While I have no real advice here that's definitive (if it were me, I'd try to train it first and investigate other avenues later), I just want to say I envy you that plant. It's gorgeous.

Oh I was hoping you might have one! I've seen your interest in tropical plants quite a bit. Maybe tropicofcancer does or Russ! We shall see who else responds.

It is a really cool plant. I pined for it for months and finally found a pretty good deal on a decent sized one. It was the most I had ever spent on a single plant and I had to have it shipped. Double whammy. I nervously watched it for months. I was so happy to see it grow. But then then I was stumped by its stump! Ha.

I will probably follow your vote to try to train it upward. I can use the stick on the opposite side to gently pull it upward, then maybe I can just add another stick to the other side until I repot and give it a proper pole.

Why do you think this is Rhaphidophora decursiva? If you check aroid sites you'll see they show a very different plant. That aside, when vining aroids get a bit crowded they'll often send out a runner which looks for a new place to climb. They spread around their natural environment that way. You could remove the runner and use it as a cutting. Just bending it up it might still decide to remain a runner and grow back down again.

I'm confident this is rhaphidophora decursiva. Ignore the monstera adansonii in the background of the picture above.

Here's a picture of it when I received it.

I don't want to cut it yet. But I may eventually. Right now, I am bending it and it seems to be working. When it gets warmer here, I will probably repot and add a support pole of some sort.

popmama: Thanks for thinking about me but I no experience with this plant. What I can suggest is that if you decide to start bending do so in small steps. Your method may be sufficient, let the plant guide you.

Think about bending in 3-dimensions like a spiral. May or may not be possible with this plant. But the bends can be gentler while bringing it to a pseudo vertical position.

Just for info:

In bonsai, there many techniques used for severe bending but they all require some experience, planning and some leap of faith. One is to cut a wedge shaped notch. You need disinfected and really sharp blade/knife like scary sharp. Eg close to base where the branch takes of right angles. A wedge can be cut at that crotch that goes say 3/4 of the way into the branch. The direction of wedge determines which direction the branch will bend. Then you bend it such that wedge closes on itself. Then you wrap around it generously using a grafting tape. It is like a self graft. And finally support the branch firmly in position in two directions so that it has no chance to move. In about 3-4 months the joint should heal but still needs support for another 3-4 months. Healing time is greatly dependent on vigor and timing.

There are other methods that require supports, guy wires, sometimes rebars, etc that make it look like an accident scene.

Lastly if you are using wire to pull on the stem you would need to protect the stem from biting into it. A small plastic tube slipped over the wire will nicely protect the stem.

Im a year late but… I just replated it (in a pot nearly double in size + angled it upwards) and its immediate response was to do this….

Haha...I'm so sorry Haley. I just repotted mine too and chopped it back severely, put it on a trellis. It basically did the exact same thing. Threw out a runner with a nice fenestrated leaf way at the end. It's just a weird plant.