Are you looking for plants that will love hanging up in the full sun?
It can be tricky to find plants that will thrive in the full sun because so many of them are vulnerable to burning, and you don’t want to end up with plants that have burnt, crispy leaves.
Either you want to hang them in a sunny window or office, or you have a glass hallway getting full sun all day, in this article I will show you exactly what your options are.
Here are 10 of the best full sun hanging indoor plants and how to care for each one of them:
1. English Ivy (Hedera Helix)
Don’t you love the English Ivy?
As tough as they come, this amazing plant is attractive and particularly notable for its unusual tolerance for both shade and bright light.
It will grow in full sunlight, even in the heat of summer, without burning or wilting.
In fact, the English Ivy is traditionally considered a low light plant, even making our low light indoor hanging plants.
It’s got highly attractive, shapely leaves that will twist and curl around the basket, growing down in long tendrils to create a waterfall of greenery from overhead.
Light: It will grow in most kinds of lighting, including shady spots, and in full sun. It often prefers shade but will not suffer if it is grown in full sunlight.
Water: Water thoroughly and then allow the soil to dry to ½ inch down before watering again.
Temperature: Between 70 and 90 degrees F (21-32 °C).
Soil: It’s pretty tolerant of most soils but prefers fertile, damp soil.
2. String of Pearls (Senecio Rowleyanus)
This beautiful little succulent will hang in full sun in a position that gets morning light, although it might struggle if it gets a long blast of afternoon light.
It forms wonderful bead-like ropes of amazing green balls that look a lot like necklaces.
String of pearls looks its very best when it is grown over surfaces and allowed to trail, so it’s ideal for a hanging basket, and it will be perfectly happy in most lights.
You might find it struggles in the very sunniest, hottest spots of your home, but as long as you provide a little shade in the afternoon, it should flourish.
It’s a good idea to hang this plant up if you have pets or children, as those green balls could look very tempting, and ingesting the plant will cause stomach aches.
Light: This plant prefers a combination of light and shade; it will happily tolerate most direct sunlight, but not the very hottest afternoon sun.
Water: Make sure the soil is dry to at least ½ inch down before adding water. This plant hates having wet feet.
Temperature: String of pearls likes to be kept at around 70 degrees F, but will tolerate temperatures as low as 50 degrees F in winter (10-21 °C).
Soil: Choose a sandy succulent mix to keep this plant dry enough. It will also tolerate regular succulent potting mix, preferably with some sand mixed in.
3. Purple Heart Plants (Tradescantia Pallida)
This plant is very impressive with its rich, luxurious purple leaves, and it will certainly stand out hanging above a windowsill.
It likes to be grown in full sun to maintain its deep purple color, and if it doesn’t get enough light, it may start to turn green.
These plants are generally grown outdoors, but you can grow them inside too.
They will grow over the edges of the pot with their large, curving leaves splaying in every direction. It may take a little time for them to create a cascade of foliage, but it will look amazing when they do.
Light: Full sun is best, especially to create the deep purple hue.
Water: Water when the soil has dried out.
Temperature: Between 50 and 70 degrees F (10-21 °C).
Soil: Lightweight and porous soil with excellent drainage is necessary to prevent this plant from getting waterlogged.
4. String of Nickels (Dischidia Nummularia)
If you aren’t quite sold by the string of pearls above, you might prefer the string of nickels. This plant has oval leaves and can produce impressively long tendrils that will trail down from even a high ceiling.
It will tolerate a couple of hours of full sunlight, but check that it isn’t getting much more than this, or it may start to suffer.
For a north or east-facing window, this is an ideal addition.
You may want to hang it quite high up so there is room for its amazing tendrils to fountain down.
Light: This plant has a preference for filtered light but it will tolerate some direct sun for an hour or two. If it gets more than this, it may start to wilt and curl up.
Water: If well watered, the plant will tolerate direct light better, but be wary of over-watering it. Keep the potting medium damp most of the time, allowing it to dry out occasionally. Mist it regularly.
Temperature: Between 40 and 80 degrees F (4-27 °C).
Soil: Airy, well-draining soil that is rich in organic matter.
5. Hanging Tree Cactus (Pfeiffera Boliviana)
If you have a window that only gets the morning sun, the hanging cactus makes an interesting and unique addition.
It will start to lose its color if it gets too much sun, but it should be happy enough with plenty of soft morning light.
This cactus looks highly unusual; it is spine-free and its thick tendrils trail down in long, twisty oblongs. It looks a bit like a spider plant.
Light: A few hours of direct sunlight will be fine, but don’t leave it in full sun all day.
Water: Only water when the soil is dry.
Temperature: Preferably around 54 degrees F (12 °C).
Soil: Choose airy, fast-draining soil or cactus soil.
6. Air Plant (Tillandsia Xerographica)
There are a few different air plants, but this one enjoys having plenty of bright light. Like all plants, it isn’t immune to burning, but it should do well hanging in a window with a good amount of bright, direct light.
Indeed, without plenty of light, this plant may struggle to grow.
The air plant depends on sunlight, rather than the nutrients in the soil, so position it with care.
Air plants look amazing and the fact that they grow without any medium around their roots fascinates many people.
Fun Fact: the air plant develops small clones of itself also known as “pups”, which you can take away and grow as a separate plant.
Light: This plant likes plenty of direct sunlight, but make sure it doesn’t burn. If that happens, move it to a shadier spot for 1-2 hours in the day.
Water: Submerge in a bowl of lukewarm water for 30-60 minutes and then put it back in its usual spot.
Temperature: Between 60 and 80 degrees F (15-27 °C).
Soil: No soil is needed.
7. String of Hearts (Ceropegia Woodii)
Another of the string plants, string of hearts will tolerate a decent amount of direct sunlight, and will not grow if it is in a shady spot.
This pretty plant creates thin tendrils interspersed with delicate, heart-shaped, pale leaves.
These will fountain down, tangling around each other to form an attractive cascade of foliage. They are delicate and can reach up to 4 meters long, so hang it up out of the way!
Light: The plant enjoys a reasonable amount of direct light, but protect it from the burning afternoon sun.
Water: Water sparingly and allow the soil to dry in between waterings.
Temperature: Between 60 and 80 degrees F (15-27 °C).
Soil: Well-drained cactus potting mix.
8. Wax Plant (Hoya Carnosa)
This pretty plant actively prefers direct sunlight when it is kept indoors.
It has striking, variegated leaves, and will tolerate up to 6 hours of full sun per day.
If it gets too little sun, it will struggle to survive.
It grows long tendrils, rather than “strings,” making it a fuller hanging plant. The leaves often have pale pink edges and pale green-white centers.
Light: Some direct sun and plenty of light is needed for this plant.
Water: Allow the surface of the soil to dry to about an inch down before watering.
Temperature: Between 65 and 75 degrees F (18-24 °C).
Soil: Well-draining soil, such as a mix of perlite, orchid bark, and peat compost.
9. Madagascar Jasmine (Stephanotis Floribunda)
This stunning plant will enjoy getting a couple of hours of full sun every day, and produces incredible white flowers when it is well cared for.
It has a sweet scent and is a very popular houseplant.
With dark green leaves and long, trailing tendrils, this plant can get large, so make sure you have enough space for it before you start growing it.
You may need to provide it with supports to wind its foliage around.
Light: It likes plenty of bright light, and will enjoy direct sun for up to 2 hours per day.
Water: Allow the surface of the soil to dry out and then water thoroughly.
Temperature: Between 65 and 80 degrees F (18-27 °C).
Soil: Ideally a mix of peat and perlite, with repotting once every 2 years.
10. Boston Fern (Nephrolepis Exaltata)
If you’d like to grow a hanging fern, you might find the Boston fern ideal, as it will tolerate some full sunlight.
You should shield it from the strongest direct sun in the afternoon, but it otherwise enjoys bright light and should flourish.
Its bright leaves are satisfyingly “classic fern” and have crinkly edges.
The plant does need to be taken down occasionally so that you can remove the dead foliage, which will spoil the aesthetic, but it will otherwise be perfectly happy to be airborne.
Many people position these ferns in hanging baskets in their bathrooms.
These rooms tend to provide full sun for part of the day, but because they have smaller windows, they may protect it from getting too much sun. They are also humid, which is ideal for this plant.
Light: These plants like to get plenty of sunlight, although the hottest afternoon sun could cause burning. Protect it from really hot sun, especially if you notice any blistering on the leaves.
Water: Allow the soil to dry to an inch or 2 inches down before watering, so this plant doesn’t suffer from root rot. You should also mist the fern occasionally if it doesn’t live in your bathroom.
Temperature: The lowest the fern will tolerate is about 65 degrees F, but it prefers warmer temperatures. Anything over 95 degrees F will be too hot for it (18-35 °C).
Soil: Light, airy soil with perlite or peat moss is best for this plant.
Final Thoughts
It may not be easy to find plants that will flourish in full sunlight, as many plants are vulnerable to burning if they are exposed to too much direct sun.
However, if you choose carefully and keep an eye on your plant so you can make adjustments if it is burning, you should be able to create a wonderful hanging display in front of your window!
