You don’t need sprawling acres or a sunny backyard to grow your own food. Sometimes, all it takes is a bit of vertical space and a sunny window.
Edible vines are perfect for indoor gardening as they’re compact, productive, and surprisingly beautiful.
Whether you’re tucking tendrils into a windowsill or letting them dangle from a kitchen shelf, these climbing edibles bring a little farm-to-fork magic right into your home.
Here are 10 edible vines that thrive indoors with tips to help you grow, harvest, and love them.
1. Malabar Spinach
- Botanical name: Basella alba
- Type of edible part: Leaves and tender stems
- Growth habit: Vigorous climbing vine
- Best use indoors: Grown on a trellis near a bright window or balcony door
Malabar spinach doesn’t behave like your typical leafy green. Its thick, glossy leaves have a succulent texture that holds up beautifully in stir-fries, soups, or even raw in salads.
It’s not a true spinach, but it thrives in warm, humid spaces where classic spinach would bolt. Indoors, it loves a sunny south-facing window and a container with a tall trellis or bamboo stake.
You should keep the soil moist but never soggy, and mist it now and then to mimic its tropical roots. The more you harvest, the more it grows, sending out fresh new leaves like a grateful guest.
Just be patient as it takes a few weeks to settle in. A common mistake is letting it dry out; this plant likes consistency. Once it starts climbing, though, you’ll wonder how your kitchen ever looked without it.
2. Pea Shoots
- Botanical name: Pisum sativum
- Type of edible part: Shoots and tendrils
- Growth habit: Climbing vine
- Best use indoors: Small pots with support for quick harvest
There’s something joyful about growing pea shoots indoors, they pop up so quickly, it feels like instant gardening gratification.
I like to use regular pea seeds (snow peas or sugar snaps work great), sow them thickly in shallow containers, and keep them on a sunny windowsill. Within days, they sprout. And in about two weeks, you’ll have a lush mat of curling, leafy tendrils ready to snip and toss into sandwiches or salads.
These shoots have a crisp, sweet flavor like spring on a fork. They don’t need deep pots or complicated care. Just make sure they get plenty of light and a gentle watering every couple of days.
Don’t let them dry out or get leggy. You need to cut them once they reach 4-6 inches tall, and even coax a second harvest from the roots.
3. Pole Beans
- Botanical name: Phaseolus vulgaris
- Type of edible part: Pods (beans)
- Growth habit: Tall, twining vine
- Best use indoors: Trained on a stake or compact trellis in a sunny spot
Pole beans have a way of bringing a tiny jungle into your home. Once they get going, their twirling vines reach upward fast, eager to climb whatever you give them like bamboo sticks, a coat rack, even string tied to a curtain rod.
They need plenty of sunlight, so place the pot near a bright window or under a grow light. Choose a container that’s at least 10 inches deep and plant a few seeds spaced out.
You keep the soil evenly moist and rotate the pot occasionally so it doesn’t lean. After flowering, the slender pods begin to form.
The real trick is to harvest often as young beans taste best and picking them regularly keeps the plant producing. Don’t forget to support the vine early on; once it gets unruly, it’s much harder to tame!
4. Nasturtium
- Botanical name: Tropaeolum majus
- Type of edible part: Leaves, flowers, and seed pods
- Growth habit: Trailing or climbing vine
- Best use indoors: Hanging basket or trailing over shelf edges with bright indirect light
Nasturtium is one of those magical plants that doubles as decor and salad dressing. The leaves are round and peppery, the flowers taste like spicy honey, and even the green seed pods are edible, pickled, they mimic capers.
I love growing it in hanging baskets where the vines can cascade naturally. It thrives in well-draining soil and doesn’t need heavy feeding.
In fact, the flowers bloom better when it’s a bit neglected. Place it in a bright spot, an east or west-facing window is ideal. Water when the top inch of soil feels dry, and pinch back stems to keep it full.
One common mistake is over-fertilizing, which makes it leafy but flowerless. It’s a joy to grow, and even if you’re short on space, a little pot of nasturtium adds whimsy and flavor to your day.
5. Sweet Potato Vine (For Leaves)
- Botanical name: Ipomoea batatas
- Type of edible part: Young leaves and tips
- Growth habit: Vigorous trailing vine
- Best use indoors: Grown in deep pots or decorative containers as edible greenery
Sweet potato vine might just be the unsung hero of edible houseplants. While we usually think of it for its ornamental value, the young, tender leaves are completely edible, mild and spinach-like when cooked.
I start mine by placing a sprouting sweet potato (pointed end up) in water with toothpicks suspending it over a jar. Once roots and shoots appear, I transplant it into a roomy pot with rich soil and let the vines spill over the sides.
It grows fast in warmth and indirect sun, and it appreciates consistent watering. Clip the youngest tips for stir-fries or soups, they grow back quickly.
You also need to avoid letting it dry out or placing it in low light, where the plant can become scraggly. This vine is both a beauty and a harvest machine.
6. Passionfruit Vine (Dwarf or Ornamental Varieties)
- Botanical name: Passiflora edulis
- Type of edible part: Fruit (occasionally leaves in some cultures)
- Growth habit: Climbing vine with tendrils
- Best use indoors: Large container with trellis near a very sunny window or sunroom
Growing passionfruit indoors is a bit of an ambitious project but if you’ve got bright light and a little patience, it can reward you with exotic beauty and possibly even fruit.
I recommend starting with a dwarf or self-pollinating variety. These vines are vigorous, so give them a tall stake or lattice and plenty of room in a deep pot.
You need to place them where they’ll get full sun, ideally 6+ hours or supplement with a grow light. Water when the top inch of soil dries out and mist occasionally to keep humidity up.
With enough warmth, it’ll bloom with stunning flowers that look like something out of a dream. Fruit is possible indoors but rare unless hand-pollinated.
Even without it, though, the foliage and blooms make this vine worth growing. Just don’t expect fast results, it’s a slow enchantment.
7. Chayote
- Botanical name: Sechium edule
- Type of edible part: Fruit and young shoots
- Growth habit: Long, rambling vine
- Best use indoors: Large pot with overhead trellis or near a sliding glass door
Chayote is one of those vines that surprises you. Start with a whole chayote fruit, set it on its side in a large pot, half-buried in soil. Keep it warm, and soon, it’ll sprout a curling vine that’s eager to grow.
Indoors, you’ll need plenty of sunlight and some serious space; this vine likes to climb high and spread wide. I usually run it along a curtain rod or build a simple overhead support.
Water deeply but not too often, let the soil dry slightly between drinks. The tender green tips are great in stir-fries and soups, while the mature fruit takes longer to form but is worth the wait.
However, a common mistake is trying to grow it without enough warmth as it’s a tropical plant through and through. But if your space mimics that, chayote will absolutely thrive.
8. Red Malabar Spinach
- Botanical name: Basella rubra
- Type of edible part: Leaves and stems
- Growth habit: Fast-growing climbing vine
- Best use indoors: Decorative container with vertical trellis near a sunny window
Red Malabar spinach is the bold, beautiful cousin of the green variety with striking red-purple stems and dark green, glossy leaves. It’s ornamental and edible, which makes it perfect for indoor gardeners who want visual interest and practical harvests.
It grows best in warmth and bright light, and I always give mine a tall trellis to climb up beside the window. Keep the soil moist and feed lightly once a month during its active growing period.
It doesn’t like cold drafts, so keep it away from wintery windows. Harvest the younger leaves regularly to keep it bushy and productive.
The leaves have a slightly mucilaginous texture (like okra), which works beautifully in soups and stews. And don’t wait too long to harvest as it gets a little rubbery if the leaves go too old.
9. Grape Vine (Dwarf Varieties)
- Botanical name: Vitis vinifera
- Type of edible part: Fruit
- Growth habit: Climbing, woody vine
- Best use indoors: Trellised in large containers in a bright sunroom or balcony space
Growing grapes indoors might sound like a vineyard fantasy but with the right dwarf variety, it’s actually doable. I’ve had success growing compact vines in deep pots on sunny balconies and even in sunrooms, where they get at least 6 hours of light.
Choose a self-pollinating type if you want fruit, and make sure you give it a trellis or wire frame to wind its woody stems around. Grape vines don’t mind being pruned, actually, they need it to stay productive.
You should use a rich, well-draining soil, and water deeply but not too often. Harvesting grapes indoors takes time and strong light, but the fresh, homegrown clusters feel like treasure when they arrive.
Growing tip:
You should give the roots room. Small pots limit fruiting, so don’t be shy about sizing up.
10. Hops (For Shoots)
- Botanical name: Humulus lupulus
- Type of edible part: Young shoots (and cones, if flowering)
- Growth habit: Fast-growing climbing vine
- Best use indoors: Grown in containers near sunny windows or patio doors
Most people know hops for brewing beer but those fresh spring shoots? They’re absolutely edible and taste like asparagus with a touch of bitter zest.
I’ve grown hops in large pots near a sliding glass door, where the vines can climb up twine or netting. You’ll need to start with a rhizome or established plant as seeds take forever.
They like full sun and deep, nutrient-rich soil. Keep them well-watered but not soggy. Indoors, you’re mainly growing for the young tender shoots that appear early in the season. Snip them when they’re about 6-8 inches tall and sauté them lightly with garlic or butter.
If you’re lucky and get some cones later in the year, you can dry them for teas or home brews. Just be warned that this plant wants to roam, so give it direction early.
