For the first 10 years or so, this vine's growth direction is mostly upward, adding about 1 foot per year. After this point, the growth direction is more outward, and this is the point where it can become more invasive and destructive to outdoor structures. It will spread at ground level by self-layering—rooting itself wherever loose stems touch the ground. When it begins to colonize this way, creeping fig can live for many, many decades. Indoor potted plants can similarly be kept alive for quite a long time, provided the plant's aggressive roots are regularly pruned back through repotting every year. But because old plants are less attractive, it is more common to discard old plants and propagate new ones.