10 Ways to Display Plants Besides Using a Plant Stand

plants on a mantel — The Spruce / Taylor Fuller

When you have a million plants, you’re bound to run out of places to put them. There are only so many shelves you can put up on the walls and so much floor space you can cover in plants, and only so many plant stands you can buy. But we’re all up for a challenge here at The Spruce! Here are 10 unique ways to display your plants besides using a plant stand. Some of them are easy to execute while others are really creative and will even need you to utilize some of your DIY skills.

Instead of using a regular plant stand you can always use a plant stool. These are really helpful when you’re trying to layer plants in a corner and keep them off of the floor. If you put your bigger plants in the back and the smaller ones in front, it’ll be a lot easier to water them. Putting plants on a stool can also help keep your floors clean.

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hang plants from curtain rod — Taylor Fuller

Trailing plants need spacious homes, and putting them in the window is a great place for them. And we mean directly in the window: use your curtain rods to hang trailing plants. You can buy hooks that will allow you to hang macrame plant holders or hanging pots with ease. Make sure you’re only putting plants in your window that can handle whatever kind of light your window gets. Choose a variety of plants and hang them at different lengths. You’ll end up with a gorgeous natural curtain.

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tension rod used for plants — Taylor Fuller

Don’t have a window with a curtain rod? Don’t worry! You can always purchase a tension rod and hang it between two nearby walls. This is another amazing way to display your favorite trailing plants. Pothos, hoyas, philodendrons, and string of hearts are great plants to hang from a tension rod. They’ll have so much room to grow and trail.

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Pegboard with plants on and hanging from it — Most Lovely Things

A pegboard is not only for storage! It's actually a really creative way to display your plants. You can attach little pots to it or use the pegs to hang a plant holder from it. Just make sure that if you’re using the little plastic pots that connect easily to the pegboard that you’re not planting your plant directly in it. Use a nursery pot (i.e., the little plastic pot your plant came in) so you can remove it from the cup to water it and allow it to drain. You never want your plant’s roots to be sitting in water.

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plant hanging from branch — Dmitry Marchenko / EyeEm / Getty Images

If you’re looking to get really natural with your plant decor, you could always hang plants from a branch. You can buy branches that have been cleaned for this purpose or you can make it a fun DIY project and find a branch yourself. Make sure to give it a good cleaning by removing the bark and sanding it. You can then bleach the branch so it's rid of any pests. Stain it or leave it as is. Hang it from the wall and use plant hangers to display for favorite plants.

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While you may need to place your plant on a stand for this one, the true magic in this plant display is what you create using adhesive strips or hooks. By training a plant to grow upward, you can create your own indoor jungle. Seriously—we’ve seen some really cool arches that plant enthusiasts have created just by placing the stem in an adhesive hook and training the vine to drape over doorways. It’s really beautiful.

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While you could argue that a mantel is just another shelf, just hear us out. Sure, you can treat a mantle like a shelf, but we’ve found that using a mantel as a dedicated spot for plants is a great idea. Depending on the width and length of the mantel, you have the potential to add a lot of plants and make it the focal point of the room. And plants absolutely love being grouped together. It creates a microclimate and increases the humidity in the area, making this a great way to give your plants a little extra love.

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Elevate your favorite plant by stacking some books and putting your plant on top. If you’re afraid of damaging your books, this is a great way to display some cuttings in a unique glass container. Plus, propagating your plants is a great way to expand your collection. So why not make a really unique arrangement with cuttings from some of your favorites around the house?

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Using over the door storage as a way to hang plants — The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

Who said that you had to use over-the-door storage as over-the-door storage? Why not use it as a way to display your plants instead? There are so many great over-the-door storage options available and by using it for plant storage, you’re creating space for plants that you wouldn't have been able to use for plants otherwise. Going vertical is an excellent way to maximize space for plants. Plus, when you add trailing plants, it’s as if you’ve created your very own plant wall.

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Did you know that you can buy upside-down plant pots? They’re a little bit scary to set up because you’re inevitably going to flip them over, but they’re actually pretty simple to use. Most upside-down pots will have a water reservoir so they can self-water. They’ll also come with mesh that you can secure over the soil so that when you flip it, you won’t make a mess.