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Spider Plant Care: How to Grow and Propagate This Easy Houseplant

Chlorophytum comosum aka spider plant, airplane plant, St Bernard lily, spider ivy or ribbon plant in a terracotta pot
Image Credit:
t50/Shutterstock
Botanical Name
Chlorophytum comosum
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun
Shade
Soil pH
Neutral
Bloom Time
Spring
Summer
Fall
Flower Color
White
Plant Type
Houseplants
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Looking for a low-maintenance, high-style houseplant? The spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) is your go-to green buddy. With its ribbon-like leaves and adorable baby “spiderettes” dangling like plant jewelry, this Victorian-era favorite brings a touch of charm to any room, especially when cascading from a hanging basket. 

From watering do’s and don’ts to multiplying your plant family with easy propagation, here’s everything you need to know to keep your spider plant thriving year-round!

During the summer, spider plants may produce tiny white flowers on long stems, as well as baby spider plants (offsets) called pups. The pups look like tiny spiders, hence the plant’s name!

NASA once highlighted spider plants for their reported air-purifying ability, though a large number of plants would be required to reap any benefits in the home. Nonetheless, they are a classic and attractive plant to add to your space, and every little bit helps! Learn more about air-purifying houseplants.

Planting

  • Grow in a soil-based, well-draining potting mix. Spider plants like even moisture; they don’t like to be too dry or too wet.
  • Keep plants in bright to moderate indirect sunlight. Spider plants do not appreciate direct, hot sunlight, which can burn their leaves, causing brown tips and spots.
  • Spider plants grow fairly quickly and can easily become pot-bound. Plan to repot a spider plant about every other year.
  • Spider plants can be grown outdoors as annuals during the summer. They look especially good along the edge of a container or bed, as long as they are kept out of direct sunlight.

Growing

  • During initial growth, water occasionally; once fully developed (within one year), water moderately.
  • In the spring and summer months, keep the soil moist to encourage growth. Do not let the soil dry out too much.
  • Maintain average room temperature and humidity. Spider plants prefer temperatures between 55° and 80°F (13° to 27°C), which makes them a great indoor houseplant.
  • Fertilize twice a month in the spring and summer; however, avoid overfertilization.
  • See more Houseplant Growing Tips.
Spider plant hanging in a window
Photo by Olga Prava/Shutterstock

Harvesting

  • Healthy spider plants may eventually produce pups, offshoots from the adult plant that can be removed and replanted to start new plants. For the best results, allow pups to reach approximately 2 inches in diameter before removing them from the mother plant.

    Alternatively, set the still-attached pups into pots of soil placed next to the mother plant. Once the pups have rooted themselves into the soil, they can be cut loose from the mother plant.

    Learn more about propagating spider plants and other houseplants to share with your friends.

Pests and Problems

  • Spider plants are prone to tip burn, which can be caused by dry soil, low humidity, or a buildup of salt and chemicals found in some public tap water. Keep the soil slightly moist. Avoid watering with fluoridated or chlorinated water, and cut off brown tips if they do occur.
  • To get rid of the brown discs on the leaves, use your fingernail to scrape off the brown residue every few days.
  • Mealybugs and Scale

Types

  • The most common varieties are the variegated forms:
    • ‘Vittatum’ has green foliage with a single off-white stripe down the center of each leaf.
    • ‘Variegatum’ is the inverse of ‘Vittatum’, with an off-white stripe running along the edge of each green leaf.
  • Solid green varieties are also available.

Wit and Wisdom

Houseplant Guides

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening, so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 08/10/2016 - 14:53

Hi Melissa,

It could be a pot-related issue. Plants generally like to increase pot size gradually. Often too big a pot too soon results in over watering because the pot takes too long to dry out. Take a cutting from a still-healthy portion of your plant and try rooting it in potting soil--just in case you lose the parent plant.

 <span>Naomi</span> Wed, 07/13/2016 - 10:31
I currently have a spider plant that is about 5 months old in my office and sits in an east facing window and is absolutely loving it. It has grown significantly in the last 2 months that I've been at this desk. However, I'm now moving cubicles to one without a window. I can place the spiderplant where it will receive indirect sunlight from a south facing window that is about 4 meters away. Will my spider plant survive there? Is there anything I can do to help its chances?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 07/13/2016 - 12:23

Hi Naomi,

Given it is such a vigorous plant, it should do well in its new location, providing it doesn't get direct sun and it's not a hot spot. Monitor to see if its watering needs change over time. Keep it trimmed and clean of brown leaves, and fertilize regularly.

 <span>Stephanie</span> Mon, 06/13/2016 - 22:47
I would like to know if there is a way to make my "Spidy" grow more full?
<span>Steven Hartley</span> Thu, 09/22/2016 - 09:32
I rotate my plants with every watering - a quarter turn to turn the less full sections towards my light source - and the plants will grow out in every direction - allowing the plants to look so much fuller.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 07/13/2016 - 12:19

Hi Stephanie,

Try giving it a haircut, so to speak, by taking an inch or two off to stimulate fuller growth. Also, fertilizer regularly.

 <span>Mike Roth</span> Mon, 04/18/2016 - 16:26
I have an amazing Spider plant! I grew it from a plantlet that a greenhouse gave me. I've taken good care of it and I think it's the healthiest I've ever seen. It has two stem bunches and out of each a stolon has appeared. Plantlets are on the way. My question is that the green borders of the leaves seem just a little on the light side. White central axis, green borders. It gets plenty of light. Can this color intensity be altered in some ways?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 04/19/2016 - 16:37

Spider plant leaves may turn pale if they are not getting enough water or are too hot. Make sure that they are not in direct sunlight, but are getting at least 12 hours of light. (Not enough light, and a variegated spider plant will become all green.) Keep it in a room that is between 65F to 75F. Mist it every so often--they like it moderately humid. Provide water when soil surface feels dry, and let the water soak through to bottom a bit through the drainage holes; water less in winter. Ideally, use distilled, not tap, water, as the plant is sensitive to chemicals.

 <span>Sue</span> Sun, 02/28/2016 - 14:56
We brought our spider plants into the 60 degree garage near windows over the winter in Georgia. Now outside the mother plants are sparse, with long tendrils of babies that are also sparse with lots of brown leaves coming off them. Should we just pull the brown pieces off the babies, or should we cut all the babies off? I will be adding a little more soil to the pot, with water of course.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 03/01/2016 - 11:50

Hi, Sue: It would be best to cut off all of the babies at their base and more or less start from scratch. Thanks for asking!