Hanging indoor plants not only shows them off at eye level but is a great option if you need to protect them from children or pets. It’s also a way to expand your houseplant collection when you’ve run out of floor space by going vertical. In this article we share the most common different ways to hang your plants and then progress to some creative ways that you might not have thought of. No matter if you are a DIY master or looking for a no-drill option, we’ll show you how to hang plants stylishly in your home. Select from the options below or read on.
The best types of plants for hanging are trailing plants, small plants and lightweight plants. Trailing plants range from the petite string of pearls or string of hearts through to mid-size spider plants and larger philodendrons or Boston fern. Small plants such as succulents and air plants are light enough to make them ideal for wall-mounted options.
Choosing where and how to hang plants
How much does the plant weigh?
One of the most important things to know when hanging a plant is how much does the hanging pot and plant weigh? A small ceramic planter and light trailing plant, such as Monstera adansonii weighs approximately 2lb/1kg. A medium ceramic 7 in (18 cm) pot weighs about 5-6lb / 2.5-3kg. A large plastic pot with a mature plant could weigh 20lb / 9.5kg. A hanging basket or a plastic pot weighs less than a ceramic pot.
The total weight depends on the size of the plant and how much moisture is in the growing medium. It will also depend on how you are suspending the plant. Chain is one of the heaviest materials, whereas a cotton fiber such as that used in macrame plant hangers weighs much less.
Where can you hang the plant?
Another important factor is choosing the location to hang your indoor plant. If you are lucky you can create the perfect focal point in your living space, in a position your plant will love.
If you aren’t sure what is best for your plant, choose a location that gets lots of bright indirect light. This means near a window but with minimal direct sunlight. Less sensitive house plants will enjoy a bit of extra light early in the mornings before it gets too hot. For sensitive plants you’ll want to avoid direct sunlight altogether, especially later in the day. Position low-light plants like ZZ plant (Zanzibar Gem) further away from windows as they don’t need as much light.
The next decision depends on whether you are open to a more permanent option. Would you like a ceiling or wall mounted hook? Or do you need a temporary option that can be easily reversed without damaging the wall or ceiling surface? The diagram below illustrates the most common options and later in this article we have some more clever ways to hang plants for you.
Display options for hanging indoor plants
- Suction hook
- Magnetic hook
- Coat stand
- Cup hook
- Clothing rack/Plant rack
- Toggle hook
- Ladder
- Adhesive wall-mounted hook
How to hang plants with ceiling-mounted hooks
Generally the preferred and secure method to mount a hanging plant is to use a ceiling hook. Hanging plants from the ceiling works particularly well in a small space if you can find an empty corner. Raising your plants frees up much needed space on your coffee table or end table, or your desk in a home office.
There are two common types of ceiling hooks; screw hooks and toggle bolt or spring hooks. The downside of these is that they put a hole in your ceiling, so might not be an option if you are renting or don’t want to damage your ceiling. A third option is a magnetic hook but you will need metal beams or drop ceiling grid for the magnet to bond to. Adhesive hooks are an option for hanging plants from a ceiling but they can’t take a heavy load so are only suitable for small light plants. We’ll cover those in more detail later.
To choose the right location for your ceiling-mounted plant hook, measure the diameter of the planter. Position the hook at least this distance from the wall. That gives you half the distance from the center of the pot (directly below the hook) to the edge of the pot and half from the edge of the pot to the wall.
If your pot is holding a plant that has a spreading or lateral growth habit then place the hook at least 1.5 x the planter diameter from the wall. This image shows the how far the plant should be from the wall. The wider plant (1) has more space around it and the narrower plant (2) is closer to the wall.
Cup (screw) hook
You can’t just screw a regular ceiling hook (cup hook) into drywall (plasterboard). You need to mount the hook screw into a timber ceiling joist or exposed beam to support the weight of wall planters or hanging plants. This limits your options for where the hook can go as it needs to align to a joist. You’ll need a stud finder to locate the joist, and a hook with a thread that is thick enough and long enough to support the weight of the plant. You can also insert a cup hook through drywall into wall studs to attach hanging planters. This will work for planters that sit flush against a wall like the ones shown below.
How to install a cup/screw hook for hanging plants
- Locate a suitable anchor point for the hook such as a wall stud or ceiling joist if you will be inserting through drywall.
- Drill a small pilot hole slightly narrower than the screw thread at the mounting location.
- Manually twist the screw into the anchor point.
- Hang your plant.
Toggle hook
If you want more flexibility with hook location you should use a toggle screw with a hook attachment. A toggle screw (or toggle bolt) has spring-loaded wings that fold down to allow the screw to be inserted into a hole in drywall. As the wings pass through the hole the spring pushes them out and they can’t pass back through the hole. You then anchor the wings firmly against the drywall by tightening a bolt against a washer. Toggle bolts work on walls or ceilings and each one can take a load of about 20 lb/9.5 kg. If your plant is heavy you can always install two or more hooks and spread the load over multiple points.
Installing a toggle screw hook
- Using a regular drill bit, drill a guide hole in the drywall where the hook is going to be.
- Then using a spade bit that is slightly larger than the width of the toggle screw when the wings are folded down.
- Fit a washer to the screw.
- Pass the screw through the toggle and wind a few times so that toggle secures to the thread.
- Fold the wings down, insert them through the hole in in the drywall and they will pop out as the toggle passes through.
- Tighten the screw until the washer is sitting flat against the drywall.
- Hang the planter.
Damage-free ceiling hook – Magnetic hook
A magnetic hook is the easiest way to hang a plant from the ceiling but it requires uncovered or thinly covered steel beams or a drop ceiling with metal grid track. If you aren’t sure take your strongest fridge magnet and slide it across the wall or ceiling. You’ll feel it want to stick over an area if there is metal behind it.
A fridge magnet is barely strong enough to hold itself to a wall. Fortunately, there are extra strength magnetic hooks available that will have no trouble supporting a 100 lb/ 45 kg load. That’s plenty enough to hang your big pots from. If you go the heavy duty option you could even install hanging shelves (see later in article). Each corner would attach to a different magnet hook giving you a 4 x increase in your load limit.
How to hang plants from wall-mounted hooks
Screw-in hooks
Wall-mounted screw hooks give you the ultimate flexibility in decor options and can be a fun way to add personality to your home or liven up an empty wall. Use a single discrete hook to hang an amazing wall planter or you can make the hook a feature and secure a decorative hook or set of hooks to the wall. The key to wall-mounted hooks is to use the correct screw for the material you are mounting the hook to. There are particular screws that are better suited to masonry or timber applications.
For drywall (plasterboard) you will need to use a plastic anchors. Drywall anchors are rated by the load they need to support and are sized accordingly. They work in a similar way to toggle screws in that they expand after they pass through the drywall so that they can’t pull back through. If you attempting to hang a seriously big plant you should check out this video. It demonstrates installation and strength testing for a range of wall anchors.
How to install a wall hook with a drywall anchor
- Select the correct size to support the load that will be hanging from the hook
- Following instructions, drill a pilot hole in the wall
- Insert the anchor or toggle
- Affix the hook
- Hang your plant
Adhesive hooks
Adhesive hooks, such as Command hooks, are a great damage-free option if you want to be able to remove the hook at a later time. You can use adhesive strips to attach almost any hook mounted to a flat surface on your wall or ceiling. This means you have maximum flexibility with the appearance of your hook. As shown below, ceiling-mounted adhesive hooks have been used to suspend this trailing plant that is sitting on a bedside table. You can get the full hanging plant experience without actually having to hang a plant from your ceiling.
These vintage drawers are mounted on a wall to create shadow boxes and small shelves. They have been secured with screws but as they have a large flat surface area adhesive strips will work with this type of project. Ask at your hardware store for the hook and loop adhesive strips that are used for mounting picture frames to walls. Just be mindful of the load they can support as you may need to use extra strips to support the weight of the drawer plus the decorative items sitting on it. If you like this look you can buy similar shelves here.
Follow the steps below to mount a hook or shadow box to your wall.
How to attach an adhesive hook
- Following the instructions, prepare the wall by cleaning it and allowing it to dry.
- Apply the adhesive strip (Command strip) to the hook and then stick the other side of the adhesive strip to the wall. Apply firm pressure for the recommended time, usually 60 seconds.
- Leave it at least an hour, but preferably 24 hours before hanging your plant. This gives the adhesive time to form a secure bond before it is placed under load.
- Make sure you keep the removal instructions in a safe place so that when the time comes you are able to remove the adhesive strip without damaging the wall.
Suction cup hook
Suction cup hangers work on glass or smooth ceramic tile. Windows and skylights are the perfect place to hang a plant from a suction cup as they provide an abundance of light for the plant. The best plants to hang from a suction cup are the smaller and lighter plants that can tolerate a lot of light and heat. If you are using a skylight you might need to increase the hanging length so that the plant sits further away from the skylight. If your plant is nearing the weight limit use two or more suction cups to spread the weight load between the cups.
Suction cup hooks and other suction cup supports work well in bathrooms and laundries. This is because there are usually lots of smooth surfaces such as tiles and glass to mount them to. Suction cup soap holders and shower shelves can be attached to any glass or tile surface so are an ideal way to create a small shelf for your plant to sit on.
To install suction cup hooks clean the glass before you apply the suction cup as per directions. Just like with adhesive hooks, once you have applied the suction cup wait at least an hour or up to 24 hours before hanging the plant. This is to allow a strong seal to form.
How to hang plants without installing hooks
Clothing rack or coat rack
Hanging plants on a rack such as a clothes rack or coat rack is a great way to show off a collection of plants in macramé plant holders. This option may be best for smaller, lighter hanging plants. This is an easy way to make use of vertical space for those who are renting or in an apartment and can’t attach hooks to their wall or ceiling. They can be moved closer to or further away from a light source as needed to maintain the optimal environment for the plants.
Many clothing racks have a lower shelf that can also be used to display your plant pots. Take note of the recommended weight or load limit of the rack as some racks are not designed to carry heavy loads.
Tension pole
Tension poles or tension rods are an adjustable length pole with rubber stoppers at either end. You simply place the tension rod between two fixed surfaces (i.e. two walls) and twist or screw the pole to lengthen it. Continue screwing until it has created enough tension to anchor the pole between the two points. This works best for short distances so is ideal for small spaces such as a laundry or bathroom. Removing the pole is as easy as unscrewing to release the tension. This makes them a great option if you don’t want to damage your walls.
Once the pole is installed use an S hook to hang your plant, or slide a hanging loop over the pole before you install it. It’s possible to hang multiple plants from a tension pole however you need to be mindful of how much weight it can support.
Tension poles can also be installed vertically between the floor and ceiling. Make sure that you are placing it directly under a ceiling joist so that it doesn’t damage your ceiling. Once the tension pole is installed you can use clamps to attach plants. Alternatively, you can install two tension poles vertically and use clamps to secure another pole horizontally between them. Hang plants from the horizontal pole and they can use the vertical poles for support to climb up.
How to hang plants from existing structures
Use existing structures such as air vents as a base to secure a hook is an option, but really isn’t a practical one. Hanging a plant directly under an air vent is going to dry it out. A better option is a stair rail on a first floor landing. S hooks come in a range of sizes. If you can get one that slips easily over the stair rail then that’s about the quickest and best way to hang a plant using a feature already in the home.
You can also hang plants from a curtain rod as shown below, but it means that you compromise on privacy. If you go with this option large hooks like the ones shown make it easy to move the plants if you need to clean the window/door or close the curtains. Note in this picture that the door side has the highest pots so as not to obstruct people walking through. The fixed window side has plants at different heights for visual interest. If you do decide to go with this option but would like to maintain as much privacy as possible, arrange each hanging planter at a different height to create a massed display of foliage.
Over-door hooks are another quick and easy solution as long as you have unused doors. They will also work on a fixed-frame shower screen. Only use this option for low-weight plants if hanging on a shower screen.
Hanging plants from light fittings
Light fittings can also be used as an anchor point to hang plants. Of course this means that you need to be careful about water. You can find DIY projects like this one online. There are also commercially available light fittings that incorporate a planter that you can purchase and replace the existing light fitting. These look amazing in kitchens or a dining or living room.
Suspended shelves for hanging indoor plants
Suspended shelves are a beautiful way to create impressive displays for those of you with a green thumb and have a lot of plants. They give you the ultimate flexibility in home decor. See below for creative ideas on how to use the various heights. Place plants that need lots of attention and items that get regular use within easy reach. The top shelf is the ideal spot for a tall plant.
This method will work with extra-strong magnetic hooks or heavy duty screw-threaded hooks that are mounted in a timber joist. First, attach a rope from each hook and run it through holes drilled in each end of the shelf. This could be one hole on each end as shown, or two holes at each end, with one in each corner. Next, tie a knot below the shelf, checking that it stays level, and add extra shelves as needed.
You can also use this method to suspend an old ladder from the ceiling and then place hanging hooks over the rungs of the ladder. Just tie each end of the ladder rails (not the rungs) to the ropes. You’ll get the best results with light weight shelves that are strong enough to support your different plants.
Wall-mounted shelves
A wall-mounted shelf if installed correctly will be able to support the weight of your plants as well as heavier objects like books. Position plants on the top of the shelf or hang from the edge of the shelf. Floating shelves or bracket-mounted shelves are both suitable. Which one you chose just depends on your aesthetic preference. If you don’t want to get out the power tools or damage your walls then regular bookshelves will do just fine. A creative way to screen an area is to use backless shelves stocked with a collection of indoor plants, creating a wall of lush green foliage.
This article was written and researched by:
Last updated on:
Still have questions?
Are there concerns that were not addressed here? We’re here to help.
We think you might like to take a look at these too:
- How to choose the best pots for Monstera plants
- Backyard tropical landscaping ideas for along a fence
- Ultimate palm trees for around pools in your climate
- Gunnera is banned in the UK: What you need to do now
- Is stone or mulch best for tropical garden landscaping?
- How to propagate Philodendron Birkin: 3 easy methods
