Pothos Climbing: How to Train Your Plant to Climb

The pothos, or Epipremnum aureum, is an adaptable houseplant known for its lush foliage and forgiving nature. Many owners enjoy its cascading vines as they trail from shelves and hanging baskets. This trailing habit, however, is only one way to grow pothos. Encouraging the plant to grow upwards mimics its growth in a natural setting and can alter its appearance, transforming it into a vertical feature.

Understanding Pothos Climbing Behavior

In their native tropical forests, pothos plants are classified as hemiepiphytes. This means they begin their life on the forest floor and instinctively climb trees and other surfaces to reach the brighter sunlight of the canopy. This upward growth is a survival strategy, helping them compete for light. To accomplish this, they develop specialized growths known as aerial roots along their stems.

These aerial roots serve a dual purpose. Their primary function is to anchor the vine securely to surfaces like tree bark, allowing it to ascend. Secondly, while the plant’s main root system in the soil absorbs most nutrients and water, these aerial roots can also absorb moisture and nutrients from the air and the surface they are attached to. This natural climbing mechanism is what you can leverage inside your home.

Benefits of Encouraging Climbing

Training your pothos to climb offers rewards beyond changing its direction of growth. The most significant change occurs in the foliage. As a pothos vine grows vertically, it is triggered to produce leaves that are significantly larger and more mature. In their natural habitat, climbing pothos can develop leaves up to three feet wide, a stark contrast to the smaller leaves on trailing indoor specimens.

This vertical growth can also lead to fenestration, the development of natural splits in the leaves, particularly in mature plants. A climbing pothos becomes a vertical element in home decor, drawing the eye upward without taking up floor or shelf space. This growth habit also improves air circulation around the plant’s leaves, which contributes to its overall health.

How to Train Pothos to Climb

To begin training your pothos, you must first select a suitable support structure. Moss poles are a very effective option because their texture and moisture-retentive qualities encourage aerial roots to latch on, closely mimicking a tree trunk. Other options also work well to guide the plant’s upward growth, including:

• Wooden stakes or bamboo canes
• Decorative trellises
• Small, clear adhesive hooks arranged on a wall to create a pattern

Once you have your support in place, gently lift the pothos vines and position them against it. Use soft materials like plant ties or twine to loosely secure the stems. Place the ties near the nodes—the small bumps on the stem where leaves and aerial roots emerge—as this is where the plant will naturally try to attach itself.

Ensure the ties are not too tight, as this can constrict and damage the stems. As new growth appears, you will need to continue securing the extending vines to the support. Over time, the aerial roots will begin to grip the surface, making the plant self-supporting.

Caring for a Climbing Pothos

Maintaining a climbing pothos is similar to caring for its trailing counterpart, with one key difference if you are using a moss pole. To encourage the aerial roots to grow into the pole, it is beneficial to keep the pole consistently moist. You can do this by misting the pole with water or by slowly pouring water down its length when you water the plant’s soil. This provides the aerial roots with the moisture they seek, signaling them to anchor into the support.

The plant’s needs for soil, light, and water at the base remain unchanged. Water the soil when the top inch becomes dry and provide plenty of bright, indirect light. You can prune the plant as needed to manage its height or encourage a fuller shape. Trimming just above a leaf node will prompt new growth from that point.