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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>Dutch Van Der Linde</span> Thu, 12/05/2019 - 05:21
Not really a fan of spiders, but this plant is fantastic. I just need one more and then I will be done. Does anyone know how long I can leave my plant without it being watered? I am going on holiday to Tahiti for 1 week.
<span>Michael Taylor</span> Wed, 12/04/2019 - 10:43
Would a spider plant be a good candidate to be grown in a hydroponic environment?
<span>Linda</span> Sat, 10/12/2019 - 19:08
Can my spider plant survive outside in the winter months?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 10/15/2019 - 16:19

That depends on where you live. They don't like temperatures below 50 degrees F, so it's unlikely that it will survive outdoors in all but the warmest parts of the U.S.

 <span>Barbara L Butler</span> Tue, 10/01/2019 - 19:52
My spider plant who I named "Bud" was given to me almost exactly 40 years ago. Yup! He's 40! We started out as a variegated plant and now he's just solid green. We kept them in the same hanging planter for ever and kept adding fresh soil on the top and mixing it around a little of course with a little fertilizer once a month. We got darker curtains in our bedroom and he started withering away. So this summer I transplanted what was left of the original plans and two of his babies. And this was only two months ago! Both planters are absolutely beautiful with Bud and Bud's babies!!! It is an amazing thing and an amazing plant!
<span>Cat</span> Mon, 09/02/2019 - 18:30
Would it be possible for a palm tree to share a pot with multiple spider plants? I had planned to place the palm, in a separate, bottomless pot to keep its roots from being strangled, in a very large pot and plant alternating green and variegated spiders around the outer edges. Will this work out okay? Thanks.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 09/04/2019 - 14:48

There shouldn't be any problem with this planting arrangement. You'll just to watch that all the plants aren't getting too much water—or too little. Spider plants are fairly expressive when it comes to showing their desire for water, so you should be able to tell when they're thirsty (they'll look a little wilted). As for the pot within a pot: it would be best to use a clay pot or a pot made of some other breathable material, as plastic may hold in too much moisture if you're not careful. Or, simply be diligent in checking the inner pot to make sure that it's dried out sufficiently before watering again.

 <span>Cat</span> Mon, 09/02/2019 - 18:12
I greatly appreciate your articles about plants. Would you please tell me what is the greatest depth of a spider plant's roots? Thank you.
<span>Kay Brenner</span> Wed, 08/28/2019 - 21:24
I have two spider plants that I keep out on my patio. I try to keep them out of direct sun as much as possible. I was wondering if it would be ok to trim back the stems, or cut them off. Or could I thin them out some. It seems like there are nearly as many of the stalls as there are leaves. I can’t find anyone interested in having baby spider plants, so that’s out. I will try to send a couple of pictures so you can see what I mean.
<span>Miss Kitty</span> Thu, 09/12/2019 - 07:28
If you have a lot of the pups on your plant, try contacting a local school or charity thrift shop to see if they're interested in selling them as a fund raiser. You can get your plants placed and possibly qualify for a tax deduction. Alternatively, I have read that spider plants are edible and the pups can be used in stirfries. I know that it sounds weird, but it depends on how many you have and how much you want to get rid of them.