18 Stunning Hanging Succulents And Trailing Cacti

Trailing succulents are becoming more popular for their aesthetic appeal and form, spilling over the sides of their pots and often displaying beautiful flowers. As a hardy plant, they can be grown as vines or cascade down hanging baskets in multiple rows of stems, offering your interior an exotic and organic form.

If you are fascinated by the beauty of hanging succulents, then you’ll want to know which trailing types are best suited for your indoor or outdoor space. Well, that’s exactly what we are going to share with you here, in our shortlist of our favorite beautiful hanging succulents and cacti to grow in your home. 

String Of Pearls Plant (Curio Rowleyanus)

Native to southwest Africa, these show-stopping hanging succulents from the Aster family are cherished for their long, trailing nature and small spherical leaves. The String of Pearls has the ability to adapt to all environments thanks to their capability of storing water within their leaves. The peculiar-looking leaves of these plants grow on 2-foot stems that spill over the hanging basket. Since String of Pearls are fast growers and don’t live long without propagation, you can use their stems to propagate the plant. This Senecios species produces white blooms that have a cinnamon-like scent and thrive in bright, indirect sunlight.

Variegated String Of Pearls (Senecio Rowleyanus Variegata)

Like other species of Senecios, the variegated String of Pearls form very long trailing stems, with small round foliage the size of a pearl. This variety can grow up to a meter as long as you provide it with proper temperatures of between 50 and 55 degrees F and adequate sunlight. To protect the leaves from sunburn, avoid exposing the plant to direct afternoon sun.

During the early stages of the plant’s growth, you’ll need to water it more often until it matures. This plant produces thin stems that can grow up to 3 feet long. It can adapt to any growing condition and will look beautiful no matter where you display it, indoors or outdoors.

String Of Nickels (Dischidia Nummularia)

String of Nickels boasts beautiful trailing stems that gracefully fall out of the pot or hanging basket. This rare and exotic houseplant is incredibly easy to grow, but it is mostly found in tropical regions of India and Australia only.

The light green foliage of this succulent is flat and round shaped, resembling pouch nickels, hence the name. The stems can spread to 8 feet long, which are the main characteristics that make this plant the perfect plant for hanging baskets. The small, pale yellow or white flowers will add even more beauty to your indoor or outdoor space. Just remember to keep the succulent soil evenly moist and repot the plant annually.   

String Of Hearts Plant (Ceropegia Linearis Subsp. Woodii)

This is an unusual hanging succulent from South Africa, with heart-shaped, dark green or purple leaves combined in strings. Each string can reach up to 4 meters similar to a vine. The heart-shaped leaves of this plant grow along the stems and are 2 centimeters long.

String of Hearts is another great species for hanging on a wall or top shelf where it can get plenty of bright, indirect sunlight. But since it is prone to rot, plant it in fast-draining soil and only water it when the soil feels dry. 

String Of Dolphins (Senecio Peregrinus)

String of Dolphins is the kind of trailing succulent that you’ll instantly fall in love with! This rare Senecio variety is elegantly curved with moon-shaped leaves and fins that look like jumping dolphins. The plant’s beauty is further enhanced by its pretty pink and white flowers, thus adding extra charm to any indoor or outdoor space. The maximum growth height of this plant is 6 inches. 

They grow best in bright, indirect sunlight and since they hate wet soil, it’s best to plant them in a well-draining, pH balanced soil. 

String Of Bananas Plant (Senecio Radicans) 

String of Bananas is another popular Senecio that’s perfect as a trailing plant. It is very easy to care for at home just like the other mentioned Senecios. Since these succulents are closely related to String of Pearls, they look similar but instead of pearl-shaped foliage, the leaves are shaped like miniature green bananas. They produce beautifully scented small-sized white flowers a couple of times a year.

They benefit from bright sunlight to really thrive and in these conditions can grow up to 5 feet tall if they’re not trimmed. This makes String of Bananas plant perfect for placing in hanging baskets.

String Of Buttons (Crassula Perforata)

String of Buttons is native to South Africa and boasts triangle-shaped foliage stacked on top of each other. These leaves spiral around the stem of the plant and are greyish-green in color with a subtle pink tint on the edges. This succulent can get as tall as 2 feet and grows upright at first before the stems bend and spill out of the pot. In spring, you’ll see clusters of small, light yellow flowers appearing all over the plant.

This head-turning architectural plant requires plenty of sunlight with well-draining soil to thrive. It is an ideal low-maintenance trailing plant that can tolerate extreme heat and cold. 

Trailing Jade Plant (Senecio jacobsenii)

Native to Tanzania and Kenya, this trailing succulent has thick stems with 2-3 inch fleshy green, egg-shaped leaves draping over the basket. In fall, you’ll see bright orange flowers appearing and in winter, the overlapping leaves turn into light purple color. Both the flowers and leaves of this succulent stand upright, which adds to their beauty. The Trailing Jade Plant is often confused with Crassula Jades, but the two are completely unrelated.

This plant prefers full sun or light shade and extremely well-draining, sandy soil.

Wax Plant (Hoya Pachyclada)

Originating from Thailand, this unique Hoya variety has very thick, waxy leaves with short hairs and red edges. The blooms of this plant appear in spring and summer with white glossy clusters of flowers in a flawless ball shape. The fragrance of these flowers closely resembles the scent of citrus.

Wax plant is a much slower-growing succulent and thrives in warm, humid conditions. It likes bright, indirect light and well-draining soil. 

Calico Kitten (Crassula pellucida Variegata)

Calico Kitten is a Crassula variety that’s highly popular due to its colorful, heart-shaped foliage. These small leaves are in a mix of yellow, green, red, and cream colors. The stems of Calico Kitten grow up to 15 centimeters long and the leaves are around 2 centimeters in diameter. The white blooms usually show up in late winter or early spring.

This pretty, drought-tolerant succulent is a perfect choice for your hanging garden as it spills over borders, retaining walls, and planter bowls.

Donkey’s Tail (Sedum Morganianum)

The donkey’s Tail is an evergreen species that originates from Southern Mexico. This Sedum variety is a close cousin of Burro’s Tail, except it grows longer and has flatter leaves than Burro’s Tail. The Sedum morganianum produces fleshy greenish-blue leaves and the trailing stems grow up to 24 inches long.

They grow best in locations where they can receive at least 6 hours of full sun per day. Although these hanging succulents are drought-tolerant, it can’t survive long periods of dryness. Make sure you water it regularly, especially throughout the spring to fall seasons. 

Burro’s Tail (Sedum Burrito)

Burro’s Tail has to be our all-time favorite houseplant. It is one of the prettiest and most unusual Sedums you’re likely to come across. The show-stopping pendant stems cascade down the edges of pots or hanging baskets as the plump, overlapping leaves hang from the stem in a tail-like illusion.

Burro’s Tail seldom produces flowers, and because its leaves are dusted with a waxy blue powder, it’s best not to touch the plant with your bare fingers.  

Since those cushiony leaves retain water, you don’t have to water the plant more than once a month. Use potting mix suitable for growing cacti for best results. 

Little Missy (Trailing Sedum Little Missy)

Little Missy is another beautiful Sedum with tiny pink rosettes of trailing green leaves. This charming trailing succulent is perfect for small containers and hanging baskets because of its shallow root system. It is also perfect for miniature gardens.

Growing this Sedum indoors is a little tricky as the plant needs to be in a very sunny location close to a window. Choose a pot with excellent-draining soil and water the plant deeply when the soil is totally dry. Little Missy will tolerate a little shade and frost, but it’s a slow-growing plant that can take up to 5 years to reach its maximum spread. 

October Daphne (Sedum sieboldii)

Out of all the Sedums on our list, October Daphne flaunts the most beautiful and colorful foliage. This succulent has light green leaves that come in three colors, with pink, red, orange, and yellow flowers that intensify in color during the summer months.

October Daphne is a low-spreading hanging succulent with horizontal stems spilling out from the center of the plant. In fall, the bright pink blooms flower in clusters. Due to the habit of its creeping growth, it’s the perfect fit in a hanging basket as its stems grow up to 12 inches in length. 

October Daphne prefers full sun but will tolerate some shade in the hot summer months.

Little Pickles (Othonna Capensis)

Little Pickles is a member of the daisy family, that thrives in bright sun and their small yellow flowers resemble daisies before developing into a bright, plum color. This trailing succulent has a woody stem with green leaves that look just like pickles, hence the name.

Little Pickles trails like a vine and is one of the most popular hanging succulents for outdoor growing. The pendant stems can get quite long so it’s best to plant this variety in a medium-size hanging pot.

The foliage of this plant turns a stunning purple or burgundy color which gave its nickname ruby necklace.

Rat Tail Cactus (Aporocactus Flagelliformis)

A native of Mexico, Rat Tail Cactus boasts long stems that grow as long as 4 feet in length. This succulent retains a lot of moisture in its trailing body and can easily survive prolonged dry periods. The body of this fuzzy-looking cactus is full of tiny, thin spines, so touching the plant isn’t advised!

Rat Tail gets its name because of the distinctively long, trailing stems that resemble a rat’s tail.

To encourage bloom formation in early spring, allow the soil to dry out in winter and keep the plant in a cool spot.

Since the long and slender stems are so flexible, you can easily plant these hanging succulents in a basket. Just watch those bristly brown hairs; they are very sharp!

Monkey’s Tail (Hildewintera Colademononis)

Monkey’s Tail is another type of cactus that draws attention instantly. Its super long, hairy spine covers the plant and the elongated stems drape over the pot beautifully. These stems can reach 2.5 meters in length and resemble a furry monkey’s tail, hence the name. The color of these stems is greenish-yellow and when well-cared, they can grow by up to 8 feet in length! Note that the cactus will first grow upright before trailing down once it becomes established.   

This cactus likes good-draining soil, occasional watering, and plenty of bright sunlight. This is why it will grow best outdoors in warm and dry climates. In winter, Monkey’s Tail cactus will produce bright red flowers, which add to the plant’s beauty. 

Fishbone Cactus (Selenicereus anthonyanus)

Also known as orchid cactus, Fishbone Cactus has unique stems and attractive flowers. The reason it’s called Fishbone is due to the alternate pattern of the leaves that look like a fish skeleton.

Beginner gardeners couldn’t ask for an easier plant to grow than a Fishbone Cactus. A houseplant that requires similar growing conditions as an orchid, but be sure to plant it in a cactus blend mixed with medium compost. The plant prefers indirect light, but it can tolerate direct sunlight. 

Hanging Succulents Roundup

Hanging succulents add height to any space and look stunning in hanging pots or containers. These plants are extremely easy to care for as most varieties are drought tolerant and can adapt to most growing environments. If you are trying to create a hanging garden indoors or outdoors, any of our recommended list of hanging succulents will complement your home or garden.