Spider Ivy Chlorophytum comosum
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Anthericum Comosum
- Phonetic Spelling
- kloe-roe-fy-tum koe-MOE-sum
- Description
-
Spiderplant is a common houseplant and does well in hanging baskets where leaves can cascade down the side. It has attractive striped green and white leaves and small white flowers. Spiderplant prefers bright, indirect light and propagates easily by plantlets or division.
Give the plant a moderate amount of water during the growing season and do not over-fertilize as this decreases plantlet formation. Plantlets form when it receives short days and long, uninterrupted nights for at least three weeks.
Quick ID Hints:
- Green linear leaves often stiped white
- Long stolons produce plantlets and flowers
Evergreen perennial herb to 1.5'.
One of more popular house plants; great as a hanging basket; stolonization is light-dependent and will occur if duration is less than 12 hours per day; extremely adaptable.
Prefers medium light, intolerant of direct sunlight; prefers moist soil and medium relative humidity; relatively pest-free. Leaf tip burn is due to chlorine and fluorides in water. Mist leaves occasionally in summer; water liberally in spring to autumn, sparingly in winter.
VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Milky Way'
Cream leaves edged in green. - 'Picturatum'
Leaves have central yellow stripe - 'Variegatum'
Leaves edged in white or cream.
- 'Milky Way'
- 'Milky Way', 'Picturatum', 'Variegatum'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Milky Way'
Cream leaves edged in green. - 'Picturatum'
Leaves have central yellow stripe - 'Variegatum'
Leaves edged in white or cream.
- 'Milky Way'
- 'Milky Way', 'Picturatum', 'Variegatum'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Chlorophytum
- Species:
- comosum
- Family:
- Asparagacea
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- W. Tropical Africa to Cameroon, Ethiopia to S. Africa
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
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-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Houseplant
- Perennial
- Habit/Form:
- Arching
- Cascading
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Medium
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-
Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
- Soil Texture:
- Loam (Silt)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 9b, 9a, 10b, 10a, 11b, 11a
-
-
Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Insignificant
- Panicle
- Raceme
- Flower Shape:
- Star
- Flower Petals:
- 6 petals/rays
- Tepals
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- 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.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Variegated
- White
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Rosulate
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Linear
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- 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.
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-
Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- Leaves emerge from a short, compressed stem. Stolons are long and green, producing flowers and plantlets.
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-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Hanging Baskets
- Houseplants
