Why loft windows suit trailing plants

Loft rooms have a character all of their own: steep ceilings, narrow floor space and windows that often catch sun from early morning until late afternoon. That is frustrating if you dream of a huge statement plant in a floor pot, but it is ideal if you think upwards. A deep window ledge, a shelf above a desk, the top of a wardrobe or a beam running beneath a skylight all give you the light that cascading plants need, without swallowing the floor you actually have to walk on.

Heat helps too. Warm air rises, so lofts are usually the mildest rooms in the house, which suits tropical trailers that sulk in a chilly downstairs corner. The trade-off is that hot, bright air dries compost quickly, so the plants worth choosing are those that cope with strong light and forgive the odd missed watering.

What to look for before you buy

Not every trailing plant will thank you for a place on a bright loft windowsill. When you are choosing, keep three things in mind.

• Light tolerance. South-facing loft glass can be fierce in July. Choose plants that enjoy direct sun for part of the day, or plan to filter it.
• Compact roots. Trailers that grow happily in a 12–15cm pot let you fit several along one ledge without weight becoming an issue.
• A genuine trailing habit. Some plants flop a little and stop. You want stems that keep extending and look good from above, because that is how you will usually see them.

Trailing favourites for bright loft windows

These are the plants I recommend most often for warm, well-lit rooms, and they are all widely available in UK garden centres and nurseries.

• String of hearts (Ceropegia woodii). Delicate, marbled, heart-shaped leaves on fine purple stems that can easily reach a metre. Give it a bright spot with a few hours of direct sun and let the compost dry out between waterings. It is far more forgiving than its fragile looks suggest.
• String of pearls (Curio rowleyanus). A classic for a reason, and happiest in the brightest position you can offer. Water only when the little spheres start to look slightly dull and shrunken, and never leave the pot standing in water. Handle it gently; the pearls drop if knocked.
• Hoya linearis and Hoya carnosa. Both trail beautifully, and both enjoy bright light with a little direct sun. Linearis has soft, needle-like leaves and a gentle cascading habit; carnosa is heavier and rewards patience with clusters of waxy, scented flowers. Let them dry slightly between waterings and avoid moving them once buds form.
• Lipstick plant (Aeschynanthus). Glossy, dark leaves and tubular red flowers that appear from small buds, hence the name. Bright, indirect light suits it best, so a sheer blind or a spot 30cm back from the glass is ideal in summer.
• Tradescantia zebrina. Silver and purple striped leaves that deepen in colour with good light. It grows quickly, so pinch out the tips to keep it bushy. Keep the compost lightly moist and it will trail generously within a season.
• Rhipsalis. A cactus that behaves like a friendly houseplant, with thin, branching stems and no spines. It takes bright, indirect light and long dry spells in its stride, making it perfect for a loft you do not visit every day.
• Spider plant (Chlorophytum). Utterly dependable, and it will send out arching runners with baby plants you can pot up and pass on. Bright light keeps the variegation crisp.

Setting up shelves and ledges safely

High shelves look wonderful draped in greenery, but they need to be fixed properly. Screw brackets into joists or use decent cavity fixings rather than trusting plasterboard alone, and check the weight of a soaked pot before you fill a long shelf with them. A narrow plank fixed beneath a skylight can hold three or four small pots and turns dead space into a living curtain.

For watering, a long-spout indoor can with a narrow neck is worth the money; it reaches over foliage without soaking the leaves. Alternatively, choose lightweight plastic or glazed pots so you can lift plants down easily, and stand them on a tray or saucer to protect paintwork and sills.

Watering and care in a hot, bright room

Loft temperatures swing, so check compost weekly with a finger rather than a calendar. In summer, most of these plants will want water every five to seven days; in winter, every two to three weeks is plenty for the succulents, with a little more for tradescantia and spider plants.

• Water in the morning so any splashes on leaves dry before the strongest sun arrives.
• Use tepid water straight from a filled can rather than cold from the tap.
• Feed lightly from March to September with a diluted houseplant feed every few weeks.
• Watch for pests on the undersides of leaves, especially red spider mite, which thrives in warm, dry air. A weekly mist and a wipe with a damp cloth help.
• Rotate pots a quarter turn each month so growth stays even and does not lean hard against the glass.

Making more plants for free

Most trailers are generous with cuttings. Snip a healthy stem just below a leaf node, remove the lower leaves, and root it in water or straight into damp compost. Tradescantia roots within a fortnight on a bright windowsill; string of hearts does well from short stem sections laid on the surface of gritty compost. Hoya and rhipsalis are slower, so take cuttings in spring and give them warmth and patience.

Pot the young plants into small pots, keep them slightly moist, and within a few months you will have new trailers ready for the next empty ledge. In a loft, that is a very good problem to have.