16 fast-growing houseplants for busy gardeners

Article for :All parent plants

Are you the kind of person who opens presents on the evening of December 24 so as not to have to wait another night? Do you hate waiting for your turn in the canteen, at the checkout or at the post office? Does Flash the Sloth from Zootopie give you a hankering for a barbecue? So do we. So when it comes to plants, we like things to grow fast. If you want to see stems lengthen, leaves sprout and flowers bloom at lightning speed, adopt one of these 16 fast-growing plants.

1- Chinese money plant (Pilea peperomioides)

May your bank account grow at the speed of the Pilea peperomioides - Photo by Sven Brandsma / Unsplash

Chinese coin plant doubles in size every year, until it reaches its final height (on average 30 centimetres). As well as giving birth to new leaves, it also produces babies before reaching maturity.

To boost the growth of your Pilea peperomioides, harvest the shoots as soon as they appear. This way, your plant will be able to concentrate its energy on its own development.

2 - Mini Monstera (Rhaphidophora tetrasperma)

Mini Monstera will grow up fast - Photo by Dan Jones / Flickr

Have you fallen for a little Mini Monstera? Take a photo of it to keep a souvenir of its early days, because it's growing so fast. And make sure you have enough room in your house. In pots, this plant gains an average of 50 centimetres a year.

The Mini Monstera grows faster on a stake than in suspension. This is because the aerial roots need energy to find an anchorage point. Once they have settled comfortably on their foam or coconut-fiber support, the plant can quietly lengthen its vines and make new leaves.

3 - Syngonium podophyllum

The disadvantage of fast-growing plants is that they need to be repotted often - Photo by Arturo Añez / Pixabay

Syngonium podophyllum is something of an impatient gardener's dream. It grows an average of 30 centimetres a year and produces half a dozen limbs during the growing season.

To witness this miracle, simply follow the advice on the Monstera app. Water your plant when the substrate has dried to three centimetres, spray the foliage to keep pests at bay and increase humidity, and fertilize during the vegetative phase.

4 - Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)

A fast-growing plant, the Pothos is a veritable cuttings machine - Photo by Luisella Planeta /Pixabay

Pothos grows faster than your hair. While you'll have to wait weeks to get rid of that improvised fringe on a whim in your bathroom, Epipremnum aureum gains 25 centimetres a month during its growth period.

And like your hair, Pothos looks better after a good trim. At the end of winter, shorten the stems to a third of their length and pinch them to encourage branching.

5 - Aloe vera

If you plant several Aloe veras together, it's best to space them out to give them room to grow - Photo by Cecília O. Tommasini / Pexels

Cacti and succulents are not fast-growing plants. But aloe vera is an exception. It reaches its adult size (60 centimetres high by 90 centimetres wide at most) in just three or four years. In summer, it produces one new leaf per month.

Like other plants, Aloe thrives better outdoors than indoors. If the climate doesn't allow you to grow your fat plant in the ground, take it out into your garden or windowsill when temperatures permit to accelerate its growth.

6 - Stepmother's tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata)

Sansevieria trifasciata "Laurentii" can be recognized by its green and yellow foliage - Photo by W. Carter / Wikipedia

Another fast-growing succulent: mother-in-law's tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata). Neglected in a shady corner, it will be content to scrape together three centimetres a year. But with love, light and fertilizer, it can grow 10 times faster!

Want your Mother-in-law's language to impress? Choose an XXL variety, like Sansevieria trifasciata "Laurentii". When fully grown, it easily reaches a metre in height.

7 - Misery (Tradescantia zebrina)

Misère is a fast-growing plant, but tends to thin out. Consider taking cuttings to make the plant denser - Photo by Spongeworthy93 / Wikipedia

In spring, misery grows almost visibly. It grows up to two centimetres a week. You can then take advantage of its long, hanging vines, or shorten them to make cuttings and obtain a well-stocked plant.

The different varieties of Misery have a reputation for surviving even when little care is taken. And that's true. But if you want your Tradescantia zebrina to break growth records, give it a green plant fertilizer diluted in the water every fortnight.

8 - Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

Easy to care for, the spider plant is ideal for beginners - Photo by W. Carter / Wikipedia

The spider plant gains between 10 and 25 centimetres every year. At this rate, it takes less than five years for it to reach its adult size. In its early years, it also produces offshoots and stolons that you can cut to expand your indoor jungle and those of your friends.

Chlorophytum comosum is an easy plant to grow. But that's no reason to neglect its upkeep! If you want to boost its growth, give it a sunny spot, away from direct sun and where the temperature is always above 15°.

9 - Ficus elastica

Ficus elastica is a poisonous plant. Keep it away from pets - Photo by A. M. Cranston / Pixabay

You don't have to spend a fortune to have a tall, majestic Ficus elastica in your home. All you need is a little patience. The shrub grows about 50 centimetres a year. In less than four years, yours will touch the ceiling.

But height isn't everything. To keep your potted ficus bush bushy, prune it in spring. Shortening the branches by five centimetres with clean, sharp pruning shears is usually enough to make it denser.

10 - Mute cane (Dieffenbachia seguine)

Dieffenbachia is not only fast-growing, but also tolerant of forgetfulness and excess water

Dieffenbachia seguine breaks speed records. Dieffenbachia seguine grows 30 to 60 centimetres a year. That's enough to reach its full height (1.5 to 2 meters) in the blink of an eye.

To make sure your shrub grows fast and long, place it in a bright, humid room, such as a bathroom with a window or your kitchen. You can also place your Dieffenbachia pot on a dish filled with wet pebbles or clay balls, to improve humidity.

11 - Monstera deliciosa

The advantage of XXL plants? In summer, they replace the air conditioner - Photo by Kara Eads / Unsplash

Seeing your plant gain centimetres is great. Watching the birth of new leaves is even better. Monstera deliciosa gives you both. The plant grows by around 50 centimetres a year and produces a new leaf blade every month.

To encourage the growth of your faux philodendron, repot it every year in good-quality potting soil for green plants. When the plant becomes too large to handle, top-dress it annually with new nutrients.

12 - Maranta leuconeura kerchoveana

Marantas are prayerful plants. At night, they fold their leaves two by two - Photo by Kulbir / Pexels

Maranta kerchoveana doesn't stand out for its measurements: it's no more than 30 centimetres high and 20 centimetres wide. But the plant produces one or two leaves a month in spring and summer. And since it doesn't go dormant, it continues to grow, albeit more slowly, for the rest of the year.

If your Maranta stops growing in midsummer, you may need to repot it. Check that the roots are not escaping from the pot and that there is enough substrate left. Do you have more roots than potting soil? It's time to provide your prized plant with a larger container.

13 - Philodendron hederaceum

After a few months, the Philodendron offers you a cascade of heart-shaped leaves - Photo by Dan Jones / Flickr

Philodendron hederaceum 's growth is more modest indoors. Luckily! In pots, the plant spreads its vines from 60 centimetres to one metre per year. Larger specimens grow to over two meters in height.

Philodendrons require a high level of humidity. You can achieve this by investing in a humidifier. But you can also install your philodendron with other plants. Water evaporation from leaves, stems and even flowers naturally increases ambient humidity.

14 - Asparagus falcatus

Asparagus falcatus is not edible. Quite the contrary, in fact. Its berries are extremely poisonous - Photo by Leonora Enking / Flickr

Asparagus can grow 15 centimetres in a single day. Its cousin, Asparagus falcatus, is a little slower, but can reach a meter in height in less than a year.

Asparagus falcatus is easy to care for. It does, however, require rich, well-drained soil. Re-pot it in a mixture of potting soil for green plants and peat or heather soil.

15 - Lucky bamboo (Draceana braunii or sanderiana)

The number of stalks on a bamboo plant influences its powers. 3 stalks bring happiness, 5 health and 7 wealth

Growing up is not a competition. But if it were, Lucky Bamboo would undoubtedly finish on the podium. It gains up to 50 centimetres in six months!

Dragonwood braunii can be grown in pots and soil, but also in water. You'll need a transparent vase, non-calcareous water, fertilizer and plenty of sunlight.

16 - Ivy (Hedera helix)

Common ivy belongs to the Araliaceae family, like Ginseng and Fatsia

Common ivy grows well in the garden as well as indoors. And with an average annual growth rate of 60 centimetres, it's one of the fastest-growing plants on the planet.

Hedera helix is undemanding. Its main enemies are aphids, red spiders and mealybugs. Check your plant regularly for infestation, especially if growth is slowing.

By Servane Nemetz
on 22-03-2024 at 18h10