Spider Plant
Chlorophytum comosum
Forgiving on almost everything except your tap water. Get the light right and it rewards you with cascades of baby plantlets.
Photo: Susan Wilkinson / Unsplash What this plant actually wants.
Best window: East-facing or bright north, away from harsh midday sun.
This is the general recommendation. When you map your actual windows in Planterra, the app compares each one against this plant's lux range and tells you which of your specific spots are best - accounting for depth from the glass, obstructions, and how the light shifts by season.
What usually goes wrong.
Brown leaf tips
Sensitive to fluoride and chlorine in tap water, and to overfertilising. Switch to filtered water and dilute feed to half strength.
No baby plantlets ("spiderettes")
The plant needs to be slightly rootbound and getting enough light before it flowers and produces babies. Be patient and check your lux reading.
Pale, washed-out leaves
Too much direct sun. Move it a little further back from the glass or add a sheer curtain to diffuse the light.
Limp, thin leaves
Usually underwatering. Check soil dryness more often during summer heat, when it dries out faster than the usual weekly rhythm.
Spider Plants are forgiving on light but picky about water quality. If someone tells me the tips are always brown no matter what, I ask about their tap water before I ask about the window.
Add this plant to Planterra.
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