Spider Plant
Spider Plant is a vegetable in the Asparagaceae family. It grows best in part shade with medium moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 9-11.
Varieties
1 · sorted by days to maturity▸Spider Plant
PROPAGATION CATEGORY: Houseplant (plantlets) (not in original seed catalog). Use: Arching striped foliage; produces babies on runners. Note: Pet-safe; air-purifying.
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum) is a fast, forgiving houseplant with arching striped leaves that sends out baby plantlets on runners; pet-safe and famously easy.
Growing notes: Botanical name: Chlorophytum comosum|Hardiness zones: 9-11|Propagation: plantlets (offsets)|Light: Bright indirect light|Water: Medium|Mature size: 1-2 feet
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Start your free plan →Spider Plant care at a glance
Bright, indirect light is ideal; it tolerates medium light well. Hot direct sun bleaches the striped leaves.
Water when the top inch of mix has dried. The thick white roots store water, so it forgives lapses.
Unfussy; very dry air contributes to brown leaf tips.
Keep above 50°F — cold damage starts below that.
Standard well-draining potting mix.
Dilute balanced fertilizer monthly in spring and summer — heavy feeding worsens tip burn and delays plantlets.
In winter: Let it dry deeper between waterings in winter.
Non-toxic to cats and dogs — famously attractive to cats, who may chew and vomit the grassy leaves, but not poisonous.
Pet listing per the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants database.
How to propagate spider plant
Plantlets (spiderettes)
- Let a dangling plantlet grow until small root nubs show at its base.
- Pin it onto a pot of moist mix while still attached to the runner (or snip and root it in water).
- Sever the runner once it resists a gentle tug — usually 2–3 weeks.
- Grow on in bright, indirect light.
Common spider plant problems
Why does my spider plant have brown tips?
Likely cause: The classic complaint: fluoride and chlorine in tap water, dry air, and fertilizer-salt buildup all burn the leaf tips.
Fix: Switch to filtered, distilled, or rain water, flush the pot every month or two, feed lightly, and trim tips at an angle. Some tip browning is nearly inevitable — it's cosmetic.
Why doesn't my spider plant make babies?
Likely cause: Immaturity, too little light, or too roomy a pot — plantlets come from mature, slightly root-bound plants (long nights in fall also help trigger them).
Fix: Give it bright indirect light, let it fill its pot before sizing up, and be patient through a fall — runners typically follow.
Why are my spider plant's leaves pale and washed out?
Likely cause: Too much direct sun bleaches the foliage; severe underfeeding reads similarly.
Fix: Move out of hot sun and resume light monthly feeding in season.
Care profile compiled from extension and horticultural society guidance and the ASPCA toxic-plants list. Conditions vary by home — treat ranges as starting points.
At a glance
Storing & preserving
Most keep best refrigerated; storage crops prefer a cool, dry spot.
- Freeze: Blanch briefly, cool, then freeze — keeps color and texture.
- Can: Pressure-can low-acid vegetables; water-bath only pickled/acidified ones.
General home-preservation guidance — for tested processing times and safety, follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Growing timeline
Care & troubleshooting
No curated care & troubleshooting advice for spider plant yet. Our extension-sourced library currently focuses on common edible crops; we're expanding it over time.