Chlorophytum Species, Spider Plant, Airplane Plant
Chlorophytum comosum
Family: | Asparagaceae |
Genus: | Chlorophytum (kloh-roh-FY-tum) (Info) |
Species: | comosum (kom-OH-sum) (Info) |
Synonym: | Anthericum comosum |

Category:
Tropicals and Tender Perennials
Water Requirements:
Requires consistently moist soil; do not let dry out between waterings
Sun Exposure:
Light Shade
Foliage:
Grown for foliage
Smooth
Foliage Color:
Height:
18-24 in. (45-60 cm)
Spacing:
12-15 in. (30-38 cm)
Hardiness:
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)
USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F)
USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 °C (40 °F)
Where to Grow:
Suitable for growing in containers
Danger:
N/A
Bloom Color:
White/Near White
Bloom Characteristics:
Bloom Size:
Bloom Time:
Late Winter/Early Spring
Mid Spring
Late Spring/Early Summer
Other details:
Soil pH requirements:
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
Patent Information:
Non-patented
Propagation Methods:
By dividing the rootball
Plant is viviparous
Seed Collecting:
Bag seedheads to capture ripening seed
Allow pods to dry on plant; break open to collect seeds
Regional
This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:
Auburn, Alabama
Gurley, Alabama
Hanceville, Alabama
Jones, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Satsuma, Alabama
Chandler, Arizona
Flagstaff, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona(3 reports)
Scottsdale, Arizona
Benton, Arkansas
August, California
Azusa, California
Hidden Meadows, California
Long Beach, California(2 reports)
Los Angeles, California
Menlo Park, California
Merced, California
Ontario, California
Rancho Cucamonga, California
San Diego, California(2 reports)
San Francisco, California
Vacaville, California
Bartow, Florida
Cape Coral, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Green Cove Springs, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida(4 reports)
Keystone Heights, Florida
Lake Panasoffkee, Florida
Mayo, Florida
Miami, Florida
Old Town, Florida
Oldsmar, Florida
Pensacola, Florida(2 reports)
Port Richey, Florida
Sebastian, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Thonotosassa, Florida
West Palm Beach, Florida
Winter Park, Florida
Zephyrhills, Florida
Honomu, Hawaii
Prospect, Kentucky
Franklinton, Louisiana
Gonzales, Louisiana
New Iberia, Louisiana
Youngsville, Louisiana
Madison, Mississippi
Marietta, Mississippi
Woodsville, New Hampshire
Dunellen, New Jersey
Villas, New Jersey
Brevard, North Carolina
Kure Beach, North Carolina
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Columbia, South Carolina
Ladys Island, South Carolina
Rock Hill, South Carolina
Austin, Texas
Beaumont, Texas
Brazoria, Texas
Brownsville, Texas
El Paso, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Hereford, Texas
Houston, Texas(4 reports)
Kyle, Texas
Marble Falls, Texas
Mont Belvieu, Texas
New Braunfels, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Spicewood, Texas
Wylie, Texas
Kalama, Washington
show allGardeners' Notes:
Rating | Content |
---|---|
Positive | On Jun 18, 2014, katterfelto from Winter Park, FL wrote: One of my favorites! This is a beautiful, hardy, low-maintenance plant that does well in Central Florida, and is ideal for shady areas where grasses and other plants have difficulties. It can't handle full sun, but as long as it's in shade, or filtered sunlight, you can virtually ignore it and it will do fine. Give it a little care and attention, and you'll be rewarded with lush, fast-growing plants ideal for groundcover or as an attractive border for sidewalks and ornamental beds. |
Neutral | On Mar 19, 2014, BoopsieTN from McMinnville, TN wrote: I have a question about the babies from the spider plant. I have been trying to root them but seem to have no luck. They will look good for a week or 2 and then the leaves turn brown and dies. |
Positive | On Aug 29, 2008, nbgard from New Braunfels, TX (Zone 8b) wrote: I had some babies root in a flower bed in San Antonio, TX. It has over-wintered in the bed and is growing like gangbusters. Had never thought of it for an outdoor plant! |
Positive | On Aug 28, 2008, drecenra from Orting, WA (Zone 8a) wrote: This is one of the first houseplants that I got when I started gardening. I got starts from my moms plants I am still growing them to this day( about a quarter of the pots in my house have one or more). They are extremely durable, tolerate low light to bright light, and if well established can go long periods without water. Reproduces abundantly. One of my favorite plants, I always have extras. |
Positive | On May 11, 2008, emcic from Austin, TX wrote: While this one doesn't have the pretty leaves like the variegated kind, it blooms much easier. I use both as border plants in my area, they die back in all but the most severe winters. I always keep a few inside over winter, just in case. |
Positive | On Mar 4, 2008, Sansevieria from Orangeburg, NY (Zone 6a) wrote: Spider plants are the first and foremost in the hanging basket plant area. They became popular during the Victorian period when decorative foliage plants adorned the parlor of all the finest homes. Flower scapes are produced in the summer with plantlets forming on those stems as the days get shorter in the fall. Of late, spider plant has enjoyed some sort of a 'come back" as they are sold in many stores today (2008). |
Positive | On Jan 27, 2008, danas009 from Howell, MI (Zone 5b) wrote: I love this fast growing plant. Every spring after danger of frost, I put this potted plant outside in the garden in shade to partial shade, let the watering system water it, and leave it alone. It grows crazy. Some of the babies have been planted around the garden 2 years ago. They are growing great! Not as fast as described in the Florida area, but I was surprised and pleased. |
Positive | On Nov 24, 2007, JerusalemCherry from Dunellen, NJ (Zone 6b) wrote: I took a "baby/offset" of a green Spider Plant growing in a restaurant called, Circles Grill, 9023 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209. This restaurant has them growing in hanging baskets all around the windows (very pretty). |
Positive | On May 14, 2007, baagrant from Rock Hill, SC (Zone 7b) wrote: This plant has been returning to my 7b garden for about ten years. I originally had several hanging baskets beneath two Eastern Red Cedars, Juniperus virginiana. Babies fell to the ground and rooted. I left them and didn't mow them down, fertilize them, nor water them. They are near the trunk of the two trees. Spring after spring they have returned, grown, had babies and made me happy. A plant couldn't be more carefree. |
Positive | On Jul 14, 2006, docturf from Conway, SC (Zone 8b) wrote: I have grown this plant in coastal South Carolina (Zone 8) for over 15 years. Temperatures as low as 10°F has not stopped it from growing and/or flowering. Excellent, tough plant and makes a great "pass-along" plant. Docturf |
Positive | On Jul 13, 2006, greenbud from Houston, TX (Zone 8b) wrote: I have a Spider Plant in a hanging basket outside in the shade of a pine tree. This plant is virtually indestructible. Very forgiving. The little flowers are pretty but unobtrusive. My grandmother always had a few spider plants. They seem to be a houseplant staple here in Houston. |
Positive | On May 15, 2006, speckledpig from Satsuma, AL (Zone 8b) wrote: I have many of these which are have been doing very well for years. The plant I have came from my mother; hers came from her mother many years ago. |
Positive | On May 12, 2006, roseseed from Cascade, WI wrote: I have had a spider plant in my house for a while and it sprouted out its shoots and they had flowers and the flowers dried up and turned into seeds and now I have 12 seeds of Chlorophytum comosum. The thing is, I dont know what they require to be propagated or at what depth to place them at. |
Neutral | On May 11, 2006, amyl411 from Rancho Cucamonga, CA wrote: I'm in So. California where it gets up to 115 degrees in the summer. I have this in the shade outside where it gets plenty of light and gets late afternoon shade. It has done very well for me in the 2 years I've had it. And have gotten approx 10 plants from each one. And had to split it twice in 2 years. I water it every other day. It does get brown ends in the summer but I just snip them off and it doesn't hurt it one bit. It does produce long outward stems with tiny flowers in the warmer weather. During the mid afternoon when the sun hits it, the leaves "lift" up. And goes back down in the shade. Very cute. Highly recommend it for all gardeners. I read somewhere that cats get attracted to this plant because it gives them a "high" smelling or rubbing against it. I do have a few cats that... read more |
Positive | On Feb 18, 2005, JaxFlaGardener from Jacksonville, FL (Zone 8b) wrote: I've had these plants thriving in my garden with no special care nor winter protection for about three years. I am in NE Fla on the borderline of Zone 8b/9a. These plants have survived temperatures as low as about 28 F on occasion for a few nights in winter. They return each year and spread by their bulblet "arms", though not as profusely as others have reported here. They make a nice ground cover at the base of oak trees and other semi-shady areas in the garden where little else will bloom and flower. |
Positive | On Oct 20, 2004, Khyssa from Inverness, FL (Zone 9a) wrote: I live in central Florida (zone 9a) and have had good luck with both variegated and the solid green spiders in outdoor flower pots that I simple set in our summer kitchen during freezes. |
Positive | On Aug 29, 2004, kareoke from Greensburg, IN (Zone 6a) wrote: I have a varigated spider plant given to me last year, it produces a lot of baby spiders but i have never had any flowers, in fact did not know that they produced flowers |
Positive | On Aug 22, 2004, lobiwon from Vacaville, CA (Zone 9a) wrote: The spider plant is an attractive, easy to grow, and is simple to start new plants. I inherited my grandmothers spider plant and have been giving away the "grandchildren" plants for over 10 years now! It grows well in most any condition but from my experience it does best in a partially shaded area. |
Neutral | On Jun 18, 2004, Wingnut from Spicewood, TX (Zone 8b) wrote: This is the solid green form of the more well known variegated spider plant. |