How to Train a Monstera or Pothos Up a Trellis

Climbing aroids like Monstera, Pothos and Philodendron naturally want to grow upward, reaching for something to cling to with their aerial roots. Left to trail instead, they often produce smaller leaves and slower growth. A trellis gives them something to climb, encouraging the bigger, more dramatic leaves these plants are known for — and it's a much simpler job than it looks.

Why Give Climbing Houseplants a Trellis

In the wild, most climbing aroids grow up tree trunks rather than along the ground. Without something to climb, they'll often put energy into trailing rather than maturing, and many varieties produce noticeably smaller, less fenestrated (split) leaves when grown without support. Training a plant onto a trellis encourages it to grow the way it naturally would, which usually means larger leaves and a fuller, more upright shape over time.

Choosing the Right Trellis for Your Plant

The right trellis depends on your plant's size and how established it is:

• Young or smaller plants suit a slim, single support to start with — something like our Flux trellis, which gives gentle guidance without overwhelming a young plant
• Established or larger plants generally need a taller, sturdier option, especially as stems thicken and add weight
• Bushier plants with multiple stems often do well with linked or double trellis designs, giving more than one stem something to climb at once

Browse our full range of Western Red Cedar Plant Trellises to find a size that suits your plant now, with room to grow into.

How to Attach Your Plant to a Trellis

Push the base of the trellis into the growing medium close to the main stem, taking care not to damage roots. Using soft plant ties, twine, or velcro plant tape, gently secure the stem to the trellis at a few points along its length — loosely enough that the stem isn't constricted, but firmly enough that it can't flop away from the support. As the plant produces new growth, continue tying in new stems as they extend.

Encouraging Climbing Growth

A few things help a plant take to climbing more readily:

• Aerial roots (the small brown roots that emerge from stem nodes) naturally seek something to grip — gently pressing them against the trellis as they appear helps the plant attach itself over time
• Consistent humidity encourages stronger aerial root development in many aroids
• Patience — it can take a few weeks for a plant to start gripping a trellis on its own, especially if it's been trailing rather than climbing up to this point

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Tying too tightly, which can damage the stem as it thickens
• Choosing a trellis too small for the plant's eventual size, meaning you'll need to upgrade again soon after
• Forgetting to keep training new growth, which can leave older growth climbing nicely while newer stems trail off to the side

The Bottom Line

Training a climbing houseplant onto a trellis isn't a one-off job so much as an ongoing little habit — checking in every so often to tie in new growth and make sure the plant's still being guided the way you want. The payoff is worth it: fuller growth, bigger leaves, and a plant that looks the way it would in the wild rather than trailing off a shelf.

Ready to give your plant some support? Browse our hand-finished Western Red Cedar trellises, and if you're growing in LECA or PON, pair one with one of our semi-hydroponic plant pots for the full setup.