Who says houseplants have to take forever to grow? These speedy growers waste no time filling your home with fresh, leafy vibes.
Perfect if you’re into instant gratification or just love seeing progress fast. They’re low-fuss, fast, and totally worth the potting mix. Let’s meet the overachievers of the indoor plant world!
1. Pothos
This trailing beauty can grow up to 12 inches per month in ideal conditions. The vines cascade elegantly from shelves or hanging baskets, creating a waterfall of variegated leaves.
Pothos thrives in various light conditions and forgives irregular watering. Perfect for beginners, it propagates easily from stem cuttings placed in water, letting you create new plants to share with friends.
2. Spider Plant
You’ll be amazed how quickly spider plants produce their famous “babies” hanging from long stems. These plantlets can be snipped and rooted to create an entire spider plant family from just one parent.
With their arching green and white striped leaves, spider plants add movement and texture to any room. They prefer bright indirect light but adapt to less-than-perfect conditions while still maintaining their rapid growth habit.
3. Philodendron
Watching a philodendron unfurl new leaves brings genuine joy to plant enthusiasts. Heartleaf varieties can grow several feet in a single season, trailing beautifully from shelves or climbing up moss poles.
Their heart-shaped leaves come in various shades of green, and some varieties feature stunning variegation. Adaptable to medium light and forgiving of occasional neglect, philodendrons reward even novice plant parents with rapid, satisfying growth.
4. Monstera
Famous for its Swiss cheese-like holes, the Monstera deliciosa can grow a new leaf every 1-2 weeks during its active growing season. Each new leaf emerges larger and more dramatically fenestrated than the last.
Young plants quickly transform from simple heart-shaped leaves to the iconic split-leaf form. Given a moss pole to climb, monsteras show off their natural growth habit and can add impressive height to your indoor jungle in just months.
5. Tradescantia
The stunning purple, silver, and green foliage of tradescantias grows at an impressive pace. These plants quickly fill out hanging baskets with their trailing stems that can grow several inches weekly when happy.
Varieties like Tradescantia zebrina (Wandering Jew) and Tradescantia pallida (Purple Heart) offer vibrant color options. They root easily from cuttings placed in water or soil, allowing you to multiply your collection or replace leggy plants in no time.
6. Pilea
Known as the Chinese money plant, Pileas produce adorable pancake-shaped leaves on thin stems at a surprising rate. They’re famous for their ability to produce numerous baby plants around the base of the mother plant.
These offsets can be carefully separated and potted up to create new plants. With bright indirect light, a Pilea can double in size within months, creating a charming display of round leaves that seem to float in the air.
7. Ferns
Boston ferns and bird’s nest ferns unfurl their fronds at an impressive clip, quickly creating a lush, tropical vibe. Their rapid growth can transform a small plant into a statement piece within a single growing season.
The secret to keeping ferns happy is consistent moisture and humidity. When these conditions are met, you’ll be rewarded with an explosion of delicate, feathery growth that adds texture and movement to your indoor garden.
8. Bamboo
Lucky bamboo isn’t true bamboo, but it grows just as quickly in water or soil. Arranged in spirals or straight stalks, these plants add height and architectural interest to any space.
The stalks can grow several inches per month when provided with bright indirect light. Lucky bamboo is also associated with good fortune in feng shui practices, making it both a fast-growing addition to your home and a symbol of positive energy.
9. Peace Lily
Peace lilies quickly develop from small specimens into floor plants with elegant white blooms. Their glossy dark green leaves unfurl regularly, and plants can double in size during a single growing season.
These air-purifying champions let you know when they need water by dramatically drooping, then perking back up within hours after watering. Their ability to thrive in low light makes them perfect fast-growers for darker corners of your home.
10. Rubber Plant
Don’t let their tree-like appearance fool you – rubber plants can grow up to 24 inches annually indoors. Their glossy, burgundy to dark green leaves make a bold statement as they reach toward your ceiling.
Pruning encourages branching, transforming a single stem into a bushy specimen. For fastest growth, place in bright indirect light and allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings – you’ll be rewarded with new leaves unfurling regularly.
11. Arrowhead Plant
Starting with arrow-shaped leaves, these plants quickly develop a trailing habit as they mature. Young plants become full and bushy in weeks, while older specimens send out vining stems that can grow several feet in a single season.
Available in various colors from dark green to pink-tinged varieties, arrowhead plants add diversity to your collection. They’re particularly satisfying for impatient gardeners as new leaves emerge in quick succession when given bright indirect light.
12. Snake Plant
While not the fastest initially, snake plants surprise with sudden growth spurts, sending up new leaves that can grow several inches in just days. Their upright, architectural form makes them perfect statement plants for modern spaces.
Snake plants multiply by sending out underground rhizomes that produce new plants around the original. Before you know it, your single snake plant becomes a cluster of sword-like leaves in various heights, creating visual interest with minimal effort.
13. ZZ Plant
Don’t be fooled by its reputation for slow growth – given the right conditions, ZZ plants can send up new stems that reach their full height in weeks. These glossy, dark green plants add a touch of tropical elegance to any room.
The key to faster ZZ plant growth is bright indirect light, though they’ll survive in low light too. Their plump, potato-like rhizomes store water, making them drought-tolerant while fueling those surprising growth spurts.
14. English Ivy
Few plants trail as quickly as English ivy, which can grow several feet in a single season. The classic lobed leaves create a cascading effect perfect for shelves or hanging baskets in your home.
Ivy comes in various leaf patterns from solid green to variegated white and yellow. Keep it slightly on the dry side and provide bright indirect light for the fastest growth – you’ll be rewarded with long vines that can be trained around windows or picture frames.
15. Dieffenbachia
Also called dumb cane, dieffenbachias quickly develop into substantial floor plants with their large, patterned leaves. New growth emerges from the center stem at an impressive rate, with each leaf often larger than the last.
These tropical beauties can grow up to 12 inches per year indoors. Their cream and green variegated foliage brightens up medium-light areas, making them perfect fast-growing options for spaces away from windows.
16. Aloe Vera
This medicinal succulent produces new offshoots (pups) at a surprising rate, quickly filling its pot with baby plants. The main rosette also grows rapidly, with new leaves emerging from the center regularly.
Beyond its fast growth, aloe vera serves double duty as a living first aid kit for minor burns and skin irritations. Place in bright light near a south-facing window, water sparingly, and watch as your single aloe transforms into a family.
17. Prayer Plant
Prayer plants (Maranta) quickly fill out their pots with their unique patterned leaves that fold up at night. Their spreading growth habit means a small plant can become full and lush within months.
The dramatic red veining on their leaves makes them as decorative as they are fast-growing. For quickest growth, provide high humidity and bright indirect light – you’ll be rewarded with constant new leaves unfurling from the center of the plant.