Fast growing houseplants

27 of 100 species in this database qualify

27 of our 100 species qualify. Pothos ranks first on fast growth rate. Typical prices run $5 to $120.

What this list actually means

These put on visible growth in a season rather than a decade. The trade-off nobody mentions: fast growers need repotting more often, go leggy faster in poor light, and several will outgrow the spot you bought them for within two years.

Ranked by growth rate, difficulty — fast growth rate, least demanding first. Ordering is derived from database fields and we do not accept payment for placement. Our pre-publish check rejects commission, payout, EPC and CPC as sort fields, so that promise is enforced rather than merely stated.

#	Plant	Light floor	Water	Pet safe	Difficulty	Typical price
1	Pothos Epipremnum aureum	Low	7–14d	No	Easy	$10–25
2	Spider plant Chlorophytum comosum	Medium	7–10d	Yes	Easy	$10–25
3	Heartleaf philodendron Philodendron hederaceum	Low	7–12d	No	Easy	$10–30
4	Arrowhead vine Syngonium podophyllum	Low	6–11d	No	Easy	$10–30
5	Inch plant Tradescantia zebrina	Medium	5–9d	No	Easy	$8–20
6	Elephant bush Portulacaria afra	Bright indirect	10–21d	Yes	Easy	$10–35
7	Dragon tail plant Epipremnum pinnatum	Low	7–12d	No	Easy	$15–50
8	Turtle vine Callisia repens	Medium	4–9d	No	Easy	$6–20
9	Swiss cheese plant Monstera deliciosa	Medium	7–10d	No	Easy	$20–60
10	Chinese money plant Pilea peperomioides	Medium	6–11d	Yes	Easy	$12–35
11	Dumb cane Dieffenbachia seguine	Low	7–12d	No	Easy	$15–50
12	Asparagus fern Asparagus setaceus	Medium	4–9d	No	Easy	$10–28
13	Dwarf umbrella tree Heptapleurum arboricola	Medium	7–14d	No	Easy	$20–70
14	Polka dot plant Hypoestes phyllostachya	Medium	4–7d	Yes	Easy	$5–15
15	String of hearts Ceropegia woodii	Medium	10–18d	Yes	Easy	$12–35
16	Mini monstera Rhaphidophora tetrasperma	Medium	5–10d	No	Easy	$20–60
17	Swiss cheese vine Monstera adansonii	Medium	6–11d	No	Easy	$18–55
18	Purple shamrock Oxalis triangularis	Medium	6–11d	No	Easy	$8–25
19	Blushing philodendron Philodendron erubescens	Medium	6–11d	No	Easy	$25–120
20	Fishbone cactus Selenicereus anthonyanus	Medium	7–14d	Yes	Easy	$18–50
21	String of bananas Curio radicans	Bright indirect	12–21d	No	Easy	$12–35
22	Strawberry begonia Saxifraga stolonifera	Low	5–10d	Yes	Easy	$8–22
23	English ivy Hedera helix	Low	6–11d	No	Moderate	$8–25
24	Polka dot begonia Begonia maculata	Medium	5–10d	No	Moderate	$15–45
25	Creeping fig Ficus pumila	Medium	4–9d	No	Moderate	$8–25
26	Baby’s tears Soleirolia soleirolii	Low	2–6d	Yes	Moderate	$6–18
27	Caladium Caladium bicolor	Low	4–9d	No	Demanding	$8–25

Prices are hand-verified ranges, not live figures, and move with pot size more than anything else. No affiliate links appear on this page because we have no merchant relationships yet; when that changes, disclosure appears before the first one.

Why pothos tops the list

Droops visibly when thirsty and recovers within hours. Tells you what it needs. It takes low light as a floor and water every 7–14 days, and it is stocked almost everywhere at $10–25.

Full entry for pothos — care fields with sources, toxicity with every authority we consulted, and propagation.

Commonly recommended for this, and shouldn't be

Every one of these is sold everywhere and appears on other lists for this purpose. Each fails on a field in our own database, stated below.

Snake plant Dracaena trifasciata

grows slowly — a good plant, but you will not see much happen this year.
Aloe vera Aloe vera

grows slowly — a good plant, but you will not see much happen this year.
Ripple peperomia Peperomia caperata

grows slowly — a good plant, but you will not see much happen this year.
Corn plant Dracaena fragrans

grows slowly — a good plant, but you will not see much happen this year.

None of these are bad plants. They are bad plants for this, and the difference is the whole point of the list. Buying one for the wrong spot is the commonest way people conclude they cannot keep houseplants.

Other lists

Every list →

Sources

This database's own care records for the 27 species listed — light floor, watering interval, humidity, difficulty and mature size are the fields the ranking uses. Each species entry cites its own authorities.
ASPCA Animal Poison Control — toxicity classification, cited per species on each entry
North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — poison severity where published
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — accepted names and families
Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder — cultivation and pest records

Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-12
Ranking is derived from database fields. We do not accept payment for placement, and the pre-publish check rejects payout as a sort field. How this is sourced.