Best fast-growing indoor plants – 7 plants to fill your home with foliage

Sometimes when you get the bug for houseplants, there’s nothing more you want than to fill every room of your home with greenery as soon as possible. Luckily, among the best indoor plants are a range of fast-growers that will help you achieve your dream botanical oasis in no time.

These speedy growers are perfect for beginners looking for easy indoor plants to add green interest. They will be a joy to watch, plus you can also take care with positioning and moisture levels to promote further growth for different plants.

Whether you want a hanging plant for trailing interest or a plant to fill your sunny spot, our list of plants that thrive indoors, handpicked by the experts, will set you up for a home full of happy foliage.

Our top pick of fast-growing indoor plants

When you simply need more houseplants, there isn't time to nurture the high-maintenance indoor plants. These fast-growers have been handpicked to help you have a home brimming with foliage in no time.

1. Ivy

While this trailing plant might be a little slower to get going, there's no stopping it once its roots are established. 

Hedera helix, or common ivy, is a houseplant favorite for many reasons. It is undemanding and adaptable to both sun and shade. You can expect it to grow long stems that will elegantly trail down from a shelf, mantlepiece or even a suspended basket. 

'Ivy loathes dry air and also does not like to become too dry. Make sure to keep it evenly moist because if allowed to become too dry, it may not recover,' says Lisa Eldred Steinkopf, houseplant expert at The Houseplant Guru. 'A good practice when watering is to take the entire plant to the sink and give it a good rinse.' 

When you're happy with the length of your ivy, it's easy to take cuttings and propagate it in water, so you can have more of these beautiful plants trailing in your home. Just take care to check your climbing ivy isn't using its tiny aerial roots to connect to walls where it isn't wanted.

Lisa Eldred Steinkopf

Lisa is a houseplant expert who runs her blog The Houseplant Guru with over a decade of professional experience at Steinkopf Nursery and Garden Center in Michigan. As a child, Lisa helped her grandma tend to African violets and other houseplants. Since then, Lisa has forged a career providing houseplant advice, holding lectures and writing for publications across the US. 

2. Tradescantia

Hop on the pink houseplants trend with a fast-growing tradescantia.

Tradescantia albiflora 'Nanouk' is a popular variety for its vibrant pink and violet foliage. It thrives best in a bright spot with an average temperature that isn't lower than 50°F, but be careful not to scorch it in direct sunlight.

'I treat my tradescantias much like succulents, as they have fleshy stems. They prefer to dry down quite a bit before being watered again. In good light they will do fine,' says Lisa.

During its growing season you will see multiplying foliage and even white flowers. They are easy-to-care-for plants and can be multiplied by propagating cuttings in soil.

3. Dragon tree

A dragon tree is ideal among the best tall indoor plants and a great choice if you're looking for something that won't take long to add striking structure to your indoor garden.

Also known as, Dracaena marginata, dragon trees are happy in a partially shaded corner of your home but a bright spot will help keep its deep green color. Their slender leaves and low-maintenance nature make them an ideal choice for adding height reach up to two meters tall.

Increasing humidity by spraying leaves with a mister like this copper plated mister from Plants.com and keeping the plant above 50°F room temperature will help promote growth.

'The dragon tree is a great architectural plant that adds flair to a space. You can rotate it often to keep the stems straight. If kept in too little light, the stems will become floppy,' says Lisa.

4. String of hearts

These delicate plants are among the best low-maintenance plants and will provide long stems threaded with beautiful heart-shaped leaves.

String of hearts, also known as Ceropegia woodii, is a trailing succulent native to South Africa. Its long stems store water, meaning you don't have to water it too regularly for the green and gray leaves to stay looking their best.

'The one thing I have learned about the string of hearts is that it needs full to part sun to keep it growing well. If it is in good light, you may see its small, unique flowers,' says Lisa.

These plants will grow quickly soon after rooting, reaching up to two meters on average. You can easily add more strings to your plant by growing it from cuttings in soil or water.

5. Rubber plant

A good option for big, bold leaves is the rubber plant, or Ficus elastica, which can grow up to four meters tall. 

This popular houseplant is a member of the fig family, gaining its name from its rubber-like, thick leaves. It makes a great statement and is a good resolution to filling any particularly large vacant spaces.

'The rubber plant is a great option for the plant parent who has lots of space. It becomes enormous in its natural environment but can be kept smaller with yearly pruning,' says Lisa.

Rubber plants are low-maintenance and popular for their reliable nature. You can keep them happy in a consistent temperature, out of draughts and in bright indirect sunlight. It's important to monitor watering carefully because over or under-watering this plant could cause the leaves to droop. 

6. Spider plant

One of the quickest indoor plants to grow is a spider plant. They have long green and white, striped ribbon-like leaves and are easy to propagate thanks to the multiple baby plants they like to produce on stems.

'Give a spider plant bright light to avoid its long stems flopping in low light. It doesn't like to dry out, but because of its fleshy root system is forgiving of doing so occasionally,' says Lisa.

With this care and at a room temperature no lower than 45°F, spider plants will keep on growing and even produce small white flowers during their growing season. You can choose to keep the baby plants on the main plant and suspend it to create a cascading look, like using these hanging basket planters from Walmart.

7. Philodendron

Philodendrons are a staple houseplant to have in your collection for their large foliage and reliable nature. There are so many to choose from, with some varieties offering white, pink or yellow speckles on their leaves. 

'I love the old standby - the heart-shaped philodendron and it has been hybridized to have many color combinations,' says Lisa. 

You won't have to give these plants too much attention for them to thrive, grow new leaves and gain height. Although, their tropical nature means they do enjoy regular misting. 'The variegated forms will also need more light than the standard green,' says Lisa.

The size of these plants varies, but larger varieties like Philodendron erubescens 'Red Emerald' can reach up to two meters and may require a support, like this tall moss pole from Amazon.

FAQs

There is a whole range of fast-growing indoor plants that propagate quickly and will fill your home with luscious foliage. Many of these houseplants are great for beginners and will thrive with just some essential care.