Hardware for Hanging Plants

Hanging a plant from a ceiling is accomplished with ceiling hooks. Ceiling hooks are usually sold in packages of two, and include anchors for screwing the hook directly into a wooden beam or butterfly toggle anchors for hanging on drywall. Which you use depends on the plant's weight. Hanging on drywall is not recommended for plants in pots larger than 8 inches in diameter. Use screw anchors also to hang plants on porch or ceiling beams. For hanging larger plants, a 2-inch screw is recommended to provide proper support.

For hanging plants on interior or exterior walls, use wall hanger hardware. These generally consist of a plate that is screwed onto the wall and an arm, which extends from the plate to hold the plant. The arm can be stationary or movable, and comes in various lengths to accommodate all sizes of plants. For hanging on a wood frame wall, 2-inch screws should be installed directly into a wall stud.

Eye hooks are best used for hanging outdoor plants that may be blown off regular hooks by winds. Eye hooks are generally screwed directly into wooden structures, but using an anchor will keep them from being ripped out. Eye hooks are useful for hanging plants from large trees limbs, but have to be removed and replaced as the tree grows.

"S" hooks come in all shapes and sizes and are made from a piece of sturdy metal bent into an "S" or hook shape at both ends. These are used to hang plants from tree limbs, from structures without hooks, from eye hooks, and to extend the space between the plant and the structure from which it is hung. "S" hooks come in various lengths and are widely used commercially to utilize otherwise wasted greenhouse space.

Clay pot hangers are designed to fit over and under the lip of a clay pot to enable hanging it, and can have two or three arms. These are widely used by orchid, cactus and succulent growers to hang plants in greenhouses when shelf space runs out.

Another type of clay pot hanger has arms with a ring into which the clay pot fits. These are more stable initially, but the welding does not hold up well in humid greenhouse environments.

Heavy plants, such as large staghorn ferns or 5-gallon tomato pots, need special hardware to support their weight. To hang these plants, a chain is usually hung across a limb or other structure, protected with some kind of rubber or plastic tubing. The chain is then connected to itself with nuts and bolts, and the plant hung from the chain with "S" hooks. Make sure that the structure on which you are hanging a heavy plant will support its weight. For hanging heavy plants on wooden arbors, there are special eye-bolts long and heavy enough to be inserted completely through the beam and anchored with nuts and washers.

Specialty hardware is available for hanging plants and planters on decks, fences and railings. These come in many styles depending on the structure. Some may require anchoring while others are simply hung across or on the structures.