Spider plant
Chlorophytum comosum
A popular houseplant featuring long, narrow, arching leaves that are green with prominent white stripes running lengthwise. It forms a dense rosette and produces long, wiry stems that carry tiny plantlets.
- Light
- Bright, indirect light for 6 to 8 hours daily. Avoid harsh, direct afternoon sun which can scorch the foliage.
- Water
- Water moderately, allowing the top 2 to 3 inches of soil to dry out completely between waterings. Use distilled or filtered water if tap water contains high levels of fluoride or salts, which can cause leaf tip browning.
- Growth
- Perennial herbaceous plant with a clumping rosette growth habit. Reaches a mature height of 1 to 2 feet and a spread of 1 to 2 feet with a moderate growth rate.
Care instructions
Provide bright, indirect sunlight and water thoroughly when the top few inches of soil become dry. Use a well-draining potting mix and feed sparingly with a balanced liquid fertilizer during the active growing season in spring and summer.
Growing details
Sunlight
Bright, indirect light for 6 to 8 hours daily. Avoid harsh, direct afternoon sun which can scorch the foliage.
Watering
Water moderately, allowing the top 2 to 3 inches of soil to dry out completely between waterings. Use distilled or filtered water if tap water contains high levels of fluoride or salts, which can cause leaf tip browning.
Soil
Well-draining, loamy potting mix with a neutral to slightly acidic pH range between 6.0 and 7.0.
Hardiness zone
USDA zones 9 through 11 when grown outdoors year-round; commonly kept indoors in colder regions.
Growth habit
Perennial herbaceous plant with a clumping rosette growth habit. Reaches a mature height of 1 to 2 feet and a spread of 1 to 2 feet with a moderate growth rate.
Bloom season
Spring and summer, producing small, star-shaped white flowers on long, slender stalks.
Propagation
Propagated easily by removing the small plantlets (pups) that form on the flowering stems and rooting them in water or potting soil, or by root division during repotting.
Common pests & issues
Brown leaf tips can occur due to underwatering, low humidity, or chemical sensitivities in tap water. Pests such as mealybugs, spider mites, and scale can occasionally affect indoor specimens and are treated with insecticidal soap.
Similar species
St. Bernard's lily (Anthericum liliago), which features plain green leaves without variegation and upright rather than arching growth.