Spider plant also known as airplane plant, St. Bernard's lily, spider ivy, ribbon plant, hen and chickens, and its scientific name Chlorophytum comosum, is one of the most common and well-known of all houseplants. It is especially popular with beginners, being easy to grow and propagate, tolerant of neglect, and able to thrive in nearly any type of condition.
Spider plant also known as airplane plant, St. Bernard's lily, spider ivy, ribbon plant, hen and chickens, and its scientific name Chlorophytum comosum, is one of the most common and well-known of all houseplants. It is especially popular with beginners, being easy to grow and propagate, tolerant of neglect, and able to thrive in nearly any type of condition. It gets its common name from the small plantlets produced on long trailing stems that vaguely resemble spiders.
IDENTIFY SPIDER PLANT - CHLOROPHYTUM COMOSUM
Spider plant is native to tropical and southern Africa, but has become naturalized in other parts of the world, including western Australia. It is found from sea level to elevations of more than 1000 m. It occurs in the undergrowth of forested river valleys, mountainous regions and thickets, on steep embankments, flat terrain and cliffs.
It is a clump-forming, perennial, herbaceous plant which reaching 12-15” tall with long, wiry stems up to 2 feet long that has narrow, strap-shaped leaves arising from a central point. The leaves may be solid green or variegated with lengthwise stripes of white or yellow. The leaves are not flat, but appear channeled or folded down the middle. The thick, fleshy roots and rhizomes evolved to store water, allowing it to survive inconsistent watering.
Small white, star-shaped flowers are produced at the ends of the stems. After flowering, more leaves are produced at the end of the stems, forming small plantlets. If a flower is pollinated, a leathery, 3-angled capsule-type fruit is produced that contains flat black seeds.
Some varieties include: ‘Milky Way’ (leaves with green margins and a broad white to cream center, creating a much lighter overall appearance than other cultivars), ‘Vittatum’ (dark green leaves with a wide, creamy white stripe down the center of each leaf; it tends to be slower growing than the green types), ‘Variegatum’ (relatively broad green leaves with white margins, produce fewer plantlets than other types), ‘White Stripe’ (narrow white to cream line down the central leaf vein that is lost as the leaf ages; the flower stalks are cream to yellowish instead of the normal green).
SPIDER PLANT - CHLOROPHYTUM COMOSUM CARE AND CULTURE
Spider plant is one of the most foolproof houseplants available; it is a great plant for beginners as nearly everyone can have success growing it, even in the most inhospitable of homes; sharing new plantlets with friends is one of the best parts about this plant and it is a good conversation starter.
Light:
One of the best attributes of Spider Plant is its ability to grow in a wide range of light conditions; best growth is in a filtered sunny spot, but the plants can be kept alive in fairly low light interiors capes and can be grown in sun or shade spots in the landscape; variegated forms sometimes will scorch in full sun.
Temperature:
When growing indoors, it does well with average humidity and cool to average temperature, although it can tolerate warmer conditions. This plant can also be grown outdoors as an annual in cool climates. It does well in most well-drained soils and should be bedded out after the last frost.
A lack of cold tolerance in the foliage is its biggest limitation and a tendency to be an aggressive spreader in tropical climates is Spider Plant’s primary liability.
Substrate and growing media:
Use a general-purpose potting soil or soilless medium. Plants grow and produce plantlets best when slightly pot-bound. But because they grow quickly and the roots can easily become too crowded, they need frequent repotting to do their best.
Chlorophtum comosum is found most frequently in interiors capes, outdoors in hanging baskets, or as a component of a patio pot; however, in subtropical and tropical climates Spider Plant can serve as an effective groundcover, edging plant, or bank cover; many publications extol Spider Plant’s benefits on the interior environment in homes and office buildings.
Watering:
Allow the soil to dry slightly between thorough waterings. Periodic leaching of salts can help avoid foliar necrosis in areas with salty irrigation water; Spider Plant can be susceptible to damage from excess fluorides in the irrigation water; the fleshy roots help plants tolerate less than perfect watering regimes, but Spider Plant is not particularly drought tolerant in the landscape
Fertilizer:
Fertilizing every 3-4 months is usually sufficient, or feed more frequently using half strength fertilizer solution. But be aware that heavily fertilized plants may not form as many plantlets and excessive fertilizer may lead to tip browning.
Pests and others problems:
Root rots can occur with poor soil drainage or excess irrigation; spider mites, whiteflies, scale and aphids can be occasional problems in greenhouses or conservatories, otherwise few pest or disease problems are reported.
Low humidity, excessively dry soil, salt accumulation and/or chemicals, particularly fluoride or chlorine, in tap water may cause brown leaf tips. Using distilled or rainwater will help prevent tip browning. Overwatering or planting in poorly drained soils can lead to root rot.
Propagation:
Spider plants are extremely easy to propagate by planting the “spiders” or plantlets that succeed the flowers in their own pots. Set the plantlet, still attached to the mother plant, on the surface of a pot filled with soilless potting medium and allow it to root before severing the stem connecting it to the mother plant. A bent paper clip or piece of wire can be used to hold the plantlet in contact with the soil until it develops roots. Or, select a plantlet that has already started to develop roots and pot that up. Larger plants can also be divided. They can also be grown from seed, but the seedlings will not necessarily have the same leaf coloration as the parent.
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