The spider plant is a flowering annual plant in the Cleomaceae family native to Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and southeast Brazil. The plants grow 3 to 6 feet tall in full sun to partial shade in moist well-drained soils. They are heat, humidity, drought and deer tolerant. .Propagation is by seed. From summer to fall, the showy flowers appear in clusters. They are pink, purple and rarely white with 3-inch-long stamens giving them a spidery look. The musky odor, especially if planted in groups, is offensive to some. Use spider plants in the border of or in groups in pollinator, cottage and drought-tolerant gardens Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Watch for spidermites, aphids, flea beetles and caterpillers. Diseases include rust and powdery mildew.
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.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Oblanceolate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire; Serrate
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
The lower and middle leaves are palmately compound with 5-7 leaflets and 6-8 inches long with tapered bases. Both surfaces are covered with hairs. The upper leaves are simple and smaller and are either sessile (no stem) or clasping to the stem.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Good Cut; Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Each 1–1½” wide individual flower on a 2-inch pedicel has 4 reflexed light green sepals, 4 clawed petals and 6 erect to spreading stamens that grow to 3-inches long with yellow-orange anthers giving it a spidery look.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
Elongate, cylindrical 2-valved fruit filled with numerous seeds
Stem detail
Hairy stems with a pair of spiny stipules at the base of each leaf petiole