Turn Your Favorite Room Into a Jungle with Vining Houseplants
While we love the striking, upright forms of snake plant and ZZ plant, a vining plant can add another layer of style to your favorite space.
Vining houseplants look attractive draping over the edges of coffee tables or dressers, dangling from hanging baskets, or stretching out horizontally across shelving units.
Vining Houseplant Tips
Most vining houseplants need some help in creeping upwards. Use a small trellis or construct a moss pole by wrapping a piece a dowel rod with Spanish moss, then wrapping twine around it to hold the moss in place. This gives the plant a rough texture to grab onto, much like it would in the wild when scrambling up the bark of a tree.
Many vining plants also tolerate low to moderate light levels, so they can be a good choice in rooms without bright, sunny windows. But if you want the fastest growth and the most vigorous climbing, you'll want to provide some bright light.
Plants that aren’t getting sufficient light tend to stretch. If your plant starts to look sparse, trim off the gangly end pieces to encourage new growth, and move it to a brighter location, or give it regular time with a full-spectrum grow light. (Here are some we recommend.)
Most vining plants are tropical in origin, so they need normal household temperatures. They also do not like to stay overly wet, so make sure to err on the side of dry, rather than wet when watering. Always poke your finger in the soil to test before giving any houseplant a drink.
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Golden Pothos (Epipremnum Aureum)
As one of the easiest houseplants to grow, golden pothos deserves a place in your collection. With shiny green heart-shaped leaves splashed with gold, this plant can grow 6 to 10 feet horizontally or vertically, if given something to climb. It adapts low light but grows the fastest and climbs better in bright light.
Light: Bright, indirect to moderate but adapts to low
Water: When top inch or two of soil feels dry
Size: 10 feet long
Read more: Pothos Plant Growing Tips
Wandering Dude (Tradescantia zebrina)
With silvery, green and magenta stripes, this pretty trailing plant is a dream to grow! Its long stems “wander” everywhere, giving it its common name. Make sure it has sufficient light, or it tends to get gangly with sparse foliage. It reaches about 3 feet long.
Light: Bright, indirect
Water: When mostly dry
Size: 3 feet long
Read more: How to Care for Wandering Dude Plant
Velvet Leaf Philodendron (Philodendron 'Micans')
With velvety leaves, this vining philodendron is a must-have to add texture and interest to your houseplant collection. It’s a great choice for new plant parents because it’s so low-maintenance. It reaches 2 feet long.
Light: Bright to moderate, indirect
Water: When top few inches of soil feels dry
Size: 2 feet long
Related: 21 Indoor Plants to Add Color and Beauty to Your Home
String of Hearts (Ceropegia woodii)
Who can resist the heart-shaped leaves of this charming succulent? It comes in varieties with green or slightly pink-ish hued foliage, making it even more appealing. It needs direct sunlight to look its best. It reaches 2 feet long.
Light: Bright, direct light
Water: Let it mostly dry out before watering
Size: 2 feet long
More: How to Keep a String of Hearts Plant Thriving
Purple Heart Plant (Tradescantia pallida)
With dark purple leaves and teeny pink flowers in spring and summer, this trailing houseplant makes a colorful addition to your collection. Give it lots of light or it will get leggy and revert to green foliage. It grows to a foot long.
Light: Bright, direct
Water: When the top inch or two of soil feels dry
Size: 1 foot long
Read more: How to Grow and Care for Purple Heart Plant
Creeping Fig (Ficus pumila)
Often grown in terrariums, creeping fig can become much larger if given room to grow. It prefers bright, indirect light and can reach up to 3 feet long indoors. You may need to trim off any gangly pieces periodically to keep the plant looking good.
Light: Bright, indirect
Water: Keep slightly moist
Size: 3 feet long
Related: 15 Best Plants for Terrariums
Heart Leaf Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum)
Heartleaf philodendrons have pretty heart-shaped leaves. They’re one of the easiest low-maintenance houseplants to grow, and they can reach up to 15 feet tall with the right light. Give them a little guidance up a moss pole to help them climb. It gets gangly if not given sufficient light.
Light: Bright, indirect to moderate
Water: When top few inches of soil feels dry
Size: 15 feet long
Read more: Fool-Proof Philodendron Care Tips
Brasil Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum 'Brasil')
This pretty plant is a cultivar, or cultivated variety, of heartleaf philodendron. It’s just as easy to grow, but it has pretty lime green markings on its leaves. It grows about 6 feet long. It gets leggy if given insufficient light.
Light: Bright, indirect to moderate
Water: When top few inches of soil feels dry
Size: 6 feet long
Related: 12 Types of Philodendrons Plant Lovers Enjoy
Arrowhead Plant (Syngonium Podophyllum)
With it's namesake arrowhead-shaped leaves and white splashes on the foliage, this plant offers a nice contrast to your other houseplants.
Give it bright, indirect light for fastest growth but not direct light, which can burn its foliage. It stays on the bushier more than vining side but can grow to 15 inches tall.
Light: Bright, indirect but will tolerate low to moderate
Water: When top several inches of soil feels dry
Size: 1 to 2 feet long
Wax Plant (Hoya carnosa)
Wax plants have thick, waxy leaves and pretty ball-shaped clusters of fragrant white or pink-ish flowers. They’re fairly slow-growing but, depending on the variety, they can reach about 4 feet long.
Light: Bright, indirect
Water: Let dry out completely in between waterings
Size: 4 feet long
Monstera (Monstera deliciosa)
This popular houseplant is everything you love: Large, dramatic leaves, fast-growing and easy-care. Give this plant bright, indirect light, and it will take off, growing about a foot a year and eventually reaching 15 feet long.
Light: Bright, indirect
Water: When the top few inches of soil are dry
Size: 15 feet long
Read more: Monstera 101: Easy Grow Guide to These Plants
Rope Plant (Hoya carnosa 'Compacta')
Compacta’ is a variety of hoya with attractive curling foliage. This semi-succulent plant is a low-maintenance choice because it doesn’t need watered frequently. It grows to about 3 feet long.
Light: Bright, indirect
Water: When top inch or two of soil feels dry
Size: 3 feet long
Swiss Cheese Plant (Monstera Adansonii)
Another plant in the Monstera genus, this type of Monstera is often referred to as Swiss cheese plant because the foliage is filled with holes! The fenestrations, or holes, develop as the plant matures. It can reach about 8 feet tall indoors.
Light: Bright, indirect
Water: When the top inch of soil is dry
Size: 8 feet tall
Satin Pothos (Scindapsus pictus)
This plant looks similar to a pothos and has almost identical needs, which is why it's lumped in with pothos plants. But it’s actually an entirely different genus. It has beautiful silvery splashes on its foliage and reaches about 10 feet long.
Light: Bright, indirect
Water: When top few inches of soil feels dry
Size: 10 feet long
String of Pearls (Senecio rowleyanus)
This irresistible vining succulent has tiny beads that resemble a pearl necklace. It can tolerate a little direct morning sun, but give it indirect light in the afternoon. It reaches up to 2 feet long.
Light: Bright, indirect
Water: When top inch or two of soil feels dry
Size: 2 feet long
Related: 17 Best Flowering Succulents for Your Home
Creeping Wire Vine (Muehlewbeckia complera)
Creeping wire vine makes a fabulous fast-growing groundcover outdoors. But indoors, its interesting wiry stems add color and texture to your collection. Give it bright direct light for best results. It can grow to 2 feet long.
Light: Bright, direct
Water: Keep slightly moist
Size: 2 feet long
Marble Queen Pothos (Epipremnum aureum 'Marble Queen')
Marble queen pothos is as sturdy as other types, but it has interesting creamy white variegations. It does best in moderate to bright indirect light; low light will cause the foliage to revert to all green. It gets about 10 feet long.
Light: Bright to moderate indirect
Water: When top inch or two of soil feels dry
Size: 10 feet long
String of Dolphins (Senecio peregrinus)
Yes, this vining succulent does look like tiny, leaping dolphins! Like string of pearls, it can tolerate some direct morning sun but taper back to indirect light in the afternoon. As a succulent, it’s drought tolerant so water only when it feels mostly dry. It can reach about a foot or two in length.
Light: Bright, indirect
Water: When top few inches of soil feel dry
Size: 1 to 2 feet long
Read more: What Are Dolphin Succulents?
Neon Pothos (Epipremnum aureum 'Neon')
If you love neon, this is the pothos for you! With cheerful neon-green foliage, this easy-care pothos adds a splash of bright color to any room. Like all pothos plants, it’s super-easy to grow. It grows best in bright, indirect light to maintain its coloring and reaches up to 15 feet long.
Light: Bright, indirect
Water: When top inch or two of soil feels dry
Size: 15 feet long
Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)
This fast-growing vining plant has brilliant gold foliage. Give it direct sunlight to maintain its health and color, and keep it slightly moist. It grows to 2 feet long.
Light: Bright, direct
Water: Keep slightly moist
Size: 2 feet long
Read more: How to Grow and Care for Creeping Jenny
String of Bananas (Senecio radicans)
Yep, it’s just what it sounds like! This adorable trailing succulent resembles tiny bananas. Like its relatives string of pearls and string of dolphins, it also needs bright light. Morning sun is okay, but afternoon sun will scald it. It is drought tolerant so water only when the top few inches feel dry. It reaches about 2 feet long.
Light: Bright, indirect
Water: When top few inches of soil
Size: 2 feet long
Mini Monstera (Rhaphidophora tetrasperma)
This plant looks like a Monstera, but it’s actually a different genus. However, it has a similar habit, reaching about 15 feet long. It prefers to stay a little on the moist side.
Light: Bright, indirect
Water: Keep soil very slightly moist
Size: 15 feet long
Manjula Pothos (Epipremnum aureum variegata)
This uncommon type of pothos has white, cream and green splashes on dark green heart-shaped leaves. As unique as it is, it requires the same low-maintenance approach of all pothos varieties. It grows to 10 feet long.
Light: Bright, indirect
Water: When top inch or two of soil feels dry
Size: 10 feet long
Cebu Blu Pothos (Epipremnum pinnatum 'Cebu Blu')
Yet another pothos makes the list of beautiful indoor vining plants. This one has pointier leaves with a distinctly silvery-blue caste. It grows up to 8 feet long.
Light: Bright, indirect
Water: When top inch or two of soil feels dry
Size: 8 feet long
Purple passion plant (Gynura aurantica)
With dark green foliage that has serrated edges and a fuzzy purple texture, this is a delightful plant to add a splash of gorgeous color to your home. Purple passion plant is beautiful in contrast to your other houseplants. Give it bright, indirect light or it tends to get leggy. It grows to a foot long.
Light: Bright, indirect
Water: When top few inches of soil feel dry
Size: 1 foot long
Read more: How to Grow and Care for Purple Passion Plant
FAQs
What is the Fastest Growing Indoor Vine Plant?
Various types of pothos are the fastest-growing indoor vines. Give them bright, indirect light, and they’ll take off—growing up to several feet per year.
What is the Easiest Climbing Vine to Grow?
Monstera deliciosa, pothos, heartleaf philodendron and velvet leaf philodendron are all easy-to-grow indoor vines. Make sure they have bright, indirect light, and don’t overwater them. These plants all benefit from a trellis or moss pole to support them as they grow upwards.
What is the Best Low-light Indoor Vine Plant?
Most types of pothos and some vining philodendrons will tolerate low light levels. However, no plant likes zero light. Make sure the plant gets at least some bright, indirect light during the day—even from a window several feet away-- or it will not thrive.
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