Indoor climbing plants: the best houseplants that grow up a support

The best indoor climbing plants are pothos (Epipremnum aureum), monstera (Monstera deliciosa), heartleaf philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum), and English ivy (Hedera helix). All four grip by aerial roots and look far better trained up a moss pole or trellis than left to trail. Given something to climb, these plants grow larger leaves and a fuller shape than they ever do dangling from a shelf, and most of them tolerate the average home conditions that kill fussier houseplants.

These are not really trailing plants, even though most people grow them that way. In the wild they are climbers that scale tree trunks toward brighter light, and their leaves get bigger and more interesting as they rise. A monstera left to trail keeps small, solid juvenile leaves. The same plant trained up a damp pole pushes out the large, split leaves people buy it for. The support changes the plant.

I keep a shelf of climbing houseplants in a north-facing room with low winter light, partly to test which ones cope when the sun barely shows for months. Pothos and philodendron carry on through a zone 5 winter with no fuss, growing slowly but staying healthy. A monstera in the same spot grows slower and wants to be a few feet closer to the window. Light is the difference between a plant that climbs and one that stretches and goes leggy.

Best indoor climbing plants

Pothos, Epipremnum aureum (native to the Solomon Islands, hardy in zones 10-12 outside, almost always grown as a houseplant), is the most forgiving climber there is. It tolerates low light down to about 50 foot-candles, dry air, and the odd missed watering, and it roots from a cutting in a glass of water within a week. Grown up a moss pole it produces leaves the size of your hand, much larger than the small leaves it makes when trailing. Golden pothos, marble queen, and neon pothos all climb the same way and differ only in leaf color and variegation pattern. NASA Clean Air Study results, often cited for pothos, showed the plant removed formaldehyde and benzene from sealed chamber air, though real home conditions produce much smaller effects.

Monstera deliciosa (native to tropical Mexico and Central America) is the showpiece. On a damp moss pole it grows the large fenestrated leaves, the ones with holes and splits, that it never makes as a trailing plant. Mature leaves can reach 18-30 inches (45-75 cm) across on a well-grown plant. It wants bright, indirect light (200+ foot-candles) and a sturdy pole, since a mature monstera gets heavy. Give it room: a happy monstera fills a corner within a few years.

Heartleaf philodendron, Philodendron hederaceum (native to Central America and the Caribbean), is as tough as pothos and climbs the same way. It handles low light, grows fast, and forgives neglect, which makes it a good first climbing houseplant. The leaves are heart-shaped and glossy, and they grow noticeably larger on a moss pole than in a hanging basket. The cultivar ‘Brasil’ has variegated lime-green and dark green leaves and climbs the same way as the species.

English ivy, Hedera helix (native to Europe and western Asia, zones 4-9 outdoors, almost always grown as a houseplant in cold zones), climbs by aerial roots and tolerates cool rooms and low light better than the tropical climbers. It wants more humidity than the others and is prone to spider mites in hot, dry air, so mist it or keep it away from a radiator. It is invasive outdoors in many regions, so keep it as a houseplant and do not plant it in the garden. Penn State Extension lists English ivy as invasive across the mid-Atlantic and Pacific Northwest.

How indoor climbers attach

The climbing houseplants in this group grip by aerial roots, short stubby roots that grow from the nodes along the stem. In the wild these roots grow into the bark of a tree and anchor the vine as it climbs. Indoors they need a damp surface to root into, which is why a moss pole works so well. The roots grow into the wet moss and lock the stem to the pole.

A dry support gives the aerial roots nothing to grab. A bare wooden stake or a dry trellis holds the plant only where you tie it, and the roots wave in the air and do nothing. For the bigger-leaf effect, the support has to be damp, which means misting a moss pole every 2-3 days or choosing a coir pole that holds moisture longer.

You can also let these plants climb a trellis or a wall-mounted frame, but they need tying in until the roots take hold, since the aerial roots root into moss far more readily than into a smooth trellis. For the fullest, most mature growth, a moist pole beats a dry trellis every time with these plants. University of Florida indoor plant trials showed that philodendrons grown on damp moss poles produced leaves roughly 2-3x larger than the same varieties on dry stakes under the same light and watering.

Light and watering indoors

Most indoor climbing plants want bright, indirect light, around 100-200 foot-candles at the leaf surface. An east-facing window, a north window, or a spot a few feet back from a bright south or west window suits them. Harsh direct sun through glass scorches the leaves, so keep them out of a hot sunbeam. Too little light is the more common problem, and it shows as leggy stems with small leaves spaced far apart.

Water when the top inch or two of soil dries out, then water thoroughly until it runs from the drainage holes. These plants hate sitting in soggy soil far more than they mind a little dryness. Overwatering rots the roots, which is the most common way people kill pothos and philodendron. If in doubt, wait a day and check the soil with a finger. A 6-inch (15 cm) pothos in a 6-inch pot typically needs water every 7-10 days in summer and every 14-21 days in winter under average home conditions.

Average home humidity suits pothos, philodendron, and most of the group. Monstera and ivy prefer more moisture in the air and look better grouped with other plants or near a humidifier in a dry, heated room in winter. Brown, crispy leaf edges usually point to dry air or underwatering rather than too much water. Aim for 40-60% relative humidity for the tropical climbers, which is achievable with a humidifier or a pebble tray.

Training a houseplant to climb

To start a plant climbing, push a moss pole or trellis into the pot, ideally at potting time so you do not spear the roots later. Seat it firmly against the back of the pot near the base of the stem, since a wobbly pole tips a top-heavy plant over. Then pin the main stem to the support with soft ties, twist ties, or floral pins.

Place each tie just below a node where the aerial roots emerge, and press those roots against the damp moss. Hold the stem in contact with the pole for 2-4 weeks while the roots root in and grip on their own. After that the plant climbs with less and less help, and you only add a tie where a new section needs guiding.

Turn the pot a quarter turn each week so the plant grows evenly around the support rather than all leaning toward the window. Extend the pole as the plant nears the top, because a vine that outgrows its support flops over and can revert to smaller leaves once it loses contact with the moss. Give it more pole before it runs out.

Less common indoor climbers worth trying

Syngonium, the arrowhead plant (Syngonium podophyllum, native to Central and South America), climbs by aerial roots and grows larger, more divided leaves on a pole. It comes in pink, white, and green varieties and tolerates lower light, which makes it a good choice for a dimmer room. It is as forgiving as pothos once you find it a spot it likes.

Rhaphidophora tetrasperma, sometimes sold as mini monstera, climbs fast and produces split leaves on a much smaller plant than a true monstera. It suits a tighter space and grows quickly up a moss pole, adding 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) per month under good light. Give it bright, indirect light and a damp pole and it climbs several feet a year.

Hoya, the wax plant (Hoya carnosa and others), climbs by twining rather than aerial roots and rewards patience with clusters of waxy, scented flowers. It tolerates neglect and bright light, including some direct morning sun, better than the aroids. Train it up a small trellis or a hoop in the pot, water sparingly, and leave the spent flower stalks on, since it reblooms from the same spurs year after year.

Cissus, the grape ivy (Cissus alata, formerly C. rhombifolia), climbs by tendrils and tolerates average home conditions. It is grown for its divided, glossy leaves rather than flowers and is one of the easier vining houseplants for a beginner, though it does not respond to a moss pole the way aroids do.

Fixing common problems with indoor climbers

Yellow leaves on a climbing houseplant almost always mean overwatering. The roots sit too wet, suffocate, and the lower leaves yellow and drop. Let the top inch or two of soil dry before watering, make sure the pot drains, and never leave the plant standing in a saucer of water. A pothos or philodendron recovers fast once you cut back the watering.

Brown, crispy leaf edges point the other way, to underwatering or dry air. In a heated room in winter, the air gets very dry and the leaf tips burn. Water a little more consistently, group plants together to raise local humidity, or stand the pot on a tray of damp pebbles. Monstera and ivy show this first, since they want more moisture in the air than pothos.

Leggy growth, with long bare stems and small leaves spaced far apart, means too little light. The plant stretches toward the window and skips making full leaves. Move it to a brighter spot, pinch the tips to force branching, and use the cuttings to fill out the pot. Spider mites, fine webbing and stippled leaves, attack ivy in dry air, so raise the humidity and rinse the foliage to keep them off. University of Maryland Extension fact sheet on indoor climbing plants recommends checking for spider mites weekly by tapping a leaf over white paper and looking for tiny moving specks.

An indoor climber comparison at a glance

The table below compares the most useful indoor climbing plants, with light need, mature size, and the support that works best for each.