5 PRETTY WAYS TO TRAIN VINING PLANTS
Vining plants dramatically impact your home decor; they truly complete that sought-after “indoor jungle” look, and the social media influencers make it look so effortless. While we love the exotic aesthetic of cascading vines, there are many beautiful ways to train your vining plants to grow around ornamental structures. Some supports can actually encourage your houseplants to grow significantly larger.
Fabulous & Functional: Support Structures for Vining & Climbing Plants
Not just pretty—clever, too! Turn a simple potted philodendron into a living art sculpture with these stunning support structures for vining plants.
Trellises
While we often think of trellises for outdoor garden flowers like clematis, you can also use a trellis for your indoor vining plants! Some are small and can be inserted into an individual plant pot, while others attach to the wall, encouraging the vines to fill the space with lush greenery. There are so many different styles to choose from—you can purchase one that suits the size of your plant, or you can get creative and make a DIY trellis!
Here are some popular trellis styles for vining plants:
Metal hoops or geometric shapes
Honeycomb
Wire art
Ladders
Plants with slender, flexible vines grow well along trellises because you can easily twist their vines around the structure as they continue growing and climbing. Some popular options include heartleaf philodendron, English ivy, pothos, string of hearts, and string of pearls.
Moss Poles
Some vining tropical houseplants will climb tree trunks in their native habitat, and moss poles are a great way to mimic this indoors. After fastening your plant to the pole with some twine, it will instinctively grow up and around the pole, helping it get taller instead of spreading outward. Monsteras are fantastic options for moss poles—the Monstera deliciosa can grow over six feet tall in ideal indoor conditions if you train it up a tall pole! Monstera adansonii, or “Swiss cheese vine,” will also grow well along a moss pole—it’s helpful if you want to keep those trailing vines away from mischievous cats and dogs.
Bamboo Poles
Bamboo poles work just like garden stakes. They’re just a prettier, more natural option than plastic or metal—perfect if you’re into the boho aesthetic! Bamboo poles are especially useful for vining monsteras and other large philodendrons. Twine or plant ties can help you fasten main stems to the poles, offering the necessary structural support for your plant to grow taller.
Obelisks
Obelisks are similar to trellises, except they create a tower shape over your vining plants. The obelisks we use outdoors in the garden are usually pretty huge, but the ones we use to train houseplants are much smaller. All you have to do is gently position the vines up and around the structure as they grow.
Some obelisks are pyramid-shaped, some are cones or cylinders, and some are surprisingly ornate! We have several styles to choose from, but if you’d rather go the DIY route, you can make your own obelisks from wire, bamboo, or a similar material—something to which your vining plants can easily twist and cling.
Wall Clips
How do you train vines to grow around your room? The secret is wall clips! These simple adhesive clips stick to the wall and hold onto vining stems without crushing them. Some wall clips look like little green leaves, so they blend right in! For super long vining plants like heartleaf philodendrons and English ivy, wall clips can spread those vines all across the wall instead of leaving them hanging in a big tangle. The results look spectacular—add some fairy lights, and your dreamy bedroom wall decor is complete.
On the hunt for vining plants in Indianapolis? Visit Dammann’s Garden Co. to see all the gorgeous climbing houseplants we have available, and our staff will be happy to offer some pointers on how to train them.