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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

<span>Manpreet Singh…</span> Mon, 02/01/2016 - 21:57
My home doesn't have direct sunlight, please suggest if the plant will bloom and grow at my place?
<span>Steven Hartley</span> Thu, 09/22/2016 - 09:39
Yes, you can buy a "growlight" bulb and place it in a reading lamp or corner light stand lamp. Turn it on and off like you would any other light in the house - just do not place it too close to, or point it directly at, your low light plants. For most species of plants this is enough light to allow them to be healthy. After all, pot growers have been growing acres of plants in storage sheds for decades...
<span>Aunt P</span> Sun, 02/26/2017 - 16:54
It doesn't even have to be a grow light. Get a cheap fluorescent tube type fixture that takes 2 bulbs. Use one "warm" and one "cool" in it. This is how I make sure my plants get enough hours of light AND how I provide light for flowers I've started from seed. If you have lots of plants like I do, just shuffle everyone between the light and a window, mine don't seem to mind taking turns.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 02/02/2016 - 15:47

The spider plant does not need direct sunlight, but it still needs a lot of indirect light, as mentioned above. Another plant to consider is the peace lily.

 <span>Lana</span> Sat, 01/30/2016 - 16:32
I was repotting my spider plant when I noticed that the stem was separated from the plant... Can the stem still grow another plant??
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 02/01/2016 - 15:17

Because we can not see exactly what you are referring to (the stem), we can only advise that it's the spiders that grow into plants that produce new spiders that . . . ya know. If there is no "knot" of potential root, such as appears at the base of a spider, it won't grow.

We hope this helps.

 

 <span>Caz</span> Thu, 01/07/2016 - 19:42
Hey guys, my fern was going gangbusters, but now he's so big the leaves and babies are overflowing so much they've pulled the bulbs out of the soil a little. Should I try and plant them back into the pot better so they're covered? I've totally 'accidentally' over watered him too as he was going a bit yellow with leaves dying and thought he needed water....now I think it's because I've over-watered him...it's a fine line! Should i just leave him somewhere warm so the soil dries out a bit? Thanks...from Australia!
<span>Maria</span> Fri, 01/01/2016 - 09:48
My spider plant was doing beautifully outside in a shady place but, because of the weather was brought inside, where I place it on a table by a north side window. Today I notice that some leaves were turning brown and was wondering if it was lack of sun or too much sun. I did notice the soil was quite dry and watered thoroughly before putting it back in the same spot. Can you please tell me what could I be doing wrong. Thanks!
<span>Steven Hartley</span> Thu, 09/22/2016 - 09:48
Most plants need to acclimate to the in door weather conditions. What i do is: in the late fall, when the weather finally breaks and it is comfortable to open the windows up and shut off the air conditioner for the season - I open all of the windows and bring my out door plants into the house. This gives them a couple of weeks to enjoy out door daytime temps - while protecting them from an early frost - allowing them to acclimatise to the household temperatures. I learned this a couple of years ago - when we bought a small live Christmas tree from an outdoor nursery. We placed the tree inside - to be decorated - and the tree instantly died from not being properly acclimate to indoor temperatures. Charlie Brown would have loved this purple tinted dead stick - covered in lights and bulbs...
<span>Steven Hartley</span> Thu, 09/22/2016 - 10:13
Some species of plants are extremely sensitive to being moved around. Picking them up and carrying them to the sink, and back to their original location can actually send the plant into shock - and it may take a few days for the plant to recover again. Plants do not come with handles. They are rooted their entire lives in one place. And some take it very badly being carried around the house. Others could care less. If you recently moved a plant from one location to another, and it suddenly looks depressed and wilty - it could be sensitive to having its location changed - give it a week or two and see if it suddenly makes a full recovery.