Spider Plant Care

Chlorophytum comosum

Medium to bright indirect light. Will tolerate lower light. 
Keep soil slightly moist, not soggy.

There is a reason everyone recognizes spider plants. Their beautiful long pointy leaves, natural variegation and fountain shape are comforting in their familiarity. These classic houseplants are easy to care for and as they mature, you can propagate them easily as well. The light requirement for spider plants is ideally bright indirect light. Don’t place your Spider in direct light or you may burn the leaves. While the most growth will occur in bright light, Spider Plants can be used in lower light situations as well. I have had luck growing spider plants in a not-so-well-lit bathroom with a shower that provided nice humidity.

“If you notice that your plant seems to be drying out more quickly than usual, it may be time for a larger pot.”

Water your Spider Plant when the top 2” or so of soil is dry and let it dry out again before the next water. Spider Plants can become root bound quite quickly, so if you notice that your plant seems to be drying out more quickly than usual, it may be time for a larger pot. As long as the roots aren’t blocking water from draining through your pot’s drainage holes, then Spider Plants will be ok with a bit of a root bound scenario. In fact, this is when they tend to send out long stems with smaller Spider plants on them. You can observe these smaller “spiderettes” and wait till they form a root to cut them off and place them in soil for a new Spider baby.

If your Spider Plant has brown leaf tips on much of the plant, it could be due to overwater. Make sure the top of the soil is dry before you water again. Feel free to cut off any browning tips if you want to give your plant a makeover. You can also try watering with filtered water if you really feel averse to browning tips, but it is certainly not a necessity. Use your Spider Plant in a hanging basket or macrame plant holder for the ultimate retro plant vibe!