There is something particularly beautiful about plants that have a trailing growth habit. Those gently meandering vines languidly reach wherever the sun directs them to create such beautiful lines. I love to add trailing plants to my container arrangements and hanging baskets.
Beautiful trailing plants fall into many groups, from drought-tolerant succulents and epiphytes to lush tropicals and flowering creepers. Some make excellent houseplants, while others prefer being outdoors in full sunlight. Here are 21 of my favorite trailing plants that work well in pots and containers.
String of Pearls
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botanical name Curio rowleyanus, syn. |
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sun requirements Bright indirect light |
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hardiness zones 9-12 |
This sweet little succulent makes a wonderful addition to any hanging basket of like-minded plants. Mix a String of Pearls plant with echeveria, kalanchoe, and haworthia for a beautiful, textural combination that is exceptionally low-maintenance. As succulents, these plants like a lot of bright light, but direct sun should be avoided, especially in the afternoon.
String of pearl plants needs very little care. The biggest concern is overwatering, as these plants don’t need much. Let the soil dry between waterings to avoid root rot. Handle this plant carefully, as the delicate stems and small, fleshy leaves can separate easily.
Inchplant
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botanical name Tradescantia zebrina |
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sun requirements Bright indirect light |
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hardiness zones 9-12 |
Inchplant goes by many names and is one of the most popular trailing plants around. With its brilliant silver and purple variegated leaves, this stands out among houseplants and garden plants. Look for small purple flowers in the spring that let you know your inchplant is thriving.
Regarding care, this plant likes good drainage but a fair amount of moisture, so water it regularly. Avoid letting water sit in the plant’s crown, as this will cause crown rot and deflate the top portion of your plant, leaving it scraggly. This plant looks gorgeous in an arrangement with other plants or on its own.
Silver Satin Pothos
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botanical name Scindapsus pictus |
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sun requirements Bright indirect light |
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hardiness zones 9-11 |
Silver Satin is not a true pothos, although it does behave like one and is closely related to pothos. The heart-shaped leaves are deep green with a shimmery, silver variegation called blistering that only appears on the top of the leaves. Different varieties have different patterns and amounts of this attractive variegation.
Like pothos, Silver Satin is very flexible about its care and location. I’ve let mine dry out completely, and it bounces right back with a little attention. This is a fabulous plant for propagating and sharing. All you need to do is take a cutting and pop it in a glass of water for a few weeks to take root.
Heartleaf Philodendron
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botanical name Philodendron hederaceum |
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sun requirements Bright indirect light |
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hardiness zones 9-11 |
I love this plant for its resilience and ease of care. Unlike many philodendrons, heartleaf philodendron is tolerant of wet soil, and when placed in a window with indirect sun for most of the day, it basically takes care of itself.
When they are young, the lovely heart-shaped leaves have a pink tint and mature into a lovely deep green. It is easy to propagate and transplant and pairs well with most other houseplants. It can tolerate humidity but does fine at a normal indoor humidity level.
Burro’s Tail
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botanical name Sedum morganianum |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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hardiness zones 10-11 |
Another fun trailing succulent, Burro’s Tail, has a fun, overlapping leaf pattern that, when given enough light, grows in a tight rosette, creating a tail-like appearance. You can plant this one alone or combine it with other succulents and virtually forget it.
Unlike some other succulent plants, Burro’s Tail does enjoy a fair amount of sun. Many succulents will blush under the stress of too much sun, but not this one. The more sun, the better. If placed in only partial sun, the spaces between leaves will lengthen, and it will lose its neatly organized appearance.
English Ivy
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botanical name Hedera helix |
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sun requirements Partial to full shade |
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hardiness zones 4-13 |
English ivy is a classic spiller that looks beautifully refined in an outdoor container arrangement. Pair this one with a rose bush for the ultimate cottage garden in a pot. Keep your ivy contained, as this one can be aggressive. While it may look like a good ground cover, it can get out of hand and create a monoculture if you aren’t vigilant.
As long as you keep it contained, English ivy is a beautiful trailing plant that is easy to care for and thrives in some of the shadiest spaces in the garden. Keep this one out of full sun, as the leaves can burn.
Creeping Fig
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botanical name Ficus pumila |
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sun requirements Bright indirect light |
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hardiness zones 7-11 |
Creeping figs can be planted outdoors or indoors. It does well year-round in zones 7-11 and is a great, evergreen way to cover unsightly structures. It also makes a nice trailing element to the container arrangement, and being an evergreen, it is perfect for painting with a small juniper shrub.
Use this plant intentionally if planting outdoors. It can get out of hand like ivy if you don’t watch it closely. While it will grow in full sun, indirect light is acceptable, making this a great houseplant.
Trailing Jade
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botanical name Senecio jacobsenii |
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sun requirements Partial sun or bright indirect light |
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hardiness zones 10-11 |
This plant may look a lot like the plant we know as Jade Plant or Crassula ovata, but the two are not closely related. Nonetheless, they have similar needs and do closely resemble one another. Trailing jade has downward-hanging, woody stems. The leaves are fleshy and tear-drop-shaped, arranged in an overlapping pattern.
Trailing jade can handle some direct sun, preferably in the morning. It should be kept out of direct sun in the afternoon to avoid stressing the plant. Bright indirect light is just right for this plant. Place it next to a sunny window, and it will produce bright orange flowers.
Fishbone Cactus
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botanical name Disocactus anguliger |
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sun requirements Indirect light |
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hardiness zones 10-12 |
This quirky little succulent has a look all its own. Fishbone cactus is a desert epiphyte, so it needs very good drainage and likes more humidity than the average cactus. Treat this plant more like an orchid than a cactus to keep it happy.
Fishbone cactus does not like direct sun and will show signs of stress if it gets too much sunlight. Keep this plant in bright but indirect sun. The fun zigzagging leaves look great in a hanging basket and can grow up to three feet long!
Adanson’s Monstera
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botanical name Monstera adansonii |
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sun requirements Bright indirect light |
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hardiness zones 9-11 |
Most monstera plants are known for being excellent climbers, but Adanson’s monster, also known as the Swiss cheese plant, is a wonderful trailer that works great in a hanging basket. Planted outdoors in a tropical climate, this plant grows very quickly and very large, reaching up to 13 feet long.
When kept in a container, expect a smaller, more manageable plant with attractive foliage. The margins of this plant don’t split in the same way that Monstera deliciosa does, but they do fenestrate. The leaves also remain smaller than their relatives.
String of Hearts
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botanical name Ceropaegia woodii |
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sun requirements Bright indirect light |
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hardiness zones 10-12 |
For a string plant that has a sweet appearance, look no further than a string of hearts plant. This pretty, delicate plant has long, thin stems which can trail up to 12 feet over time! The leaves are small, heart-shaped, and, in most cases, variegated.
Keep your string of hearts plant in a warm, humid room and out of direct sunlight. My string of hearts plant loves the bathroom window with privacy glass to diffuse the light. This is an easy plant to care for and can handle some neglect. It flowers easily and grows quickly, filling up a hanging container in no time.
Lipstick Plant
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botanical name Aeschynanthus spp. |
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sun requirements Partial sun, bright indirect light |
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hardiness zones 10-12 |
Named for its vermillion, tube-shaped flowers, the lipstick plant is a wonderful trailing plant that is easy to care for and makes a great houseplant. This is another epiphyte, so it needs good drainage and air circulation paired with a fair amount of humidity.
The glossy leaves on this plant resemble a hoya, which makes sense as their care needs are very similar. Lipstick plants can tolerate some direct sun in the morning, but bright indirect light is the most appropriate exposure, making this a wonderful houseplant.
Black-Eyed Susan Vine
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botanical name Thunbergia alata |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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hardiness zones 10-11 |
Another misnomer, the Black-eyed Susan vine is not a close relative of rudbeckia, but the flowers strikingly resemble those of their namesake. Black-eyed Susan vine makes a wonderful outdoor trailing vine for containers, as it needs a lot of sun. Full sun is best for this flowering vine.
This fast grower reaches up to eight feet long in a single season. In cooler climates, Black-eyed Susan vine must come indoors in winter. It is not cold tolerant; a frost will kill the foliage and possibly damage the roots. Keep this vine in a container in warmer climates to prevent it from becoming invasive by aggressive self-seeding.
Trailing Lobelia
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botanical name Lobelia erinus |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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hardiness zones 2-11 |
For adding some punches of color to your outdoor containers, trailing lobelia is a perfect choice, especially if your containers don’t get sun all day. Although lobelias can tolerate full sun, they perform best in partial shade. Most types are mound-forming, but the L. erinus species has a trailing habit.
The bright violet-blue flowers on this little plant are very attractive to humans and pollinators. This prolific bloomer will be covered in small flowers, sometimes from spring until fall. Give this plant more shelter from the summer sun to prolong its blooms.
Creeping Jenny
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botanical name Lysimachia nummularia |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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hardiness zones 3-9 |
While creeping Jenny is a flowering plant, the flowers are quite small and fade quickly. Fortunately, this plant has very pretty foliage, so it is commonly used as a spiller in arrangements and a ground cover. The plant can be difficult to control, so it works best in a large container.
Fast growing, with small, well-shaped pairs of leaves, it’s no wonder this plant is so popular and easy to find. Plant it in spring and watch it take off. This is a perennial in zones 3-9, so it can be left outdoors year-round.
Fuchsia
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botanical name Fuchsia |
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sun requirements Partial shade |
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hardiness zones 10-11 |
Fuchsia plants come in a wide array of color combinations, each one more beautiful than the last. This plant is a bit more work than others on the list, but the stunning blooms are well worth the effort.
You can plant your Fuchsias in a container where they will trail or in the ground where they will have more of a mounding or climbing habit. Brightly colored flowers hang pendulous and attract pollinators from June until the first frost.
Petunia
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botanical name Petunia |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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hardiness zones 9-11 |
Typically grown as annuals, petunias are one of the most recognizable plants at the nursery. Their large, colorful, and sweet-smelling flowers make them very popular for hanging baskets and container arrangements. If given the opportunity, many varieties will form a trailing habit as they grow taller.
Add these lovely plants to containers that get plenty of sun. More sun means more flowers for petunias. These are not drought-tolerant, so don’t forget to water them. This makes them sound high maintenance, but I have to say, they are well worth the effort as one of the biggest bloomers.
Pearls and Jade Pothos
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botanical name Epipremnum aureum ‘Pearls and Jade’ |
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sun requirements Bright indirect light |
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hardiness zones 9-12 |
This plant brings me so much joy. It is one of the easiest houseplants to care for, and it’s beautiful, too! The wonderful variation of pearls and jade is crisp and highly contrasted. As the name implies, these leaves are creamy white paired with variations of jade green.
Pearls and Jade can tolerate varied sun, water, and soil conditions. Like most other pothos types, it is hard to kill this plant. Ideally, this one prefers plenty of indirect light, but it does surprisingly well with very low exposure, although it is unlikely to produce much new growth this way.
Silver Falls Dichondra
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botanical name Dichondra argentea |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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hardiness zones 8-10 |
Silver Falls pairs beautifully with most container plants due to its unique frosty coloring. The foliage is a soft greyish green with a very pretty, ruffled edge on its rounded, heart-shaped leaves. These leaves hang individually on long, thin stems that are easily blown about by a breeze.
The movement, texture, and color of Silver Falls make it a great companion. It requires little other than a small bit of space and partial sunshine. Once established, this plant is drought-tolerant. It trails up to four feet in one season.
Sweet Potato Vine
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botanical name Ipomoea batatas |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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hardiness zones 9-11 |
Named for its edible cousin, sweet potato vine is a pretty ornamental that looks great when spilling over the side of a container. This is a fabulously fast grower if you want to see some growing action. The most common varieties are eggplant purple or chartreuse, but breathtaking variegated varieties fill a lot of space with attractive foliage.
Sweet potato vine is versatile and tolerant of full sun or partial shade. Make sure to keep this one watered if it’s living outdoors; it isn’t drought-tolerant. It is, however, incredibly resilient and will recover quickly from almost entirely drying out.
Licorice Plant
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botanical name Helichrysum petiolare |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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hardiness zones 9-11 |
The licorice plant resembles Silver Falls Dichondra in color and texture. The leaves are greying green with a flocked surface that looks frosted. The foliage is small and rounded, growing in a loose rosette formation. As the leaves mature, they spread farther apart on the thin stems.
This plant pairs well with many other beautiful trailing plants in a hanging basket. Pair the licorice plant with some colorful petunias and watch them bloom together. That’s right; not only does this plant have stunning foliage, but it also produces beautiful flowers.
Final Thoughts
There is something special about how trailing plants meander along, curving one way or another and turning toward or away from the sun. These wonderful plants perform excellently in containers and make the ideal spillers in your container arrangements.
