Scientific Name | Philodendron hederaceum |
Other Names | Sweetheart plant |
Native to | South and Central America |
Identifying Feature | Dark green heart-shaped leaves |
Mature Size | 10 foot-long vines, bush diameter of 1-3 feet |
Basic Care Needs | Low to bright indirect light, moderate watering, medium humidity, and warm temperatures |
Toxic? | Yes; to pets |
If you’re still busy developing your green fingers, the heartleaf philodendron is a very forgiving and easy to care for vining plant. While it prefers bright light, it thrives in lower light conditions (such as from North-facing windows) as long as the temperature isn’t too cold. So keep it toasty and above 60℉ with enough humidity, and you’ll have a lovely heart-leafed vining experience that will happily climb up some bamboo trellises.
Scientific Name | Monstera adansonii |
Other Names | Swiss cheese vine, five holes plant, cheese plant |
Native to | South America |
Identifying Feature | Eye-shaped holes in the bright green, long heart-shaped leaves |
Mature Size | 3-8 feet tall and 12 foot-long vines for indoor environments |
Basic Care Needs | Well-draining soil, low to bright indirect light |
Toxic? | Yes; to pets |
The Swiss cheese plant is often confused with its cousin, the delicious monster (Monstera deliciosa). It also has fenestrated leaves, but unlike its cousins, the holes are inside the leaves and don't make splits.
This tropical beauty is a fast-growing and low-maintenance plant that adapts well to different growing environments.
Scientific Name | Hoya carnosa |
Other Names | Wax flower, Indian rope plant, or porcelain flower |
Native to | Asia |
Identifying Feature | Light to medium green leaves with waxy appearance and ball-shaped tropical flowers (leaves may be variegated) |
Mature Size | 12-20 feet, with 2-3 foot vines |
Basic Care Needs | Acidic soil, partial light, high humidity |
Toxic? | Non-toxic |
I love my hoya plant. It’s lush, loves lower lighting conditions, and thrives in my bathroom because it likes high humidity. What’s more, the hoya vines through trellises and on bamboo stakes, living as long as 30 years—talk about a wonderful investment—and the bright tropical flowers are fragrant, too.
Scientific Name | Hybrid Schlumbergera x buckleyi |
Other Names | Holiday cactus, crab cactus |
Native to | South America |
Identifying Feature | Flattened green stems with rounded crenated stem joints and cerise pink, red, purple, orange, or white flowers |
Mature Size | 6-12 inches tall with 12-24-inch vines |
Basic Care Needs | Well-draining soil, partial light, high humidity |
Toxic? | No, but it can cause vomiting and diarrhea if consumed in large quantities |
My Christmas cactus grows in a low-light environment on a large tree in my yard. However, the spineless cactus makes a stunning indoor vining plant with its hot pink elongated flowers. The Christmas cactus has a long lifespan of 20-30 years, so I’m happy that my plant bestie will be around for a long time!
Scientific Name | Cissus Discolor |
Other Names | Rex begonia vine |
Native to | Asia |
Identifying Feature | Large, variegated leaves of purple, silver, pink, and green |
Mature Size | Bush with vines up to 10 feet long |
Basic Care Needs | Warm temperatures 65°F to 75°F and high humidity, water just before needed |
Toxic? | Yes |
I am simply in love with my rex begonia vine, or painted-leaf vine, which is absolutely gorgeous. It’s a fairly easy vine to grow indoors, and it thrives in low to moderate light. However, for best results, a grow light will work wonders if the light is too little. Quality light helps with the variegation of the leaves, so don’t skimp.
Scientific Name | Hedera helix |
Other Names | Common ivy, European ivy, ivy, |
Native to | Europe and western Asia |
Identifying Feature | Dark green leaves with 3-5 lobes (like a spread hand) |
Mature Size | Grows as big as it can when untamed |
Basic Care Needs | Neutral to slightly alkaline soil and low to bright light |
Toxic? | Yes; humans and pets |
English ivy grows fast, at a rate of 9 feet per year, so I regularly prune these vining plants to keep them in check (and not let the jungle plants take over my home). Ivy, with its traditional vibes, works as a ground cover, with vines trailing from a shelf or hanging basket or as a climber with vines growing upward.
Scientific Name | Monstera deliciosa |
Other Names | Ceriman, window leaf, delicious monster (often mistakenly called a Swiss cheese plant or split-leaf philodendron) |
Native to | Central America |
Identifying Feature | Large leaves with sliced cuts or breaks |
Mature Size | 3-15 feet high, 3-8 feet wide |
Basic Care Needs | Low to bright light, water as needed, warm temperatures of 65°F and 85°F |
Toxic? | Yes |
I have a large entrance foyer, where I have grown a huge Monstera, which is climbing up the wall at an alarming pace. With some sturdy moss poles and wall anchors, I have helped the plant vine to its full potential, and it’s a wonderful home for my garden gnomes and a range of smaller vining plants that thrive under its leaves.
But if you have a smaller monster plant, you can use a bamboo trellis to support the vines and give the plant the strength it needs to thrive.
Scientific Name | Philodendron hederaceum ‘Brasil’ |
Other Names | N/A |
Native to | Central America and the Caribbean |
Identifying Feature | Splashes of yellow, cream, and a lighter green on dark green, heart-shaped leaves |
Mature Size | 4-6 feet tall with up to 10 foot-long vines |
Basic Care Needs | Moderate humidity, neutral, well-draining soil, and low to bright indirect light |
Toxic? | Yes; humans and pets |
The Brasil philodendron is a stunning variegated variety of the beloved philodendron, with its yellow, cream, and lighter green pops of color. While the plant will thrive in a low-light environment, you may lose some variegation, which is easily corrected by adding a grow light. The uniquely patterned leaves work really well in my modernist lounge.
Scientific Name | Syngonium podophyllum |
Other Names | Arrowhead vine |
Native to | South America and Mexico |
Identifying Feature | Arrow-shaped leaves with variegation |
Mature Size | 3-6 feet tall, 1-2 feet wide with trailing vines |
Basic Care Needs | Low to moderate light, water as needed, warm temperatures, and high humidity |
Toxic? | Yes; for pets |
The arrowhead is a beautiful plant for a basket or shelf display. Its arrow-shaped leaves look gorgeous as they trail down from the planter. To increase humidity, use a pebble tray with water, as the arrowhead loves humid conditions.
Vine your arrowhead against a totem or statue on your porch or trail it across a feature wall with wall-mounted trellises.
Scientific Name | Philodendron hederaceum var. hederaceum
|
Other Names | Philodendron micans, velvet-leaf philodendron |
Native to | Central and North America |
Identifying Feature | Large, velvety leaves that are heart-shaped |
Mature Size | 8 inches tall, trailing up to 24 inches |
Basic Care Needs | Low indirect light, high humidity, water as needed |
Toxic? | Yes; to pets |
The Micans starts with a reddish to purple leaf, turning darker green in brighter light. In really low-light conditions, the plant will have a darker greenish-purple color. I like a bit more green, so I’ve added a grow light to help my Micans cascade in a brilliant green shower from the hanging basket in my kitchen.
Scientific Name | Chlorophytum comosum |
Other Names | Ribbon plant, spider ivy, hen and chickens, airplane plant |
Native to | South Africa |
Identifying Feature | Narrow ribbon-shaped leaves with small plantlets forming on the end of the trailing stem |
Mature Size | 12-15 inches tall with vines up to 2 feet |
Basic Care Needs | Neutral, loamy soil and low light |
Toxic? | Non-toxic |
The spider plant resembles a spider with its long, thin leaf. Despite its creepy-crawly name, it’s a popular houseplant that grows well in low-light or shady spots. White flowers form at the end of the trailing vines, leaving behind a little mini-me spider plant (making propagation super easy!).
These low-light vining plants can have green leaves or variegated ones with white stripes. It looks stunning in a hanging pot or with the vines and plantless trailing down a pedestal.
Scientific Name | Cissus rhombifolia |
Other Names | Oak leaf ivy, Cissus alata |
Native to | Mexico and Central to South America |
Identifying Feature | Green, glossy leaves clustered in groups of three. |
Mature Size | 1-3 feet wide and tall with longer vines |
Basic Care Needs | Water lightly, warmer temperatures, and low to medium light |
Toxic? | Non-toxic |
I have a variety of grape ivy vines at my front door and one vined up a plinth in the space between my dining room and lounge. Both thrive in very different conditions because grape ivy is versatile and easily adjusts with enough support and regular (if low) lighting. I adore
a trellis to vine the ivy onto, which lets the smaller leaves branch out, catching the light.
Keep these tips in mind when searching for a trellis for your Monstera plant.
Not all low-light vining plants will be suitable for my home. I have a few considerations that I keep in mind before splurging on a new, gorgeous addition to my house (and life).
- Ultimate size and growing requirements: The plant's mature size will influence whether I have space in my home to accommodate it. I definitely won’t squeeze a plant into a too-small space. If it requires a lot of daily care, it’s also a skip for me since I travel almost weekly.
- Overall look: The new plant will have to fit in with my current decor theme. I can add vining supports and decorative pots, but I also need to know that the leaf shape, vining potential, and overall presentation will fit with what I am building.
- Light requirements: Not all low-light vining plants may survive in your home. I know that the light in my bathroom may not suit all vining plants (low light or not), so it’s best to consider whether I have enough light for a particular plant or need to add grow lights
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