Spider Plant
Chlorophytum comosum
A popular houseplant featuring narrow, arching leaves that are green with prominent white stripes running lengthwise, growing in a dense rosette and producing long stems that carry plantlets.
- Light
- Bright, indirect light for 6 to 8 hours per day; protect from harsh direct afternoon sun which can scorch the leaves.
- Water
- Water thoroughly when the topsoil is dry to the touch, allowing excess water to drain completely. It tolerates brief periods of drought well, though consistent moisture prevents leaf tip browning.
- Growth
- Perennial herbaceous plant with a clumping growth habit, reaching a mature height of 1 to 2 feet and a spread of 1.5 to 2 feet with a moderate growth rate.
Care instructions
Provide bright, indirect sunlight, water when the top two inches of soil feel dry, use well-draining potting mix, and feed with a balanced liquid fertilizer monthly during the spring and summer growing season.
Growing details
Sunlight
Bright, indirect light for 6 to 8 hours per day; protect from harsh direct afternoon sun which can scorch the leaves.
Watering
Water thoroughly when the topsoil is dry to the touch, allowing excess water to drain completely. It tolerates brief periods of drought well, though consistent moisture prevents leaf tip browning.
Soil
Well-draining, loamy potting soil with a neutral to slightly acidic pH ranging from 6.0 to 7.2.
Hardiness zone
USDA zones 9 through 11 when grown outdoors; cultivated globally as an indoor houseplant in cooler zones.
Growth habit
Perennial herbaceous plant with a clumping growth habit, reaching a mature height of 1 to 2 feet and a spread of 1.5 to 2 feet with a moderate growth rate.
Bloom season
Blooms intermittently throughout the year with small, star-shaped white flowers borne on long, arching stems.
Propagation
Easily propagated by detaching the small plantlets (offsets or spiderettes) that form on the flowering stems and rooting them in water or directly in moist potting mix.
Common pests & issues
Prone to brown leaf tips caused by dry air, fluoridated water, or inconsistent watering. May occasionally attract aphids, spider mites, or mealybugs, which can be treated with insecticidal soap.
Similar species
Ribbon Grass (Phalaris arundinacea), which is an outdoor perennial grass with similar white-striped foliage, but differs in having spreading rhizomes and lacking the fleshy tuberous roots of the spider plant.