in your garden again next spring.
