Which Plants Thrive on Moss Poles – Take Your Indoor Garden To The Next Level!

Moss poles are fabulous tools that can give your indoor plant collection a completely different dynamic. However, not all plants will grow on a moss pole – no matter how tightly you use velcro ties to attach them to the poles! Trust us – we know from experience 😂. Here are our top picks for plants that will thrive on moss poles.

There is something oddly satisfying about watching a vining plant climb its way up a moss pole, as it would in nature.

It almost makes you feel like a proud plant parent, watching their plant babies taking their first steps into the next stage of their lives.

But not all plants are suitable for moss poles. So, to save you from parental disappointment, we’ve compiled a list of plants that like to grow on moss poles.

Plants that Like to Grow on Moss Poles

Below is a list of our favorite indoor plants that we love to pair with a moss pole.

Monsteras

Monsteras are one of the quintessential indoor plants you will be accustomed to seeing growing on moss poles.

With over 50 species of Monstera plant (belonging to the arum family), you may see various magnificent vining plants making their way up moss poles.

While Monsteras grow in soil as terrestrial plants, they can also develop into epiphytic plants that grow and survives on the surface of tree trunks in their natural environment.

And it is this ability that makes them ideal plants for cultivating to grow on moss poles.

Additional Notes on Moss Poles for Monsteras

In fact, due to their larger leaves, Monsteras are one plant we always recommend using a moss pole.

As beautiful as their fenestrated leaves are, they can become too large and heavy for the plant to support. Often leading to pots continuously toppling over or rot setting in due to the lack of light and airflow.

The low light and circulation are also perfect conditions for mold to grow on the moss pole, so keeping your Monstera upright and supported is paramount for a healthy plant.

Philodendrons

Philodendrons are a personal favorite of ours to grow on moss poles because it gives them space to grow and stretch out their stunning elongated leaves.

They are natural climbers, originating in the warm and tropical forests of the West Indies and tropical Americas.

Like Monsteras, Philodendrons attach themselves to moss poles via their aerial roots, which naturally seek out crevices to embed themselves for support.

As an additional but critical function, the air roots can absorb moisture from the damp moss, supplying the main plant with a secondary water source.

Additional Notes Moss Poles for Philodendron

Some Philodendrons are heavier plants with impressively long, broad leaves that can reach beyond a foot in length.

If you are lucky enough to own these varieties, we’d love to see a picture, so do share it with us in our Garden Bench Top community.

But such beauty also requires additional special care and support, such as a moss pole. As with the Monstera, a moss pole is vital for cultivating a healthy and vibrant indoor Philodendron plant.

Pothos

If you are new to the indoor plant world, you may be familiar with different varieties of pothos due to their ease of care and rapid growth.

There are many types of pothos, such as Golden, Marble Queen, and Jade Satin Pothos, to name a few.

Unlike the first two plants we discussed, pothos plants do not demand a moss pole for healthy and optimal growth. Their leaves do not grow very big, rarely growing bigger than the size of your hand.

That said, pothos can grow on moss poles as they can send out aerial roots that they can use to attach to surrounding objects.

If we grow pothos from a hanging basket or a pot perched high on a cupboard, we allow them to drape over the sides and grow down.

Whereas, if we have pothos growing in a lower section of the room, we encourage them to grow upwards using a moss pole. You can even nurture your pothos vines to continue to expand onto other objects (like walls) for an indoor jungle urban look.

Hoyas

Another attractive climbing plant that we place in the same category as the pothos is Hoyas. Although not as easy to grow, Hoyas can also be raised on a moss pole or allowed to overhang their pots.

You may be surprised to learn there are over 200 different species of Hoyas, such as:

• Hoya Sunrise,
• Hoya Globulosa,
• Hoya Pachyclada,
• Hoya Rebecca, and
• Hoya Australis Lisa, with more being discovered

Hoyas produce aerial roots to grip onto objects and support their vines as they continue to grow longer.

The one advantage of using a moss pole with Hoyas is that moss poles contain moist moss, and the ambient environment around them is generally more humid – especially if you have a self-watering moss pole. As Hoyas are tropical plants originating in tropical areas such as Asia, South-East Asia, and Tropical Australia, the extra humidity encourages a healthier plant.

English Ivy & Creeping Fig

We have grouped English Ivy (hedera helix) and Creeping Fig (ficus pumila) because they have similar growth behaviors, particularly when grown indoors.

Note even though they behave similarly, they do not belong to the same genus or family.

Both English Ivy and Creeping Fig are aggressive growers and will attach themselves to anything it touches. And when we say anything – we mean it.

Smooth surfaces are no problem for the aerial roots of Creeping Fig and English Ivy. This is why we like to dictate where they can grow with a sphagnum moss pole.

A moss pole is a perfect tool to train where you want your indoor ivy plant to grow. Without a moss pole, they will send out creepers in the form of vining stems to find surfaces to grow on.

We also caution plant owners about growing English Ivy or Creeping Fig indoors. Without continual maintenance and monitoring, these plants can attach to a wall and overtake it quickly.

Removing them from surfaces isn’t easy either, for their aerial root growth leaves unsightly marks.

Final Thoughts

If you want to grow plants that like to climb, then moss poles are a great option.

We have listed plenty of popular plants that love to grow on moss poles.

Not only are they necessary for some plants like Monsteras and Philodendrons, but they also create a natural and beautiful aesthetic.

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting, adding a moss pole to your potted plant collection is recommended by the Garden Bench Top community.

Plus, your plants will thank you for it!