Plant of the Month January 2025: Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

Happy New Year Everyone!  

To start off 2025, I thought it would be nice to cover a very beginner friendly plant: Chlorophytum comosum, better known as the Spider Plant. Other colloquial names for the Spider Plant are Spider Ivy, Airplane Plant, Ribbon Plant (not to be confused with Dracana sanderiana) and Hens and Chickens (like numerous succulents). Part of the Asparagacae family, spider plants are an evergreen perennial flowering plant native to tropical and Southern Africa. Over time, they’ve been naturalized in Western Australia and Bangladesh as well. These plants do well with neglect, making them the perfect choice for people just familiarizing themselves with plants or busy lifestyles. Generally I water the spider plants at the shop and at home once to twice a week year round. They prefer the soil to be lightly moist but not soggy . Spider plants are a great option for those who don’t have much direct light at home as they thrive best in light shade. They can tolerate heavy shade as well, although they’ll grow slower and not as lush. There’s little to be concerned about when it comes to caring for spider plants but fair warning; they can be sensitive to the fluoride in tap water and cause the appearance of burnt tips. So as a precaution, I would recommend using distilled water or rainwater.

Spider plants have numerous benefits as a houseplant addition. One major benefit of spider plants is how easily they propagate. As spider plants mature, the main plant will often grow out stems that produce little plantlets, sometimes called spiderettes or pups, that can then be replanted as their own plants. Once you see roots forming along the bottom of the plantlets, all you need to do is cut it off the stem, place it in soil, and watch it root! It’s the gift that keeps on giving! Another great thing about spider plants is that they can be helpful in improving air quality indoors. Some studies have shown that these plants can absorb harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, xylene, benzene, and carbon monoxide! But for me the best thing about spider plants is that they’re non toxic to both humans and pets!. As a cat mom to a plant menace, it’s a relief to know my cat isn’t in any danger when she decides to take a nibble to my plants.

Propagated plantlets I received from a friend over Christmas

Spider Plants (Chlorophytum comosum) needs the following care:

Light ☀️ Partial Shade

Water 💧 Only when soil is completely dry. Do not overwater

Grow 🌱 This is not a cold hardy plant. For best results avoid temperatures below 50 F