Mature size & growth rate

How big does White Temple Bells (Smithiantha multiflora) get?

Also called Temple Bells, White Smithiantha.

More about white temple bells

About White Temple Bells

Smithiantha multiflora · also called Temple Bells, White Smithiantha · houseplant

White Temple Bells is a Mexican gesneriad that produces cascading tubular white flowers above velvety, heart-shaped leaves. It grows from rhizomes, dies back in winter, and re-emerges in spring. Ideal for bright indoor spots with high humidity. As a gesneriad, it is considered pet-safe based on ASPCA guidance for the broader family.

Mature size: 30-45 cm tall and wide in active growth

Indoor size vs how big it gets in the wild

White Temple Bells stays fairly low but widens over time — it spreads into a bigger clump by offsets, runners or rhizomes rather than shooting upward. Indoors and in a pot, expect 30-45 cm tall and wide in active growth. A pot, your light levels and a little pruning are what set the final size in a home, far more than the plant's theoretical potential.

Size here is about width, not height: the plant builds an ever-wider clump or sends out plantlets and runners while staying relatively short.

Growth rate and years to mature

White Temple Bells is a moderate grower. Realistically, expect three to six years to reach mature indoor size, gaining a steady amount each growing season. Its feeding profile backs this up: during active growth (spring through early autumn), apply a half-strength balanced liquid fertiliser every 2-3 weeks. switch to a high-phosphorus feed when flower buds form to extend the display. do not feed dormant plants.

Want this turned into the right next pot at the right moment? The pot size calculator and the white temple bells repotting guide cover when and how much to size up — pot size is one of the biggest levers on how fast white temple bells grows.

How to keep white temple bells smaller

You are not stuck with the maximum size. For white temple bells specifically, these are the levers, in order of impact:

Divide the clump every year or two — splitting white temple bells is the main way to control its spread and refresh it.
Remove runners, plantlets or offsets as they appear if you want it to stay a single tight clump.
Keep it slightly pot-bound; a snug pot naturally limits how wide the clump can get.

The keep-it-smaller method, step by step

Lift the whole plant. Slide white temple bells out of its pot in spring when the clump has filled it.
Split the clump. Tease or cut the rootball into two or more sections, each with healthy roots and growth.
Repot one division. Put a single division back in the original pot to reset it to a smaller size; pot or give away the rest.
Remove offsets as they form. Through the year, detach new runners or pups to stop it spreading again.

How to grow white temple bells bigger or faster

If you want it to fill the space sooner, push the conditions rather than hoping — for white temple bells the accelerators are:

Give it a wider pot and let the clump fill it — width is exactly how this plant gets bigger.
Good light plus regular feeding maximises offset and runner production.
Leave plantlets and offsets attached and feed through the growing season for the fastest spread.

Light is almost always the ceiling. The white temple bells light requirements page covers exactly how bright a spot it needs to grow at its potential instead of stalling.

When white temple bells outgrows the room (or the pot)

"Too big" usually arrives as one of these signs for white temple bells:

The clump bulging over the pot rim or splitting the pot — the cue to divide, not to find a bigger room.
A dense centre that goes bare or tired while the edges keep spreading.
Runners or offsets escaping across the shelf or into neighbouring pots.

If it is the pot rather than the room, it is a repotting job, not a goodbye — see the white temple bells repotting guide. If you want more of this plant instead of a bigger one, the white temple bells propagation guide turns prunings into new plants.

White Temple Bells size — frequently asked questions

How big does white temple bells get?

White Temple Bells reaches 30-45 cm tall and wide in active growth when grown indoors. Size here is about width, not height: the plant builds an ever-wider clump or sends out plantlets and runners while staying relatively short.

Is white temple bells slow or fast growing?

White Temple Bells is a moderate grower. Expect three to six years to reach mature indoor size, gaining a steady amount each growing season. White Temple Bells stays fairly low but widens over time — it spreads into a bigger clump by offsets, runners or rhizomes rather than shooting upward.

How long does white temple bells take to reach full size?

Roughly three to six years to reach mature indoor size, gaining a steady amount each growing season. Light, pot size and feeding move that timeline more than anything else.

How do I keep white temple bells smaller?

Divide the clump every year or two — splitting white temple bells is the main way to control its spread and refresh it. Remove runners, plantlets or offsets as they appear if you want it to stay a single tight clump. Keep it slightly pot-bound; a snug pot naturally limits how wide the clump can get.

How can I make white temple bells grow bigger or faster?

Give it a wider pot and let the clump fill it — width is exactly how this plant gets bigger. Good light plus regular feeding maximises offset and runner production. Leave plantlets and offsets attached and feed through the growing season for the fastest spread.