Spider plant is an herbaceous perennial houseplant in the Asparagaceae (asparagus) family. Its native region is tropical West Africa to Cameroon and Ethiopia to South Africa. It is commonly grown as a houseplant for its adaptability to many conditions. Spider plant prefers medium light levels yet can tolerate deep shade. It is intolerant of direct sunlight. It grows best in moist soil and medium air humidity, though it is tolerant of drought and dry soil. Keep temperatures above 45 degrees F. Avoid watering with tap water as the chlorine and fluorides can cause leaf tip burn. Reduce watering during winter. Use a humidifier or place the plant container on a tray of pebbles with water to increase the humidity. Do not over-fertilize, as this decreases plantlet formation. Spider plant propagates easily by plantlets or division. Stolons and plantlets are light dependent and develop when the mother plant receives short days and long, uninterrupted nights–less than 12 hours of light a day–for at least three weeks. Spider plant does particularly well in hanging baskets or other containers where the leaves and stems can cascade down the side. Quick ID Hints: Green linear leaves are often striped white Long stolons produce plantlets and flowers Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Houseplants, Succulents, and Cacti," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Cascading
Leaf color
Green; Variegated; White
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Rosulate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf value
Long-lasting; Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Strappy green or striped green and white leaves up to 12-18 in long. Sessile, crowded, linear to lanceolate, grass-like, often striped white longitudinally, 12-15 nerved and a deep groove in the middle.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; White
Flower form
Insignificant; Panicle; Raceme
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Small white star-shaped flowers form in loose panicles, the stolons sometimes bearing plantlets at nodes. Flowers erect to typically arching-pendulous, white, 1/4 in, tepals 6, spreading, free.
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer; Winter
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Small capsule after flowering.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Leaves emerge from a short, compressed stem. Stolons are long and green, producing flowers and plantlets.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
W. Tropical Africa to Cameroon, Ethiopia to S. Africa