Hanging and trailing succulents are among the most visually dramatic plants you can grow, celebrated for their ability to cascade gracefully over the edges of pots, shelves, and hanging baskets. Their naturally pendulous growth habit makes them ideal for elevated displays, where gravity becomes part of the design. Unlike upright plants that fill vertical space, these succulents fill negative space below, creating living curtains and flowing green waterfalls that transform any room or garden corner into something quietly spectacular.
Like all succulents, the hanging and trailing varieties store water in their fleshy leaves, stems, or roots, allowing them to survive periods of neglect that would quickly finish off most houseplants. This drought tolerance makes them particularly forgiving for busy or forgetful gardeners. They generally prefer bright light, fast-draining soil, and the simple rule of watering deeply then allowing the soil to dry out completely before watering again. Because their containers are often elevated, they also tend to dry out faster than ground-level pots, so keeping an eye on the soil is more important than following a fixed watering schedule.
Propagation is one of the great joys of growing these plants. Most varieties root easily from stem cuttings laid on dry soil or placed in water, and some will even sprout new plants from individual leaves that happen to fall. This generosity means a single plant can become many over time, filling multiple containers or being shared freely with friends. There is something deeply satisfying about watching a tiny cutting slowly develop into a long, trailing specimen that spills elegantly from a high shelf.
In terms of display, these plants reward creativity. They look stunning alone in a simple ceramic or terracotta hanging pot, but they are equally beautiful when massed together at different heights to create a layered, jungle-like effect. The interplay of different leaf shapes, colours, and textures — some rounded and plump, others flat and sculptural — creates visual interest that changes with the light and the seasons. Outdoors, they soften walls, fences, and retaining edges with a naturalness that feels effortless.
Also hanging and trailing succulents carry a certain meditative quality. Watching a stem slowly lengthen over weeks, or noticing the way leaves flush deeper in colour under stronger sun, connects you to a quiet, unhurried rhythm. They are low-maintenance in the best possible sense — not because they demand nothing, but because what they ask for is simple, predictable, and easy to give.
Best Succulents For Hanging Baskets
String of Bananas
Named for its crescent-shaped, banana-like leaves, this fast-growing trailer is hardier and easier to care for than its close relative, the String of Pearls. It produces small cinnamon-scented white flowers and trails beautifully over the edges of pots and shelves.
String of Pearls
One of the most iconic trailing succulents, featuring spherical, pea-like leaves strung along slender stems that can cascade several feet. Native to southwest Africa, it thrives in bright indirect light and is prized for its otherworldly bead-chain appearance in hanging baskets.
String of Hearts
A delicate, romantic plant with heart-shaped, silvery-marbled leaves on wire-thin purple stems. It produces tiny, tubular lantern-shaped flowers and develops small tubers along its vines. It is technically a semi-succulent and is one of the most beloved trailing houseplants worldwide.
String of Dolphins
A whimsical hybrid whose tiny leaves resemble leaping dolphins mid-air. Each leaf has two small ear-like extensions that give the dolphin silhouette. It is a cross between String of Pearls and Candle Plant and remains a collector favourite for its playful, unusual foliage.
String of Turtles
A miniature semi-succulent with small, round leaves patterned with intricate silver-green veining reminiscent of turtle shells. Though slow-growing, it creates a stunning trailing effect in small pots and terrariums, preferring humidity and indirect light unlike most succulents.
String of Rubies
This striking South African succulent bears small, cylindrical leaves that turn vivid red-purple when stressed by sun or drought. It produces cheerful yellow daisy-like flowers year-round, making it both decorative and long-blooming as a trailing or hanging specimen.
String of Nickels
A compact epiphytic plant with small, flat, coin-shaped leaves growing closely along slender vines. Native to tropical Asia and Australia, it prefers higher humidity than most succulents and is ideal for terrariums or moss-hung baskets where it creates a dense, coin-chain curtain.
String of Watermelons
Similar to the String of Pearls but with elongated, oval leaves striped with translucent purple lines resembling tiny watermelons. It is slightly hardier than String of Pearls, trails vigorously, and produces small white flowers. It tolerates a wider range of light conditions.
Burro’s Tail
One of the most recognisable trailing succulents, with thick, overlapping blue-green leaves tightly packed along pendulous stems that can grow to nearly a metre long. The leaves are extremely fragile and drop at the slightest touch, but the plant regrows readily from fallen leaves.
Donkey’s Tail
Often confused with Burro’s Tail, this cultivar has shorter, more rounded, chubby leaves and a slightly more compact growth habit. It is considered slightly less fragile. Both varieties produce small but lovely red or pink flowers at stem tips and look spectacular in hanging pots.
Trailing Jade
Not a true jade plant, this succulent features flat, paddle-shaped leaves on long trailing stems that turn vivid purple-orange in full sun. It is a vigorous grower and produces bright orange daisy-like flowers in autumn, making it one of the most colourful trailing succulents available.
Calico Kitten
A small, heart-shaped leaf succulent with stunning multicoloured foliage in shades of cream, pink, and green. The leaves become deeply flushed with rose and magenta in bright sun. It trails gracefully over pot edges and is one of the most decorative small succulents for containers.
Fishhook Senecio
A distinctive variety with narrow, curved, fishhook-shaped leaves with a light powdery coating. It grows rapidly, trailing long stems adorned with regularly spaced hooked leaves. Like other Senecios it tolerates some drought and produces small, fragrant white flowers.
Rat Tail Cactus
A cactus with thin, rope-like, densely spiny stems that can trail to over a metre long. In spring it produces spectacular, large, trumpet-shaped flowers in vivid cerise pink. It is ideal for hanging baskets where its long trailing stems show to best effect.
Wax Plant
A semi-succulent vine with thick, waxy, elliptical leaves and extraordinary star-shaped flower clusters that look almost artificial in their perfection. The flowers are sweetly fragrant and produce glistening nectar. It is one of the most popular and long-lived trailing houseplants.
Hindu Rope Plant
A uniquely contorted cultivar of Hoya carnosa where the thick, waxy leaves are curled and twisted back on themselves, creating a rope-like or braided appearance. It is an extremely slow-grower but produces the same beautiful, fragrant wax flower clusters as the parent species.
Mistletoe Cactus
An unusual, spineless cactus native to rainforests across the Americas and Africa, featuring masses of thin, pale green pencil-like stems that hang in dense curtains. Small white flowers give way to translucent white berry-like fruits resembling mistletoe berries, hence its common name.
Dancing Bones Cactus
A quirky, jointed cactus with segmented stems resembling tiny bones strung together, creating an animated, skeletal dancing effect. In spring it produces small, cheerful yellow-orange flowers at the tips of its segments. It is epiphytic and prefers more humidity than desert cacti.
Easter Cactus
A forest cactus with flat, scallop-edged stem segments that cascade in layers and produce stunning star-shaped scarlet, pink, or orange blooms in spring. Unlike desert cacti, it prefers indirect light and higher humidity and is a classic hanging basket plant in temperate climates.
Christmas Cactus
A beloved holiday plant with flattened, claw-edged stem segments and spectacular trumpet-shaped flowers in pink, red, white, or purple that bloom in midwinter. It is an epiphytic rainforest cactus native to Brazil and thrives in bright indirect light with regular humidity.
Orchid Cactus
Famous for its enormous, night-blooming white flowers that last only a single night and emit an intense, haunting fragrance. The plant itself has flat, leaf-like stems that trail and droop attractively. It is an epiphytic cactus native to tropical Central and South America.
Necklace Vine
A fascinating succulent whose square, stacked triangular leaves appear to be threaded onto the stems like beads on a necklace. Leaf edges are often flushed with pink or red in sun. It can be grown upright but becomes a beautiful trailer as its stems elongate with age.
Peanut Cactus
A clustering, low-growing cactus with small finger-like stems covered in soft white spines that spread and trail over container edges. In late spring it erupts into a spectacular display of large, vivid scarlet-orange flowers. Each stem is easily detached and rooted, making propagation simple.
Kenilworth Ivy Succulent
A beautiful Japanese sedum with small, round, blue-grey leaves arranged in threes along arching, reddish stems. The foliage turns pink and purple in autumn before the plant dies back in winter. In summer it produces clusters of tiny pink star-shaped flowers at stem tips.
Silver Falls
While not a traditional succulent, this drought-tolerant plant has silvery, kidney-shaped leaves on long trailing stems that cascade dramatically from containers. The shimmering metallic silver foliage contrasts beautifully with colourful neighbours in mixed hanging baskets.
Creeping Sedum
A ground-hugging sedum with mat-forming rosettes of rounded, often bronze-tinted leaves that spill attractively over walls and pot edges. It produces clusters of starry pink or red flowers in summer. Extremely cold-hardy, it is one of the toughest trailing succulents for outdoor use.
Haworthia Cooperi
A small, clustering rosette succulent with plump, transparent-tipped leaves that allow light to penetrate to the photosynthesising cells below. As plants produce offsets, rosettes cascade over pot edges. It is shade-tolerant and perfect for indoor windowsill displays.
Echeveria ‘Topsy Turvy’
An eccentric echeveria whose pale blue-grey leaves curl upward and inward in an inverted way, giving it a uniquely ruffled, disorienting appearance. Rosettes produce offsets on long stolons that trail over pot edges, and it sends up tall stems of orange and yellow flowers.
Echeveria ‘Topsy Turvy’
An eccentric echeveria whose pale blue-grey leaves curl upward and inward in an inverted way, giving it a uniquely ruffled, disorienting appearance. Rosettes produce offsets on long stolons that trail over pot edges, and it sends up tall stems of orange and yellow flowers.
Sedum ‘Angelina’
A groundcover and trailing sedum with needle-like, golden-yellow foliage that turns bright orange in cold weather. It spreads enthusiastically over pot edges and produces clusters of yellow star-shaped flowers in summer. One of the most vibrant and eye-catching trailing sedums available.
Crassula Rupestris
Known as the Kebab Bush or Rosary Vine Crassula, this plant has small, stacked, triangular leaves threaded closely along wiry stems with pink-red margins. As stems grow longer they arch and trail. Tiny star-shaped pink flowers appear in clusters in spring.
Mexican Sedum
A bright, cheerful groundcover sedum with needle-like, lime-green to yellow-green leaves densely packed along spreading stems. It drapes handsomely over container edges and produces masses of small yellow star-flowers in spring. It tolerates both heat and light frost with ease.
Ice Plant
A low, mat-forming succulent with narrow, cylindrical leaves and spectacular magenta-pink daisy flowers that glitter as if sprinkled with ice crystals in sunlight. It spreads and trails freely over walls and container edges, blooming prolifically from spring through autumn.
Lipstick Echeveria
A compact rosette with stiff, pointed pale green leaves edged in vivid red, giving the impression of a lip-painted outline. As the plant produces multiple offsets, the clump spreads and small rosettes tumble over pot edges. Bright coral-red flower spikes emerge in late spring.
Trailing Rosary Vine
Often treated as synonymous with String of Hearts, this subspecies features slightly narrower, more linear heart-shaped leaves with silver marbling. It produces small pink-purple tubular flowers and develops aerial tubers on its vines that can be used for propagation.
Button Orchid
A charming epiphytic plant with tiny, round, flat leaves densely strung along thin vines, resembling a trail of flat buttons or coins. It produces minuscule white flowers and prefers a humid environment, making it ideal for terrariums and moss poles where it drapes elegantly.
Portulacaria Afra
Known as Elephant Bush, the dwarf or prostrate forms of this South African succulent trail beautifully with their tiny, round, glossy green leaves on reddish stems. It is an excellent bonsai and hanging basket plant, tolerating drought and a wide temperature range.
Ruby Necklace
A stunning trailing succulent with thin, elongated, bean-like leaves that turn brilliant jewel-red and purple in sunlight, contrasting with bright yellow daisy flowers that bloom almost continuously. The combination of ruby foliage and golden flowers makes it one of the most ornamental trailing plants.
String of Fishhooks
A banana-shaped relative of the String of Pearls, sometimes specifically named for its distinctly hooked leaf tips. It grows more vigorously than String of Pearls, with faster-cascading stems that can reach impressive lengths. Fragrant white flowers add seasonal interest.
Wax Rosette
A compact, clustering echeveria with waxy, spoon-shaped leaves in blue-grey with pink edges that produce numerous offsets. As the central stem elongates over time, it arches and trails, making it a lovely candidate for cascading arrangements and raised garden walls.
String of Raindrops
A hybrid succulent with teardrop-shaped leaves slightly larger than String of Pearls, with subtle purple striping and a distinctive droplet silhouette. It is considered easier to grow than true String of Pearls and develops long, elegant trailing chains over the course of a growing season.
Pelargonium Cotyledon
Trailing forms of Cotyledon orbiculata produce silver-green, paddle-shaped leaves with powdery white coatings and red margins on arching stems. Nodding, tubular orange-red flowers hang in clusters on tall stems, and the overall effect is graceful and architectural in raised pots.
Crassula Pellucida
A dainty, small-leaved trailing Crassula with heart-shaped, slightly succulent leaves in green with magenta undersides and edges. It spreads quickly, draping attractively from containers, and produces tiny white flowers. The colour intensifies beautifully under bright light conditions.
Fishbone Cactus
An epiphytic cactus with dramatically shaped flat stems that zigzag alternately like a fishbone or herringbone pattern. It produces stunning, large, fragrant flowers in pink and cream that open at night. Its cascading, architectural stems make it one of the most visually unusual hanging plants.
Jungle Cactus
A South American jungle cactus with slender, segmented, spine-free stems that hang in dense, arching curtains. It produces small, cream to pink flowers followed by dark berries. Its lush, rain-forest character contrasts with the typical desert cactus image, making it popular for modern interiors.
Trailing Aeonium
While most Aeoniums grow upright, older specimens develop long, branching stems that arch dramatically, creating a trailing effect in large containers. The ‘Zwartkop’ cultivar is particularly stunning with its deep burgundy-black rosettes trailing from elevated pots or retaining walls.
Sedum ‘Cape Blanco’
A particularly beautiful sedum with dense rosettes of spoon-shaped leaves covered in a heavy white, powdery wax coating that gives the whole plant an almost ghostly silver appearance. It forms spreading mats that spill over container edges and produces yellow flowers in summer.
Dragon Fruit Cactus
Young or unsupported dragon fruit plants trail dramatically with their three-angled, wavy-edged stems adorned with clusters of small spines. While eventually a vigorous climber, in containers it creates a cascading, architectural spectacle with its bold, ribbed, grey-green stems.
Pennywort Succulent
A moisture-loving, semi-succulent groundcover with perfectly round, penny-sized leaves on delicate trailing stems. Though suited to wetter conditions than typical succulents, it trails beautifully from raised containers and shaded hanging baskets, creating a carpet of perfect circles.
Trailing Mesembryanthemum
A South African succulent subshrub with cylindrical, finger-like leaves on spreading, trailing stems that explode into a dazzling mass of brilliant magenta, purple, or orange daisy flowers in spring. When in bloom, the foliage is almost entirely hidden by the spectacular floral display.