Money Plant
Epipremnum aureum
low lightpet cautionToxic to pets
SPECIMEN NO. 435
Native toWest Tropical Africa to Cameroon, and Ethiopia to South Africa
Pet safe
Spider Plant
Chlorophytum comosum
Also known as: Airplane Plant, Ribbon Plant, Spider Ivy
A fast-growing, arching plant with slender, grass-like leaves striped green and white or yellow. Known for producing small hanging plantlets ('spiderettes') that can be easily propagated into new plants.
7–10dwatering range
low to bright indirectlight needs
18–24°Ctemperature
Watering amount
How much water does my Spider Plant need?
Estimated guideline, not a precise measurement — scale up for larger pots, brighter light, or active growth; scale down for smaller pots, lower light, or winter dormancy. Always water until it drains from the pot's base rather than measuring exactly. Use soil moisture and plant condition as the primary guide; the ml value is only a rough estimate.
Watering guide
Season note
Water when the top layer of soil begins to dry; sensitive to fluoride and salts in some tap water, which can contribute to brown tips.
Overwatering signs
Root rot, mushy base
Underwatering signs
Grey-tinged, limp leaves that perk back up after watering
Light & placement
Light level
low to bright indirect
Best rooms
Care details
Soil
Standard well-draining potting mix
Humidity
Tolerates average humidity; medium to high preferred for best growth
Fertilizer
Diluted balanced fertilizer every 4–6 weeks during active growth
Temperature range
18°C – 24°C
Plant care guide
Spider plant, botanically Chlorophytum comosum, is among the most recognizable and widely grown houseplants in the world, prized as much for how easily it reproduces itself as for its arching, ribbon-like variegated foliage. The species is native to tropical and southern Africa, with documented native ranges spanning from West Africa through Cameroon and Ethiopia down to South Africa's coastal regions, where it grows as a clump-forming perennial in woodland understories and along coastal margins. It belongs to the asparagus family, Asparagaceae, putting it in the same broader plant family as agaves, hostas, and snake plant, despite looking nothing like any of those relatives at first glance, and it produces small, star-shaped white flowers on its characteristic trailing stems, a detail often overshadowed by the plantlets those same stems eventually bear.
The plant's defining and most distinctive trait is its method of vegetative reproduction. Spider plants send out long, wiry stems called stolons, which in the wild serve the same purpose as a strawberry plant's runners — they carry small white flowers followed by baby plantlets, often called "spiderettes" or "pups," that dangle at intervals along the stem's length. In their native South African habitat, these hanging plantlets that touch the soil readily take root, allowing the species to spread and colonize ground efficiently; the same spreading habit also makes it useful as a ground-cover plant in some horticultural settings. Indoors, this same trait makes spider plant one of the easiest houseplants in existence to propagate, since gardeners are essentially just directing a process the plant already does on its own outdoors, and a single mature plant can produce dozens of plantlets across a growing season.
Toxicity
Pets: Non-toxic to pets
Humans: Non-toxic to humans
Listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs by ASPCA; large amounts of plant material may still cause mild stomach upset. No documented toxic principle affecting humans either.
Frequently asked questions
Is Spider Plant safe for cats?+
Yes. Spider plant is generally regarded as non-toxic to cats and dogs, though eating a large amount may still cause mild stomach upset.
How often should I water a Spider Plant?+
Every 7–10 days, whenever the top inch of soil feels dry.
Why are the tips of my Spider Plant's leaves turning brown?+
Commonly associated with fluoride or chlorine in tap water, low humidity, or over-fertilization — try filtered, distilled, or rainwater if water quality is contributing.
