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Chlorophytum

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  • Indoor Plants
Chlorophytum orchidastrum 'Green Orange'
Photo: Jardin botanique de Montréal (Josée Bouthot)
Chlorophytum orchidastrum 'Green Orange'
  • Chlorophytum orchidastrum 'Green Orange'
  • Chlorophytum comosum 'Variegatum'

Onglets

Botany

Origin and description

Chlorophytum comosum is native to tropical forests in South Africa. This species is well adapted to the alternating dry and rainy seasons in its natural habitat, thanks to its roots, which store water. It is a herbaceous plant that produces rosettes of linear, flexible, arching leaves. It also bears long spreading and arching stems (stolons, or runners) at the ends of which appear tiny white flowers, followed by plantlets with adventitious roots.

Species, cultivars and related plants

Chlorophytum comosum 'Mandaianum' is a dwarf cultivar with dark green foliage marked with a yellow centre stripe. Chlorophytum comosum 'Variegatum' is a very popular cultivar with white-margined green foliage. Chlorophytum comosum 'Vittatum' has leaves with a creamy white centre stripe and green margins.

Common name

Chlorophytum / Spider plant

Latin name (genus)

Chlorophytum comosum

English common name

Chlorophytum / Spider plant

French common name

Chlorophytum / Plante araignée

Botanical family

  • Liliaceae
Horticulture

Growing conditions

This plant tolerates indirect light (north-facing window), and even low light for a short period, but grows more vigorously, with better colouring, in bright indirect sunlight (avoid direct light around noon). It does well near a west- or east-facing window. It prefers a moist, warm location, with normal room temperatures (18-21ºC), and a minimum of 7ºC. Provide it with fairly high humidity, especially when temperatures are higher. In winter, it can be kept a bit cooler.

Easy to grow?

This is an easy-to-grow houseplant that will live for several years. It is highly tolerant and adapts to a variety of environmental conditions. It blooms regularly and frequently.

Watering and fertilizer

Water frequently and abundantly during the active growing period (March to October), because this plant quickly absorbs water from the soil. Let the soil surface dry out between waterings, however. During the rest period, water less frequently, but enough to moisten the soil mixture. Fertilize three or four times during the growing period with indoor plant food or all-purpose fertilizer like 20-20-20. Do not fertilize it in winter.

Pruning and maintenance

Remove damaged or dried leaves and stolons to encourage leaf growth.

Repotting

This plant becomes potbound quickly. It should be repotted annually in a good potting mix for indoor plants. The plant produces more stolons when the roots are slightly potbound.

Propagation

By producing stolons and by root division.

See also

Pests and diseases
  • Aphididae

    Aphids

    There are thousands of species of aphids in the world. These tiny, highly prolific insects feed by sucking the sap from a wide range of ornamental and food plants. They form dense colonies on young shoots and under leaves, and also feed on plant stems, bark, roots and fruit.

  • Pseudococcus adonidum

    Scales (Indoor)

    The scale insect superfamily (Coccoidea) includes several genera of sucking insects capable of damaging indoor plants. Most of them are tropical, non-hardy species, but they adapt very well to our homes.

  • Thrips

    Thrips

    Over 5,000 species of thrips have been identified around the globe, hundreds of them in North America. Western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) and onion thrips (Thrips tabaci) are the greenhouse species that cause the most damage in Quebec.

  • Tetranychus urticae

    Two-Spotted Spider Mite

    Two-spotted spider mites are not true insects, but tiny arthropods, just like other mites and ticks. With their four pairs of legs, they look like miniature spiders. They are so small that they are difficult to see, but they do weave tell-tale whitish webbing.

Physiological disorders
Symptoms Possible causes Solutions

Brown leaf tips

Air too dry
Too much chlorine in water
Irregular watering
Over-accumulation of mineral salts in soil

Increase humidity
Removed damaged leaf tips
Let water rest for 24 hours before using to allow chlorine to evaporate
Water when necessary and do not allow soil to dry out completely
Water soil before fertilizing

Plant becomes soft

Temperature too high
Lack of nutrients

Move plant into a cooler spot and fertilize

Narrow brown marks in centre of plant

Too much water

Allow soil to dry out between waterings
Do not allow water to stand in saucer

Faded colours

Not enough light, water or fertilizer

Move plant into a brighter spot
Water or fertilize as necessary