How to Train Trailing Plants to Climb or Hang Down
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Trailing houseplants are the multitaskers of the indoor plant world—effortlessly stylish and surprisingly adaptable. The real magic? You get to choose how they grow! Whether you want them cascading elegantly from a shelf or climbing up a moss pole like a mini indoor jungle, training trailing plants is easier than you’d think.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to train trailing plants to climb or hang down, with methods that work for both lush growers like pothos and delicate vines like string of hearts. We’ll walk through trellises, pruning, propagating,tying techniques, and creative ways to turn your home into a living, leafy sculpture.
Best Plants for Climbing vs. Trailing Growth
| Plant | Natural habit | Best option | Best support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pothos | Aerial-rooting climber | Climb or trail | Pole, plank, trellis or wall clips |
| Heartleaf Philodendron | Aerial-rooting climber | Climb or trail | Pole, plank or trellis |
| Monstera adansonii | Climber | Usually better climbing | Moss pole, plank or trellis |
| Hoya | Twining vine | Climb or trail | Hoop or open trellis |
| Scindapsus pictus | Aerial-rooting climber | Climb or trail | Pole, plank or trellis |
| Tradescantia | Trailing / scrambling | Usually trail | Hanging basket or shelf |
| String of Hearts | Trailing / twining | Usually trail | Hanging basket or small hoop |
← Swipe horizontally on mobile to see the full table →
Is It Better to Let Pothos Climb or Trail?
Both work, but Pothos grows differently when it climbs.
When Pothos is given a support it can attach to and receives enough light, the plant can begin producing progressively larger, more mature leaves. Plants allowed to hang freely usually retain the smaller juvenile foliage we associate with indoor Pothos.
We therefore let Pothos trail when we want long cascading vines, but train it upward when we want a stronger vertical plant and larger foliage.
Neither method is inherently healthier. The important part is giving the plant enough light wherever you position the vines.
Should You Train Your Plant to Climb or Trail?
Choose based on both the plant and the result you want.
Train Pothos, climbing Heartleaf Philodendron and Monstera upward when you want vertical growth and, especially with Pothos, the potential for larger mature leaves.
Let Pothos, Hoya, Tradescantia and String of Pearls trail when you want long cascading vines from a shelf or hanging basket.
The key is not forcing the plant into a shape. Give it the right support for its natural growth habit, attach stems loosely, and make sure the newest growth continues receiving enough light.
Choosing a support? See our guide to the best trellises for trailing and climbing houseplants.
Want more length rather than a different direction? See how we train trailing houseplants to grow longer vines.
Tools and Supplies You’ll Need
- Moss/coir poles or trellises
- Soft ties, Velcro strips, plant clips
- Pruning shears (~$6)
- Hanging baskets(~$13) or wall-mounted planters(~$6/pot)
- Spray bottle (~$7)(for misting climbing supports)
When to Start Training Your Plant
We find active spring and summer growth easiest to train because new stems are usually more flexible and the plant is extending more quickly.
But there is no required 6–8 inch vine length. Start once a healthy stem is long enough to reach the support without being pulled or sharply bent.
Can You Train an Older Pothos With Long Vines?
Yes.
We’ve redirected established Pothos vines that were already several feet long. The main difference is that older stems can be stiffer, so we guide them gradually rather than bending them sharply around a pole or hook.
If a vine has become extremely tangled, we find it easier to untangle one stem at a time and attach it loosely from the base upward.
How Soon After Repotting Can You Train a Plant?
We don’t use a fixed three- or four-week waiting period.
If the plant has just been heavily disturbed, we let it settle until it is stable in the pot and showing healthy growth. If the support was installed during repotting and the roots were minimally disturbed, the stems can often be positioned immediately as long as they are not being pulled.
How Can You Tell a Vine Is Ready to Climb?
Look for healthy extending stems, visible nodes and—on plants such as Pothos or climbing Philodendrons—small aerial roots along the vine.
Those aerial roots are a particularly useful clue because they are the structures the plant naturally uses to anchor itself to a support.
How to Train a Pothos or Other Houseplant to Climb
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1. Match the Support to the Plant
For Pothos and climbing Philodendrons, we use a pole, plank or trellis that gives the aerial roots something to grow against.
For Hoyas, we prefer an open hoop or trellis because the stems naturally twine around supports rather than attaching in quite the same way.
A moss pole is useful, but Pothos does not require a moss pole simply to grow upward. NC State notes that Pothos climbs using aerial roots and can be trained on a support. Plant Toolbox
2. Position the Vine Without Forcing It
Bring the stem against the support in the direction it already bends naturally.
We do not wrap stiff stems tightly around a pole. If the vine resists the bend, we secure it in a gentler position and redirect the new growth instead.
3. Attach the Stem Loosely
Use a soft tie or plant clip around the stem, not around a leaf or petiole.
Attach the vine only often enough to hold it against the support. There is no need to tie every node or use an exact three-inch spacing.
Check the ties as the stem thickens and loosen anything beginning to leave an indentation. RHS similarly advises loose supports that are checked as plants grow. RHS
4. Put Aerial Roots Against the Support
On Pothos and climbing Philodendrons, position the side of the stem carrying aerial roots against the pole, plank or trellis.
Once those roots begin attaching, the plant becomes less dependent on clips for support.
5. Keep the New Growth in Good Light
A support alone will not create a lush climbing plant.
Position the whole setup where the upper part of the vine continues receiving useful light. If the top of a tall pole grows into a dark corner, the vine may become increasingly stretched even though the lower part looks healthy.
How Do You Train Pothos to Climb a Wall?
We use removable plant clips or a thin wall-mounted support rather than expecting the vine to hold itself in place immediately.
Start near the pot and loosely support the stem every time the vine begins to sag or change direction. Leave enough room for the stem to thicken.
If you rent or care about the wall finish, keep the aerial roots from attaching directly to painted surfaces. Pothos uses adhesive aerial roots to climb, so we prefer clips, wire or a narrow trellis that keeps the vine slightly away from the wall. Plant Toolbox
As the vine grows, add clips ahead of the newest growth rather than repeatedly bending an old stem into a sharp turn.
Do Pothos Leaves Get Bigger When They Climb?
They can.
Pothos naturally produces progressively larger leaves as it climbs and matures. Indoors, giving the aerial roots a suitable support and providing good light can encourage that transition.
A pole by itself is not enough: a Pothos climbing in weak light can still produce small, stretched growth.
If your goal is giant leaves rather than simply a vine going upward, focus on support + attachment + adequate light together.
Read also: our guide to growing longer vines
How to Encourage a Plant to Trail Down
Let Vines Cascade Freely from Hanging Baskets, Shelves, or Macramé Holders
Sometimes, less control is the best kind of training. We’ve found that the easiest way to encourage trailing growth is just letting the vines do what they naturally want to—hang. Whether it’s from a bookshelf, a windowsill, or a hanging basket near a window, giving those vines open air to fall into makes a huge difference.
We especially love macramé hanging baskets because they add texture and let vines fall from all sides evenly. It’s wild how fast a pothos or tradescantia will respond when it has room to stretch out.
Prune Tips to Stimulate Bushier Growth and Fuller Trailing
Cutting back a healthy vine feels counterintuitive—like why would we cut the pretty part?! But once we started snipping the ends every few weeks, we saw way more side shoots and fuller, thicker growth.
It’s like the plant realizes it needs backup branches. Now we always prune right above a node (where a leaf meets the stem) and give it a few weeks—boom, fuller trailing vines. (And use the cut leaf to propagate!)
Turn the Pot Occasionally to Avoid One-Sided Growth
One thing we kept noticing: plants trailing hard in just one direction, leaning toward the nearest light. It looked fine at first… until we turned the pot and saw a bare, scraggly backside. Now we give our trailing plants a quarter turn every time we water—nothing fancy, just a habit. It keeps the shape even, encourages all-around trailing, and helps the plant get light from every side.
Use Support Hooks to Guide Trailing Vines Around Shelving
Sometimes we want more than just a straight fall. We’ve started using clear command hooks or tiny wall tacks to guide vines across bookshelves or curtain rods. It adds that “intentional jungle” feel without much effort. We’ve even wrapped pothos vines around the edge of a mirror. As long as the plant gets enough light and isn’t pulled too tight, it’ll happily keep growing in that direction.
Don’t Let the Top of a Hanging Plant Sit in the Dark
One of the easiest mistakes with hanging plants is positioning the vines beautifully while the pot itself is above the useful light.
We make sure the crown and newest growth receive adequate light, whether that comes from a nearby window or a properly positioned grow light.
If the vines remain full at the bottom but become sparse around the soil line, light at the top of the plant is one of the first things we check.
Can Pothos Trail Instead of Climb?
Yes.
A trailing Pothos can produce very long attractive vines indoors. The main difference is that the plant generally retains smaller juvenile leaves instead of developing the increasingly large foliage seen when mature plants climb.
If we want length and a waterfall effect, we trail it. If we want larger leaves and vertical growth, we give it a support.
How Do You Make a Trailing Plant Look Fuller at the Top?
Pruning can encourage branching on many vines, but an old completely bare crown does not always refill simply because the ends are trimmed.
For plants such as Pothos and Tradescantia, we often root healthy stem cuttings and plant several back into the top of the original pot.
Make sure every cutting contains a node. A single Pothos or Tradescantia leaf without an appropriate stem node is not what we use to rebuild the pot.
How Do You Guide Trailing Vines Along a Shelf or Wall?
Use loose clips or hooks to guide the stem without pinching it.
We leave some slack between attachment points rather than pulling the vine taut. That allows the plant to move slightly as it grows and makes it easier to remove later.
When we want a true cascading effect, we stop using hooks and simply allow the newest growth to fall freely.
Can Every Trailing Plant Be Trained to Climb?
No.
Pothos, climbing Philodendrons, Monstera adansonii and Scindapsus naturally use aerial roots to climb surfaces.
Hoyas climb primarily by twining their stems around supports.
Tradescantia and String of Hearts can be guided around hoops or clips, but they do not attach to a pole in the same way an aerial-rooting aroid does.
And plants such as Spider Plant are not climbing vines at all—their leaves arch outward and their runners carry plantlets.
Matching the training method to the plant’s natural growth habit is much easier than forcing every vine onto the same moss pole.
Conclusion:
Training trailing plants—whether up or down—isn’t about controlling them; it’s about giving them a gentle nudge in the right direction. With the right support and a bit of consistency, you’ll watch your indoor vines become sculptural, full, and downright stunning. Whether your space needs vertical height or flowing greenery, training your plants adds structure and a whole lot of charm.
Ready to get those vines moving? Grab some ties and let the leafy choreography begin!
