10 Indoor Climbing Plants and Vines for a Touch of Softness among the Rigid Structures

Vines look beautiful with their long, slender stems trailing, creeping and climbing the walls of your home. When put in containers hanging from the ceiling, the sunlight filtering through their leaves soothes and calms your senses. You can train them over doors, framing the windows, along bookcases or just have them trailing down the shelves. Give them adequate support in the form of posts, pillars, poles, beams and trellis.

Some of the Best Indoor Vine Plants

1. English Ivy

This is a fast growing vine with evergreen foliage that looks beautiful scaling the walls. You can place it in hanging baskets or on a high shelf by a window. The pointy leaves of this air purifying plant come in different shades of green with bits of blacks, whites and yellows thrown in. If you have cats, dogs and other pets at home, steer clear of the English ivy. You can go for the non-toxic Swedish ivy and sweet potato vine, instead.

Basic Care Requirement: It can adapt to a variety of light conditions, even extremely low light, though bright, indirect sun is ideal for it. Well drained soil is the best fit as this ivy doesn’t favor overly wet soil. The surface of the soil needs to dry out completely before re-watering.

2. Heartleaf Philodendron

This vigorous climber is very easy to grow and suits beginners. Its heart shaped leaves can be variegated or plain. The long vines of the plant look elegant, hanging from the ceiling.

Basic Care Requirement: It needs moderate light and the top half of the soil to dry out completely between watering spells.

3. Pothos

Since this long vine grows fast, you need to trim it occasionally to limit its length or keep it small. The air purifying tropical plant can easily overcome a dry spell, bad air circulation and poor lighting.

Basic Care Requirement: Low to bright indirect light and high humidity are its prerequisites. The soil should be allowed to dry between watering spells. If it’s left too wet for long, the plant may rot.

4. Angel Vine

This pretty wiry vine would win you over with its delicate, tiny leaves. You can put it in an urn on the window or allow it to creep from a hanging basket or pot. If it grows too leggy or shows up brown leaves, give it a trim.

Basic Care Requirement: It enjoys medium indirect light. If the spot that you place it in receives bright light, consider filtering it through a curtain sheer. Water it when the top soil is very dry as this vine is not too fussy about its water needs. Ensure that the soil drains well and that the plant never has to sit in water.

5. Sweet Potato Vine

This easy-to-care houseplant is loved for its spectacular foliage that comes in vivid colors, chiefly purple, black, bronze, lime and copper. Since the beauty of the sweet potato vine mostly comes from its leaves, you don’t have to wait for it to bloom.

Basic Care Requirement: Though it prefers bright light, it is remarkably flexible regarding light requirements, being able to tolerate partial sun to shade. It grows best in moist, well-drained soil.

6. White Jasmine

Keep foul odors at bay with the fragrant blossoms of this vine. The white flowers also light up your interior space with their captivating effect on the eyes. Being vigorous climbers, they need a trellis or any other form of support to ably back their growth.

Basic Care Requirement: It can tolerate low light during winters but requires full sun to partial shade during the summer. Keep the soil well-drained yet moist, but never let it go soggy. During winter, reduce watering to keep the soil slightly dry.

7. Hoya

This climbing plant has lovely waxy foliage and fragrant blossoms. The trailing stems of this tropical plant look beautiful indoors, preferring cramped growing conditions and humidity. They live for a long time and can be passed down generations.

Basic Care Requirement: It needs bright indirect light as direct sunlight can burn its leaves. During spring and summer, water enough to keep the soil moist. In fall and winter water it only when the top 2 inches of the soil are dry.

8. Spider Plant

This excellent air purifier looks beautiful in plant hangers or as a tabletop climbing plant. The wax on its leaves acts as a trap for smoke, mold and dust in the air. The virtually indestructible plant bursts out of its pot like an explosive firework.

Basic Care Requirement: It needs medium to bright indirect light. Since its water requirement is minimal, water it only when the top 1-inch of the soil is dry. Evenly wet the soil, but take care not to make it soggy or the roots may rot.

9. Creeping Fig

This is a slow growing creeper that has small, leathery, dark green foliage. The dense branches cling to any surface, offering an enchanting view. The heart shaped leaves of this climbing vine look stunning cascading from a shelf. Or, you can train it to grow up a trellis.

Basic Care Requirement: It needs bright, indirect light, and though it tolerates low light, direct sunlight is never good for it. During summer, watering should be thorough to keep the well-drained soil always moist to the touch. However, overwatering can cause the roots to rot. Water it less frequently in winter without soaking the soil.

10. Swedish Ivy

The dangling, glossy green leaves of the Swedish ivy add so much oomph to your hanging indoor planters. The scalloped leaves of the trailing houseplant can be found in a variegated variety as well. The vigorous climber can be pinched to encourage fuller growth.

Basic Care Requirement: Bright, indirect light is a prerequisite for this ivy. You need to allow the soil to dry out slightly between watering spells. And watering should be such that the soil is evenly moist but not soggy.

The common climbing indoor houseplants deck up the walls of your house with greenery and colors without the need of any ornate wall hanging or expensive paintings. Just a little bit of care is all they need. The non-descript corners of your house can be endowed with lively movement with these climbing plants.