Fast-growing houseplants: 15 plants that grow quickly
Watching a new leaf unfurl, a stem getting longer week after week: it's one of the great joys of houseplants. These plants grow quickly in spring and summer, and are often very easy to propagate.
Pothos
Epipremnum aureum7 dBrightEasyIts stems grow a foot or more a year in good light.Also called devil's ivy
Inch plant
Tradescantia zebrina5 dBrightEasyOne of the fastest: its stems get longer before your eyes.Also called tradescantia
Heartleaf philodendron
Philodendron hederaceum7 dBrightEasyIts stems grow quickly in spring and summer.Also called philodendron
Monstera
Monstera deliciosa7 dBrightEasyA new leaf every few weeks in season, given light.Also called swiss cheese plant
Monstera adansonii
Monstera adansonii7 dBrightEasyClimbs or trails quickly, with its holey leaves.Also called swiss cheese vine
Mini monstera
Rhaphidophora tetrasperma7 dBrightEasyClimbs a pole quickly.Also called rhaphidophora
Arrowhead plant
Syngonium podophyllum7 dBrightEasyGrows fast and propagates very easily.Also called syngonium
Spider plant
Chlorophytum comosum6 dBrightEasyMakes babies within a few months.Safe for cats and dogsAlso called chlorophytum
Pilea
Pilea peperomioides7 dBrightEasyGrows fast and makes offsets to share.Safe for cats and dogsAlso called chinese money plant
Coleus
Coleus scutellarioides3 dBrightEasyForms a lush, colourful clump in one season.Also called solenostemon
Polka dot plant
Hypoestes phyllostachya4 dBrightEasyGrows fast: pinch the stems to keep it bushy.Safe for cats and dogsAlso called hypoestes
Sprenger's asparagus
Asparagus densiflorus6 dBrightEasyIts feathery stems lengthen quickly.Also called asparagus densiflorus
Umbrella papyrus
Cyperus alternifolius2 dBrightEasyNew stems all the time, with its feet in water.Also called papyrus
Banana plant
Musa acuminata3 dSunMediumLarge new leaves all summer long.Safe for cats and dogsAlso called dwarf banana
Avocado tree
Persea americana5 dSunMediumA stone becomes a small plant within a few months.Also called avocadoOur tips
A plant only grows fast with light: too far from a window, it stretches into thin stems instead of making good leaves. During the growing season, a little fertiliser, at the rhythm shown on its care guide, helps it keep up.
Fast growers fill their pots fast: watch for roots coming out of the hole, and repot in spring. And prune without fear: every stem you cut can become a new plant.