Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

Overview

The Spider Plant is the cheerful, generous, almost foolproof classic of the houseplant world. It has been a windowsill staple for generations - and for good reason. It grows fast, tolerates a wide range of conditions, recovers from neglect, and, best of all, produces a constant supply of baby plants ("spiderettes") dangling on long stems, each one a free new plant. It is non-toxic to pets, safe around children, and hard to kill. If you want one easy, family-friendly, endlessly multiplying plant, this is it.

Origin & Natural Habitat

The Spider Plant is native to a wide sweep of tropical and southern Africa, and the narrow-leaved form grown as a houseplant is found in the wild along forest margins. Its long flowering stems carry baby plantlets at their tips, which droop until they touch the soil and root there - indoors, these are the famous dangling babies. It also stores water and energy in thick, tuberous roots, which is the secret to its toughness: those reserves let it survive drought and the occasional missed watering with ease.

Appearance

The Spider Plant forms a dense rosette of long, narrow, arching leaves that cascade outward and downward, making it a natural for hanging pots and high shelves.

Common varieties:

• 'Vittatum' - classic, with a creamy-white central stripe.
• 'Variegatum' - green leaves with white margins.
• 'Bonnie' - curly, twisting leaves; compact.
• 'Ocean' - compact with bold white edges.
• All-green Chlorophytum - plain green, the toughest and most shade-tolerant.

Mature plants send out long, wiry stems carrying small white star-shaped flowers, which then develop into plantlets - miniature spider plants complete with their own tiny roots.

Why People Love It - Qualities & Benefits

• Free plants forever: the endless supply of spiderettes makes it the most generous plant to propagate and give away.
• Genuinely pet-safe: non-toxic to cats and dogs and safe around children - one of the few attractive, multiplying plants you can place anywhere.
• Tough and forgiving: tolerates low and bright light, irregular watering, and beginner mistakes.
• Fast and rewarding: grows quickly, with visible new growth and babies through the season.
• Great in hanging pots: the arching, cascading shape is made for hanging baskets and high shelves.
• Air quality: a famous performer in NASA's Clean Air Study; the real-home effect is modest, but it is a healthy, easy way to add greenery.

Step by Step: Growing a Spider Plant

1. Choose the plant. Look for firm, upright leaves without brown tips or yellowing, and for roots that are not circling out of the drainage holes. The variety is mostly a question of looks:

• 'Vittatum' - green leaves with a cream central stripe; the classic.
• 'Variegatum' - the reverse pattern, with pale margins.
• 'Bonnie' - curled, twisting leaves on a more compact plant.
• All-green plants - no stripe at all, for a plainer look.

NC State Extension lists these and several more, including 'Hawaiian', 'Milky Way' and 'Picturatum', in its plant toolbox entry.

2. Pick a pot. The one rule is drainage holes. After that, choose by where the plant will live:

• A hanging pot shows off the arching leaves and the runners with their babies.
• A pot on a shelf or stand works just as well; leave room for the runners to hang over the edge.
• Terracotta or plastic: terracotta dries out faster, plastic holds water longer. With a plant that stores water in its roots either is fine, as long as you water by the soil and not by the calendar.

Fill it with ordinary well-draining potting mix.

3. Find the light. Medium light suits it best. It tolerates deep shade but not direct sun (NC State Extension), so a spot a little back from a bright window is right.

4. Water with the right water. Water when the top few centimetres of mix are dry, and less in winter. Chlorine and fluoride in tap water can burn the leaf tips (NC State Extension); rainwater or distilled water avoids it.

5. Feed lightly. A half-strength balanced liquid feed once a month in spring and summer is plenty. More is worse: over-fertilizing reduces the number of plantlets (NC State Extension).

6. Let it make babies. Runners and plantlets depend on day length: they form when the plant gets less than 12 hours of light a day, with long, uninterrupted nights, for at least three weeks (NC State Extension). A plant that sits under lamps late into the evening may never send out runners.

7. Root the babies. Three ways, all easy:

• Pinned into soil while still attached - the mother keeps feeding the baby until it has roots of its own, then you cut the runner.
• In a glass of water - you can watch the roots grow, and pot it up once they are a few centimetres long.
• Straight into moist mix - the quickest; keep it humid for the first weeks.

Big clumps can also be divided when you repot.

8. Repot when the roots take over. Every year or two in spring, or sooner when the thick roots fill the pot, move up one size or divide the plant.

Care

Light

Very adaptable. NC State Extension notes that it prefers medium light and tolerates deep shade, though in dim spots it grows more slowly. Avoid direct sun, which bleaches and scorches the leaves.

Watering

Water when the top 3-5 cm of soil is dry - typically weekly in summer, less in winter. The thick tuberous roots store water, so it tolerates the occasional lapse. It is somewhat sensitive to chemicals in tap water - brown leaf tips are commonly caused by chlorine, fluoride, or salts; filtered, distilled, or left-out water reduces this.

Soil & Potting

Ordinary well-draining potting mix is fine. Drainage holes are important. Spider Plants grow fast and fill a pot quickly.

Humidity & Temperature

Tolerates normal room humidity; appreciates a little extra. Normal room temperatures suit it; keep it above 7 °C (45 °F), the minimum NC State Extension gives, and away from cold drafts.

Feeding

Feed monthly in spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength. Over-feeding can worsen brown tips and reduces the number of plantlets, so keep it light.

Repotting

Repot every 1-2 years in spring. The fleshy tuberous roots grow vigorously and can push the plant up out of the pot or crack a plastic one - that is the signal to size up.

Propagation

The Spider Plant is the easiest of all plants to propagate, thanks to the ready-made plantlets:

• Plant in soil while attached: sit a baby (still connected to the mother by its runner) on a small pot of moist soil; once it roots, snip the runner.
• Root in water: cut off a plantlet and stand its base in water until roots grow, then pot it up.
• Pot directly: plant a plantlet straight into moist soil and keep it humid until established.
• Division: large clumps can also be divided at repotting time.

Common Problems & Pests

• Brown leaf tips: the most common complaint - usually tap-water chemicals, over-fertilizing, dry air, or inconsistent watering. Switch to filtered water and feed lightly.
• Pale, washed-out, or scorched leaves: too much direct sun.
• No babies: runners form only after several weeks of short days, under 12 hours of light, so lamplight late into the evening can stop them; young plants and heavy feeding also mean fewer plantlets (NC State Extension).
• Yellowing leaves: overwatering, or natural aging of old leaves.
• Limp, soft base: root rot from soggy soil.
• Pests: spider mites, mealybugs, and aphids can appear; rinse the plant and treat with insecticidal soap.

Toxicity & Safety

Non-toxic and safe for cats, dogs, and humans. The Spider Plant is one of the truly pet- and child-safe choices, which is a major reason for its popularity. Cats are sometimes drawn to nibble the dangling leaves; this is not dangerous, though heavy chewing can cause a mild stomach upset simply from eating greenery.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Non-toxic and pet/child-safe.
• Produces endless free baby plants.
• Tough, forgiving, and beginner-proof.
• Fast-growing and rewarding.
• Perfect for hanging pots and shelves.

Cons

• Brown leaf tips are common with hard tap water.
• Can look untidy if not occasionally groomed.
• Plain-green look is less "designer" than trendier plants.
• Vigorous roots need regular repotting.

Best Suited For

• Absolute beginners and children's first plant.
• Pet households that want a safe, attractive plant.
• Hanging pots, high shelves, and bright windowsills.
• Anyone who wants to propagate and give away plants.

Not ideal for people seeking a rare, "designer" statement plant, or anyone unwilling to occasionally trim brown tips and repot a fast grower.

What to Grow Next

• Boston fern - another hanging-basket plant that is safe around cats and dogs; it wants more humidity.
• Pothos and heartleaf philodendron - easy trailing plants for the same shelves and hanging pots, but both are toxic to cats and dogs; see their safety sections.
• Peperomia - small, slow and tidy, for a windowsill next to the spider plant.

FAQ

Why does my Spider Plant have brown tips? Most often chemicals in tap water - chlorine, fluoride, and salts. Use filtered, distilled, or left-out water. Over-fertilizing, dry air, and erratic watering also cause brown tips. Trim the brown bits off with scissors for looks; it does not harm the plant.

How do I grow the baby plants? Either snip a plantlet and root it in water, then pot it up - or sit a still-attached baby on a small pot of moist soil and cut the runner once it roots. Both are nearly foolproof.

Why isn't my Spider Plant making babies? Usually the days are too long for it: NC State Extension says runners and plantlets form only when the plant gets less than 12 hours of light a day for at least three weeks, so a plant under lamps late into the evening may never make them. Young plants and over-feeding also mean fewer plantlets.

Is the Spider Plant safe for cats and dogs? Yes - it is non-toxic. Cats often nibble the dangling leaves; that is harmless, though eating a lot of any plant can mildly upset a pet's stomach.

Can I grow it in low light? Yes. NC State Extension says it prefers medium light and tolerates deep shade; it simply grows more slowly in dim spots. Keep it out of direct sun.