20 Fast Growing Houseplants That Will Liven Up Any Space

Who doesn’t love to see their houseplants thriving? Isn’t new growth the joy of every gardener? Sometimes gardening can be slow to reward your efforts, but if you’re looking for quick results, try one of these fast growing plants in a sunny window in your home.

How to make your plants grow faster

No matter what plant you’re growing, there are 3 things all plants need to grow at their fastest pace.

Light: Even low-light plants need some light. If you don’t have a sunny window, simply twist a grow light bulb in a lamp you already have and place it near your plants. Moving your plants to more light will instantly encourage them to grow faster. Just know that when they grow faster they will need more watering and fertilizer attention.

Watering: Overwatering is a very common reason for houseplant problems. There is no one size fits all watering schedule for plants. The type of plant and the environment it’s living in dictate watering needs. When you do water, make sure to water thoroughly.

Fertilizer: Your plants need basic nutrients to be especially lush, so make sure you’re adding some liquid fertilizer in your waterings or add slow-release granules or sticks to your potting medium. Follow the directions on your fertilizer bottle as you can easily overdo it and kill your plants. It’s normal for plants to slow growth or go dormant in the winter, but if you’re maintaining an indoor environment keep giving them a boost as long as you see new growth.

Fast growing indoor plants require more maintenance

Repotting: you’ll need to make sure your fast growing plants aren’t overgrowing their containers. Check to make sure the roots are not coming out of the drainage holes or twisting around and around the sides of the root ball.

Crowding: along those same lines, bigger plants need more space to have adequate ventilation. Make sure you are giving the plant the room it needs to grow big. Touching walls and other plants can discourage its growth.

Soil requirements: a plant can only be as healthy as the soil it is grown in. The largest concern is overwatered and wet soil which can lead to root rot and all kinds of bad things for your plants. Each plant prefers a different type of soil, but make sure you’re using quality brands and ingredients (the same goes for your fertilizer as well).

Things that slow the growth of your plants

• Not giving them enough light
• Inconsistent or incomplete watering
• Smothering them in soggy soil
• Not providing adequate nutrients
• Keeping them in too small of a container

What are some fast-growing, easy-to-care-for houseplants?

If you want your plant to grow fast, it’s going to be higher maintenance. It will need more water and more fertilizer and will need to be repotted sooner. However, some of the plants listed here need so little care that you could easily create a perfect balance of new growth rewards with relatively low maintenance. So if you’re wanting to know what plants grow the fastest, check out these 20 picks.

Heart Leaf Philodendron

Talk about an easy keeper, pretty much anyone can keep a philodendron alive. And she’ll happily grow as long as you give her simple care. In ideal conditions, you can grow your philodendron up your wall and around the corner. If you don’t have the space, simply keep her pruned back to suit your needs.

Spider Plant

If you love to propagate your plants, this guy is sure to please you. Lovely bright variegated leaves, and it sprouts babies like gangbusters. Often grown in hanging planters, spider plants droop and drip over their containers to a gardener’s delight.

Epipremnum aureum, Pothos

Similar to the philodendron, the pothos is a vining beauty that will happily grow and grow as long as you give it the space. Being so prolific, in some areas, it’s known as devil’s ivy. It’s also easy to propagate so you could buy a single plant and quickly fill your home with its lovely greenery.

Peace Lily

Peace lilies are frequently given as gifts and touted as tolerant of low light. But if you want it to grow fast, give it bright light, keep the soil consistently moist (but not soggy), and fertilize monthly. Re pot it as needed because its roots are growing as much as the leaves.

Fast Growing Succulents

Looking for plants that will grow fast and like the least watering? Succulents are known for needing infrequent watering, but when you do water make sure you water thoroughly. Check out these quick spreading succulent varieties that don’t require a lot of maintenance.

Pilea peperomioides, Chinese Money Plant

Also known as the friendship plant, Pilea makes a very cute and forgiving houseplant. If given adequate light and not over-watered, this cutie will thrive and is sure to please. Super easy to propagate and share with friends, or leave the pups with the mother and let it fill out.

Jade Plant

Known for being a low-maintenance plant, Jade is a great houseplant for beginners. Its number one concern is not being overwatered. This succulent is said to bring luck to those who care for it and makes a great housewarming gift.

Aloe vera

Practically a household necessity, keeping a live aloe vera plant in your house is essential for your first aid kit. It’s fairly low maintenance, but can grow quite large and produce little pups spreading both upward and outward.

Hoya obovata

A unique and beautiful plant, the hoya obovata is one of the fastest-growing hoyas and tends to be the least finicky. It does prefer bright indirect light and really dislikes overwatering, so if yours isn’t growing like gangbusters, consider whether it’s getting the right care.

Dracaena trifasciata (aka Snake Plant, Mother-in-law Tongue)

Known to be one of the hardest houseplants to kill, the snake plant is an easy keeper that will adapt to pretty much any surroundings. If you want it to grow fast and furious though, keep it under bright light and fertilize monthly. They can grow quite large so be prepared to re-pot as needed.

Dracaena Sanderiana (aka Lucky Bamboo)

This classic houseplant is a symbol of good fortune (except in groups of 4 stalks) and requires little care. It’s quite happy grown in water or cactus soil. Did you know it’s not actually a bamboo, but more closely related to the snake plant above? That said, it makes an easy-care houseplant that anyone can be proud of.

Unique Looking Houseplants

These plants may not be rare, but they do have a unique look that sets them apart from others on this list. Bringing in a variety of colors, shapes, and textures increases the beauty of your houseplant displays.

Gynura aurantiaca (aka Purple Passion Plant, Velvet Plant)

You’ll love the rich colors and texture of the velvet plant. Bright purple and magenta with a sweet fuzzy leaf, it’s low maintenance and a nice change from all the green. To achieve deeper color in the leaves, give them more light (but avoid direct sun or it will burn them).

Asparagus Fern

Left wild and crazy or neatly trimmed into a bushy mound, the asparagus fern is a welcome addition to your houseplant collection. With fine, whispy leaves growing on long drooping stems, it will be most happy in a humid room like your bathroom or kitchen. Keeping up with watering may be the biggest challenge, but the final result is definitely worth the effort. While there are several types of asparagus ferns, A. aethiopicus is the variety most commonly grown indoors.

Monstera Deliciosa, Split-leaf philodendron

Oh monstera, thou art the most famous of houseplants. And for good reason, their uniquely shaped (and quite large) leaves are just so iconically beautiful. It’s such a pleasure to grow and watch the leaves mature from solid to their famous swiss cheese appearance. Remember this is actually a vining plant so as it gets bigger, you’ll need to support it with a moss pole or similar design.

What are the fastest growing indoor plants?

If quick growth is the main goal, these pretty plants are among the fastest growing on this list. You might even find that it outgrows your space sooner than expected. In addition to philodendron, pothos, and spider plants the following plants are the fastest growing houseplants. In fact, they’re so fast you’ll need to add ‘prune houseplants’ to your monthly to-do list.

English Ivy

Whether you’re looking to cover a wall or a pretty trellis, an English ivy plant will quickly provide results. It’s an easy keeper indoors, too, and with several varieties of leaf shapes and colors, you’re sure to find a look that suits your aesthetic.

Mint

An uncommon houseplant, however, mint is one of the few herbs that will tolerate an indoor environment. In the garden, it’s known to be invasive and in the right conditions, you can get similar growth indoors. Plus, it’s a wonderful cooking herb – personally, my favorite addition to any tea.

Syngonium podophyllum, Arrowhead Plant

Left to itself in the right conditions, the arrowhead plant will send out its lovely vines in every direction. Be prepared to stake and clip this plant up your walls, along your ceiling, and anywhere it wants to go. It does enjoy high humidity, so it’s a great choice for your bathroom as well.

Tradescantia zebrina (aka Wandering Jew, Wandering Sailor)

Any of the Jews (plants not humans) are quick to form a very lovely mound of growth. Especially pretty in hanging containers, you will love the purple variegated leaves of this variety. It’s happy to grow in a sunny window, and you may even get frustrated by how frequently it needs to be pruned (or propagated).

Fast-growing indoor trees

Growing indoor trees is popular for making a statement in your home decor. Growing a tree may require more maintenance, but if you’re down for the challenge try one of the following big beauties.

Dracaena trifasciata, Fiddle Leaf Fig

Known to be finicky, the fiddle leaf fig is still a very popular houseplant. Just look at its giant yet elegant leaves and you’ll understand the appeal. Also, it requires a delicate balance of attention and neglect, so figuring out how to get it healthy and beautiful in your space will certainly bring bragging rights among your houseplant friends.

Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane)

With large graceful leaves that almost look fake, this is a popular choice for making a statement in your home or office. Healthy dieffenbachia can grow to 6′ tall and 3′ wide. To improve humidity around this plant, set it on a tray of pebbles with a little water, place it in your kitchen or bathroom, or simply group it with several other plants to improve humidity.

Weeping Fig / Ficus

The ficus houseplant is quite versatile being grown in small bonsai style or as large 6-foot trees. It’s a fast growing plant, and you may need to prune it often to keep it an appropriate size for indoors. In their native environment, these trees have been known to grow up to 60 feet tall!

Rubber Plant

Maturing up to 10 feet tall, rubber plants are hardy and forgiving when grown indoors. Things it doesn’t like include too much water, a spot that is drafty (like next to a door you use frequently or directly in front of an a/c vent), and being moved around a lot. So pick the right spot, leave it there, and just don’t forget to water it.

Growing an indoor jungle

Choosing plants that grow quickly can be a source of pleasure and pride. Make sure you’re choosing plants that are most appropriate for your space so you don’t get frustrated. If you’re not getting the results you want, consider each plant individually and run through this short checklist.

1. Is it in a bad location? Most houseplants don’t want to be right under or in front of an a/c vent. It not only changes the temperature of the air around them but can dry them out very quickly. In the winter, make sure they aren’t sitting next to a drafty window that could be giving them the chills every night.
2. Is it getting appropriate light? Most indoor plant enthusiasts invest in one (or 50) full spectrum grow lights sooner or later. No, it’s not too much to get each plant its own light if you need to. It brightens up your space and makes your plants happy.
3. Did I f-up the watering? All plants have a goldilocks zone for watering – not too much, not too little, but juuust right. Some of them have great big goldilocks zones that give you plenty of wiggle room which makes growing them much easier. But others are going to be very sensitive to any inconsistency in their watering. If your plant seems unhappy, do some research about how and when it likes to be watered – and perhaps whether it should to be distilled or filtered.
4. How is the soil? Last but not least, check on the health of the soil in your plant’s pot. Stick your finger or a wooden skewer down to check the moisture. If it’s soggy, you may even want to remove the plant and check for root rot. Remove brown mushy roots and leaves and repot with fresh soil. If it’s not rotted, then when was the last time you fertilized or repotted it? While the plant is growing, most will enjoy a houseplant fertilizer once monthly. As far as repotting, some plants will tolerate or even thrive in a root-bound pot, but others will wilt and pout until they’re given more space.

Sit back and enjoy fresher air

Once you have your favorite greenery surrounding you indoors, you’ll never want to live without them. It’s not just that they are a reminder of the beauty of life, but they refresh and purify your indoor air through photosynthesis making you healthier and happier. It’s true, studies have suggested that having a living wall of plants can actually improve your quality of life. And it only makes sense, right? Humans are not meant to live in sealed up little boxes.

What’s your favorite fast growing houseplant? Share your thoughts below.