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Denine Walters
August 1, 2024
Denine Walters
My granddad’s office had the best selection of lush vining indoor plants. It always reminded me of a jungle, and I loved the contradiction of wildness in a neat and organized workspace.
I remember the waterfall of foliage from the string of hearts on the one bookshelf and the variety of philodendrons and monsteras in the corner that were trained to vine up the trellis. There was also gorgeous English ivy with its flowing tendrils in a hanging basket and begonia rex that cascaded from his desk. I wanted an office like that one day.
Indoor vining plants fit every decor style and room in your house (even the bathroom!), and most of these are easy to care for, making them black-thumb-proof.
So, if you’re ready to add a touch of wild greenery to your living spaces (or vivarium) and train house plant vines to creep, trail, or climb, I’ve got the best vining indoor plants for you.
Spoiler Alert! My Favorite Indoor Vining Plants
There are plenty of indoor vining house plants you can choose from for your indoor spaces, but here are the 13 best ones and why:
Best For | Plant | Reasons |
Best low-maintenance indoor vine | Heartleaf philodendron |
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Fastest-growing indoor vine | Golden pothos |
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Best variety of indoor vines | Arrowhead plant |
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Best versatile indoor vine | English ivy |
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Best for black-thumbs | Grape ivy |
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Best for a wild, jungle look | Monstera deliciosa |
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Best indoor vine with the coolest leaves | Swiss cheese plant |
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Best for any indoor room | Satin pothos |
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Most colorful indoor vine | Rex begonia vina |
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Best funky indoor vine | String of bananas |
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Most petite indoor vine | String of hearts |
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Prettiest indoor vine flower | Lipstick vine |
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Best rarest indoor vine | Watermelon vine |
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The 13 Best Vining Indoor Plants for Your Home
To beautify your home and add a splash of green, choose from these alluring indoor vines:
Photo by Denine
Scientific Name | Philodendron hederaceum |
Other Names | Sweetheart philodendron |
Native to | Central and South America |
Identifying Feature | Dark green heart-shaped leaves |
Mature Size | 1-3 feet tall and vines reaching 3-13 feet |
Basic Care Needs | Light: Bright indirect light Water: When soil is dry Soil: Acidic, neutral, well-draining |
Toxic? | Yes, humans and pets |
The heartleaf philodendron is a plant sweetheart. I like that it grows fast, so you don’t have to wait forever to see it vining. The plant is also low-maintenance, ideal if you’re busy and can’t constantly fuss over it.
Place the heartleaf philodendron anywhere in your home—its elegant charm works whether you leave it on the floor, on a floating shelf, in a hanging basket, trailing up a trellis, or as a moss ball.
Photo by Denine
Scientific Name | Epipremnum aureum |
Other Names | Devil’s vine, devil’s ivy, ivy arum, marble queen |
Native to | Southeastern Asia |
Identifying Feature | Variegated or green glossy leaves, cascading stems |
Mature Size | 6-8 feet groundcover, but vines reach 40 feet |
Basic Care Needs | Light: Bright, indirect to low light Water: Regular misting of leaves Soil: Well-draining potting soil |
Toxic? | Medium toxicity to people and dogs |
The golden pothos is a fast-growing plant famed for long stems that trail beautifully from hanging baskets. The elongated heart-shaped leaves are a deep, glossy green, and the variegated type features bright yellow or white.
Photo by Denine
Scientific Name | Syngonium podophyllum |
Other Names | Arrowhead vine, goosefoot, nephthytis, arrowhead philodendron, American evergreen, African evergreen |
Native to | Mexico and South America |
Identifying Feature | Arrowhead-shaped leaves and small white flowers growing in whorls |
Mature Size | 3-6 feet tall, and vines reach 1-2 feet |
Basic Care Needs | Light: Bright, indirect light Water: Once the top 1-2 inches of soil is dry Soil: Neutral, acidic, well-draining potting soil |
Toxic? | Yes, humans, cats, dogs, and horses |
For some reason, I think of Robin Hood shooting arrows when I see the arrowhead plant. And that’s pretty apt considering the plant’s arrowhead-shaped leaves that can be dark green with white veins, a neon soft pink, or a whitish light green. The white flowers are just as decorative as the leaves!
The plant is stunning when it vines, so use a hanging macrame planter or bamboo plant trellis.
Photo by Denine
Scientific Name | Hedera helix |
Other Names | Algerian ivy |
Native to | Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia |
Identifying Feature | Thin, broad green leaves with 5 points, clustered on vines or as ground cover |
Mature Size | As large as a hand for leaves, vines root and can grow indefinitely |
Basic Care Needs | Light: Shade to partial sun Water: Hardy and requires limited watering when soil is dry Soil: Roots in most potting mixes |
Toxic? | Mild to severely toxic to people and pets |
English ivy is one of the most familiar vining plants and is easy to grow. I love the simplicity of this hardy plant, which is ideal as a vining plant in your home or on a porch. Best of all, it doesn’t need much care, though some pruning may be helpful.
When left to grow wild, the English ivy can become quite the “Little Shop of Horrors” plant, so keep it trained in shape and prune back excess vines.
Photo by Denine
Scientific Name | Cissus rhombifolia |
Other Names | N/A |
Native to | Central and South America |
Identifying Feature | Light bronze green ivy-like leaves with diamond-shaped, toothed leaflets (similar to poison ivy) |
Mature Size | 1-3 feet tall, with vines reaching 1-3 feet |
Basic Care Needs | Light: Bright, indirect light Water: Keep soil moist Soil: Well-draining, peat-based soil |
Toxic? | No |
If you haven’t had luck keeping plants alive, get a grape ivy. It’s a low-maintenance plant that thrives on some neglect and won’t die because you forgot to water it once or twice.
The ivy looks beautiful on a counter, bookshelf, or in a plant stand with cascading vines. Use a moss pole or trellis for height and to train it to climb.
Photo by Denine
Scientific Name | Monstera Deliciosa |
Other Names | Mexican breadfruit, (or mistakenly called) split-leaf philodendron and Swiss cheese plant |
Native to | Central and South America |
Identifying Feature | Shredded leaf with large holes and corn-shaped fruit |
Mature Size | Leaves can reach 2 feet each, and plant height depends on vining, but can reach up to 60 feet |
Basic Care Needs | Light: Bright partial light Water: Moderate watering when soil is dry Soil: Well-drained peat soil |
Toxic? | Can cause skin and stomach irritation for people and animals |
This low-maintenance vining plant is perfect for double-story volumes where the extra ceiling height can give you space to create a stunning vining display. The mature plant gets quite heavy, so provide strong vine supports such as trellises or mesh columns for the aerial roots to grow onto.
Photo by Denine
Scientific Name | Monstera adansonii |
Other Names | Five holes plant, Adanson’s monstera, cheese plant, Swiss cheese vine |
Native to | Central America and South America |
Identifying Feature | Oval heart-shaped leaves with holes |
Mature Size | 3-8 feet tall, with vines reaching 12 feet |
Basic Care Needs | Light: Medium to bright indirect light Water: Once the soil is dry Soil: Acidic, neutral, well-draining soil |
Toxic? | Yes, humans and pets |
The Swiss cheese plant has some cool leaves, but it’s easily confused with its cousin, monstera deliciosa. The Swiss cheese vine’s leaves are oval-shaped and fenestrated or perforated (reminding me of Swiss cheese), while the monstera’s leaves are more triangular with deep slits.
Photo by Denine
Scientific Name | Scindapsus pictus |
Other Names | Silver pothos, silver philodendron, or silk pothos |
Native to | Asia |
Identifying Feature | Light green heart-shaped leaves, variegated with silver or white |
Mature Size | Vines of 4-10 feet, brush is 4 feet in diameter |
Basic Care Needs | Light: Bright, indirect light Water: Water deeply when soil is dry up to 2nd knuckle Soil: Peat moss potting soil |
Toxic? | Yes, pets |
The thick, velvety leaves of the satin pothos make for a stunning visual display. While it grows a little slower than other vining plants on my list, I love how it catches the light in the late afternoon due to the silver coloring on the variegated leaves.
Photo by Denine
Scientific Name | Cissus discolor |
Other Names | Fancy leaf begonia, painted-leaf begonia, king begonia |
Native to | Southeast Asia and Australia |
Identifying Feature | Colorful leaves (green, purple, and silver) with burgundy to deep purple undersides and vines |
Mature Size | 6-10 feet tall, with vines reaching 6-12 feet |
Basic Care Needs | Light: Bright, indirect light Water: Once the top 1-2 inches of soil is dry Soil: Peat-based, well-draining soil |
Toxic? | Yes, humans and dogs |
The rex begonia, with its colorful stained-glass leaves, is the perfect addition to your home. The leaves are the winning feature for me, and they add a splash of color and inspiration to my home office.
Photo by Denine
Scientific Name | Senecio radicans |
Other Names | String of fishhooks |
Native to | Southern Africa |
Identifying Feature | Delicate bunches of succulent leaves resembling mini green bananas |
Mature Size | 3 feet long vines |
Basic Care Needs | Light: Bright, direct sunlight (5+ hours per day) Water: Allow soil to dry, then soak Soil: Well-draining potting mix |
Toxic? | To humans and animals |
When planting a succulent vining plant, it’s essential to be more conservative in watering it, but I soak my string of bananas until it drips through the drainage holes. Usually, I’ll hang the basket with the succulent outside, and once it’s stopped dripping, I return it to its indoor home.
The string of bananas doesn’t like to be close to harsh training structures, so a bamboo trellis is ideal to help keep the fleshy leaves in place.
Photo by Denine
Scientific Name | Ceropegia woodii |
Other Names | Rosary vine, chain of hearts, Chinese lantern |
Native to | Africa |
Identifying Feature | Heart-shaped, gray-green leaves with a marble pattern and purple vines |
Mature Size | 24+ inches tall, with vines that grow to 3 feet long |
Basic Care Needs | Light: Bright, indirect light Water: Once the soil is dry Soil: Neutral, acidic, well-draining soil |
Toxic? | No |
The string of hearts is an evergreen succulent with purple vines that trail or climb. If you want a fuller appearance, prune the vine for a bushy look. You can also twist the vines around a heart shape, like I have, and then let them trail for an extra-special look.
The marbled leaves add a classic touch to your home, and the long-living string of hearts is easy to grow.
Photo by Denine
Scientific Name | Aeschynanthus radicans |
Other Names | Basket vine |
Native to | China and Malaysia |
Identifying Feature | Dark green leaves with bright red tube-shaped flowers |
Mature Size | 3-foot-long vines |
Basic Care Needs | Light: Bright, indirect light Water: Only mist the leaves Soil: Well-draining potting mix |
Toxic? | Non-toxic |
If you’re a plant person but also a dog person, the lipstick vine is an ideal choice. It’s non-toxic and won’t harm your fur babies if they happen to snap up a leaf. The dark green, waxy leaves are rubbery, and most pets won’t bother with them.
Photo by Denine
Scientific Name | Pellionia pulchra |
Other Names | Watermelon begonia, Polynesian ivy, rainbow vine, satin vine |
Native to | Southeast Asia |
Identifying Feature | Small long, oval leaves with dark and light green variegation with red succulent-like stems |
Mature Size | 3 inches tall, with vines that grow to 2 feet |
Basic Care Needs | Light: Bright, indirect light Water: Keep the soil moist Soil: Well-draining potting soil |
Toxic? | Yes |
The watermelon vine reminds me of summer and the rind of a watermelon, so just that thought brightens my days when I see the pretty house plant climbing up the trellis.
The plant is a shingler, meaning the vines wrap around a trellis, driftwood, or other supporting structures. So you can have fun with how you want the watermelon vine to grow.
With so many unique vining plants, knowing which to choose, how to use them best, and what look to create with your selection can be challenging. My grandfather was a pro at vining plants, and I learned a lot from him. Such as:
A vining plant is a plant that has a soft and flexible stem (or stems) that grows with support, either upward or downward. Tendrils or twining creepers attach the main plant to a supporting trellis or frame.
The three types of vines are (1) clinging vines, which often develop smaller roots to attach the vine to a wall or other plant’ (2) twiners, which attach to objects or plants by wrapping around them; and (3) tendrilled climbers, which have smaller tendrils that keep a larger vine in place around the supporting structure.
Most upward vining plants require loads of sunlight as the vines grow toward light. Creeping vining plants need enough space, light, and fertilizer to ensure the downward vines have the right conditions to spread.
Are you ready to dive into the beautiful, lush world of indoor vining plants? If you’ve selected your favorite plant, it’s time to invest in a quality trellis to help your vining plant reach its full potential.
Why not start with our garden trellises as a starter, or opt for a natural look to suit your vine height?
Author
Denine Walters
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