We’re living in a golden age for indoor plants. Never has the humble pot plant been so trendy, and so worthy of filling your Instagram feed. But, god damn, a hanging plant can really set you up.
Native to South Africa, Chlorophytum comosum or popularly known as the spider plant, airplane plant, ribbon plant, spider ivy, bernard’s lily, makes one heck of an indoor gem! Its name refers to the spider-like plantlets that dangle from the mother plant on suspended branches, boasting the cascading nature of their foliage.
It’s easy-peasy to grow and care for spider plants. This is one houseplant that will readily forgive you when you forget it for a few days. The self-propagating, air-cleaning, petite, and pretty spider plant will thrive in low to bright indirect light, making it a perfect option for first-time plant parents or those without a green thumb.
So if you’re on a hunt for a low-maintenance houseplant that transforms your living space or home office into a multi-purpose green sanctuary, the search is over.
3 Spider Plant Benefits
Low-maintenance
This fabulous green thrives on neglect and can adapt to any condition easily. Even occasional overwatering or underwatering won’t bother them much. So if you’re looking for a low-maintenance lush, the spider plant is the answer for you.
Air-purifying
No need to fact-check, the spider ivy is one superstar air purifier. It is praised by NASA for its purifying capabilities, filtering out carbon monoxide, formaldehyde and other harmful impurities. Producing a high level of oxygen, this indoor gem will keep your houses and offices filled with clean and fresh air.
Safe for pets and children
With the cascading nature of their foliage and their long stems with plantlets, the spider plant is a real tease for your kitties, thankfully, this bad boy is non-toxic and in fact edible, making it safe for your curious pets and young children.
7 Tips For Spider Plant Care
1. Light
Spider plants tolerate low light but also manage just fine in artificial light. Most spider plants prefer bright indirect light. Avoid the direct sun at all costs as the plant’s leaves will scorch.
Spiders that are exposed under bright light are more likely to produce planets and flowers, also their colors are much more vibrant. If the leaves turn yellow or lose their color variegation, it is usually a sign that your plant is not getting enough light.
During the hot summer months, it’s best to keep your spider plants away from south-facing windows.
2. Temperature
Spider plants tolerate a variety of temperatures but not when it is constantly changing, meaning it appreciates conditions that are not too hot and not too cold. The ideal is between 65F to 90F, where they are encouraged to flower and reproduce. Avoid drafty locations such as areas next to entrance doors or drafty windows, as well as spots near heating and cooling vents.
3. Humidity
Unlike other plants, spider plants aren’t picky when it comes to humidity, which is a big plus if you consider a bathroom plant. So unless you live in an extremely dry climate, then no extra humidity required. If necessary, mist their leaves to keep them moist.
4. Water
Spider plants prefer a once-a-week watering schedule but keep in mind that they are not a fan of soggy soil. Keep the soil moist but not overly wet. Spider plants can grow in a variety of soil types.
Though they love humidity, spider plant root rot can be developed from overwatering. Let the soil dry out between watering and excess water drain out the drainage hole in the bottom of the pot.
If you notice brown leaf tips, it can be from fluoride found in water, causing salt buildup. It usually helps to periodically leach plants by giving them a thorough watering to flush out excess salts. Make sure to let the water come out of the drainage hole and repeat as needed. It is better to use distilled water or filtered water on spider plants instead of tap water as it contains harmful minerals that cause spider plants to develop brown leaf tips.
5. Fertilizer
Feed your majesty every month in spring and summer with water-diluted fertilizer. Spider plants can be sensitive to the buildup of salts and other minerals if there is too much fertilizer, which can exhibit brown tips as a result. Overfertilizing can also prevent spider plants from new growth.
6. Repotting
If the roots start pushing through the drainage holes or show up on the soil surface, your spider plant is ready for repotting. Cut off the stem and keep the roots intact. Move the small plant to a new pot that is slightly larger than the same pot. Make sure to leave fresh soil to improve drainage.
7. Pruning
Trim off any brown leaf tips and spiderettes to ensure that all energy is directed to grow spider plants. To remove new plants, snip off their long stems at their base.
5 Decor Ideas With Spider Plants
Indoors or outdoors, the spider plant promises to add a lot of greenery and texture into your living spaces. Here are a few tips to dress your spider ivy up:
Indoor:
- In baskets or pots held by decorative macramé hangers to add that extra comfy look to every corner
- In containers placed on a high stand where its long shoots with the plant “babies” on the ends make an eye-catching display
Outdoor:
- If you are keen to keep them outdoor, they make a perfect grassy groundcover for your shade garden
- In window boxes or hanging plant goodness on top of garden walls to make heads turn
- Placed mixed container plantings as filler to give the pot that dramatic look.
Other Types of Spider Plants
Variegated Spider Plant (Chlorophytum Comosum Vittatum)
Variegate is one of the most popular, evergreen and perennial spider plant varieties. This plant has medium green leaves, with creamy and broad vertical stripes that can reach up to 2 feet in length and width.
It is slightly curled, debuting a lovely appearance for your hanging baskets. Grow it in well-drained soil and under light shade. Water gently with distilled water as leaves may turn brown if overwatering.
Reverse spider plant (Chlorophytum Comosum ‘Reverse Variegatum’)
Just like the plant name hints, this variety is sought after because the variegation is on the margins of the leaves instead of the center. Reverse variegate is popular among gardeners.
It displays arching curved leaves with soft white edges and dark green streaks in the center, making the plant really stands out in a spider plant collection. This unusual variegation gives so much liveliness to your living rooms or office spaces.
Hawaiian Spider Plant (Chlorophytum viridescens ‘Hawaiian’)
Also known as the Golden Glow, the spider plant is simply fascinating and will give your room both color and texture with its glossy yellow leaves in rich tones of champaign. This variety is small and compact that will not take much of the space.
The Hawaiian type grows well in moist and well-drained soil and definitely under partial shade. However, it needs a good source of lighting, where it is enough for them to grow up to 12 inches in length.
Bonnie Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
Bonnie shares a similar appearance to the Variegated variety, but the leaves have more curls and offspring.
It boasts bright, curled and narrow leaves that can grow up to 8-18 inches long. Most people find it perfect for smaller rooms or compact balconies. It produces beautiful, yellow colors; which makes this variety unique and hard to find.
Zebra Spider Plant (Chlorophytum laxum)
The zebra plant is similar to the reverse variety except that its leaves’ outline is much brighter. In contrast to other types, it grows wider, not taller.
This variety of spider plants is fast-growing; it forms yellow edges that turn white later. This easy-to-care variety grows well in any circumstances, direct sunlight or partial shade, perfect for a hanging basket or ground cover as an outdoor option.
Can I Keep My Spider Plant Outside?
Spider plants can be grown outdoors in warmer climates (zones 9-11) if you transit them slowly. Apart from the transition, few more factors affect the plant’s health, including temperature, lighting, humidity, etc. It’s important to always consider providing proper lighting conditions and appropriate temperatures before moving them outside.
To make the transition of your spider plant a smooth ride, make sure you scan through the spider plant care mentioned above.
Do Spider Plants Flower?
Spider plants are indeed capable of producing flowers, yet small, simple color and short-lived so most people do not even notice.
If your spider plant keens on producing flowers, these tiny white flowers may show up toward the ends of its long, stiff stems. Known as star-shaped flowers, spider plant flowers are long, thin and symmetrical both horizontally and vertically.
As all spider plants are different, it is hard to determine when your spider plant will bloom. Some spider plants grow clusters of flowers in the first few months but stop permanently. Most varieties only begin to flower with mature plants or slightly pot-bound, where dense roots are tightly packed into the container.
The flowering period indoors may occur in spring or summer, as the more regulated temperatures can often confuse a plant.
How To Propagate Spider Plant?
There are a couple of ways to plant spider plant babies, and they’re both easy peasy. Look closely at the spiderettes that remain attached from the adult plant and you will see little knob-like protrusions and tiny roots on the bottom of each spiderette.
Potting Method:
Planting spiderettes in potting soil is the easiest and quickest way to propagate baby spider plants. Though it is easy to get a potted plant from the beginning, rooting takes much longer and you do not see when the roots develop. Simply follow these steps:
Step 1: Wipe your cutting knife or flower snipper with alcohol.
Step 2: Along the stolon of the mother plant carefully remove the spiderettes from the stolon. Do this by cutting right along their base.
Step 3: Fill the small pot with any lightweight starting mix that contains coconut coir. Ensure the pot has drainage holes in the bottom that are wide enough to accommodate the roots of the new small plant.
Step 4: Place the spider plant as deep as the roots and cover it with soil. Moisten the starting mix but do not soak. If you want to use root hormone, dip the spiderettees into that hormone in this step.
Step 5: Place the newly potted plant in a warm place with indirect sunlight and wait for them to take roots. Leave the spiderettes attached to their mother plant until the new spider plants are strong enough to survive on their own.
Water Method:
This old-fashioned way takes a bit more time to get the plant from cutting to pot but it allows you to watch the roots develop and the spider plant to grow faster once it is in the pot. If you are keen on a jungle in your kitchen window, then follow these steps:
Step 1: Fill a clean jar with water and let it sit for an hour to de-chlorinate and come to room temperature. Wipe the cutting knife or flower sipper with some alcohol.
Step 2: Along the stolon of the mother plant carefully remove the spiderettes from the stolon. Do this by cutting right along their base.
Step 3: Place the new cutting into the water that is deep enough to cover the bottom of spiderettes. Ensure the leaves do not touch the water.
Step 4: Leave the container in a good shade and wait for roots to form. When there are good amounts of roots, remove the new spider plant from the water.
Step 5: Fill the pot with any lightweight starting mix. Ensure the pot has drainage holes in the bottom that are wide enough to accommodate the roots of the new spider plant.
Step 6: Place the spider plant with soil and place it under indirect sunlight. Direct sunlight will kill it. Wait for them to take roots. If the plant is resilient, then it has taken roots. Leave the spiderettes attached to their mother plant until the new spider plants are strong enough to survive on their own.
Ready to start growing spider plants? Check out our guide to planting. If you’re also keen on checking out more incredible houseplants for your home, we have rounded a list of 10 plants that grow in the dark.
Knowing about plant texture helps a lot for home design and garden design. Check out this article when considering your design theme.
And if you’re only after a nicely designed planter, head straight to our store for all the best planters on the market.
