A Spider Plant is also called spider ivy, ribbon plant, and hen and chickens. Its botanical name is Chlorophytum comosum. It originally belonged to tropical and southern Africa, though nowadays, you will get it everywhere.
Like other plants used in households for decorative purposes, spider plants have been a great help with the air purification process. Spider plants are excellent for removing toxic substances from the air. That is why it is best to be grown indoors for fresher air in the house.
Apart from just being a decorative plant, a spider plant also absorbs the ozone gas. It is a tremendous help in humidification, and to your surprise, it could be used as food too! Most Spider Plants acquire their beauty due to their variegated leaves, which are usually long and narrow in look. Mainly the leaves are characterized by being striped with white or ivory.
The spider plants get beautiful white flowers and tufts of cute plantlets on their long hanging stems.
Scientific Facts About Spider Plants
Spider plant is scientifically known as Chlorophytum comosum. The plant group called “Asparagaceae” or the genus Chlorophytum is where it belongs. Usually, people know it by Spider Plant, Ribbon Plant, Spider Ivy, and Hen and Chickens.
1. Botanical Aspects
The spider plant is an all-time continuously flowering plant. Its long and narrow leaves are bright green in the shade or sometimes variegated with vertical stripes of white or ivory color. The plant grows its leaves fully in all directions, which looks fantastic and complete in your garden area or inner home. These leaves can produce beautiful white flowers and baby plants as well.
2. Primary Varieties of Spider Plants
Spider Plants’ most owned and popular types are varied with cream-colored stripes. There are these spider plants with curly leaves, and they grow in a very distinct swirling pattern. Solid green spider plants are also unique, but they are less popular.
3. The Care and Maintenance of a Spider Plant
If you are a beginner to start your gardening love, you must check on this one. A Spider plant is very easy to care for, provided proportional sunshine and soil. The main task is to check well that you do not overwater them. Overwatering this plant may result in water stress, or it may get rotten roots.
Types of Spider Plants
Like every plant, even the Spider plant comes in different types. So, if you are looking to plant a spider plant, you must first understand the features of every kind of spider plant.
1. Variegated Spider Plant
The botanical name for the Variegated spider plant is Chlorophytum comosum’ Vittatum‘. This spider plant has creamy-white stripes, and they are slightly curved, medium green leaves that make it look very decorative. This variegated variety has leaves that can grow up to 18 in. (45 cm) in length.
This spider plant, Chlorophytum comosum, is also semi-evergreen and belongs to the evergreen perennial spider plant type. It’s super easy to grow this spider plant. You need to put it in the pot with good soil in a lightly shaded place. You might also find its other variety: the reverse spider plant.
2. Shamrock Spider Plant
The Shamrock Spider Plant has got solid green leaves. You can plant this type outdoors or indoors to improve the air quality. This one is a rare kind of spider plant. This species of Spider Plant is known to bloom if grown outdoors, though many people successfully managed to grow it indoors.
If you are a beginner in gardening, this plant is an easy and comfortable choice to make. You can try out decorating your verandahs by planting this one in hanging baskets or some fancy pot at some corner in your room. All you need to be careful about is the quality of well-drained soil and bright indirect lights for this plant to flourish well.
3. Bonnie Spider Plant
Bonnie Spider Plant, also called the curly spider plant, has curled foliage, and it has a creamy white shade in the center of the leaves. This plant looks beautiful and ornamental. This plant needs lower lights, a decent breeze, and water only when completely dry. You can decorate your balconies and living rooms with eye-catching decor.
4. Fire Flash Spider Plant
Generally, this plant is known as the orange spider plant. The leaves of the fire flash are very colorful, making it a lovely spider plant. Fire Flash Spider Plant is very much known as Orange Spider Plant. The fire flash originated from tropical species. The leaves of this plant are pretty much colorful, and they make this plant very eye-catchy.
A mature Fire Flash can reach a height of 12″ if you plant it indoors. It can go up to 24″ tall when you plant it outdoors. Its leaves are oval-shaped and then pointed on edge. The orange shade brightens on the side of the stems. This plant also needs medium water, so you need not water it every day.
5. Zebra Spider Plant
The Zebra Spider Plant is the most commonly planted Spider Plant. It is so because it is a fast-growing, tiny tight, clumping plant. This plant is suitable for your window ledges and borders; this plant quickly grows in partly shaded or indoor areas. It will go great for your hanging plant baskets also. Simultaneously, it can bear direct sunlight too.
Thus, if you are a busy chap with a sweet gardening love, you must take this plant.
6. Purple Spider Plant
The aromatic purple beauty of this plant is super attractive. The purple spider plant grows sweetly fragrant flowers that are violet-colored. This way, they are called purple spider flowers. Oxalis chlorophytum is the botanical name of this plant. Its purple leaves are the oxalis, and green leaves are spider plants.
The great thing about this plant is that it grows best in direct sunlight. It grows up to 3 to 4 feet and spreads up to 1 to 2 feet. It would help if you watered it only when the top layer of the soil is dried.
7. Hawaiian Spider Plant
The botanical name of this plant is Chlorophytum comosum. Hawaiian Plant has a distinct golden glow. Its leaves are variegated when they are initially growing up. The colors of the leaves in this plant keep changing from bright white to cream to light green.
In a matured Hawaiian Plant, you will find dark green leaves. It is the time there will be flowers blooming and new pups sprouting. The Hawaiian spider plant can grow up to a height of 12 inches.
8. Atlantic Spider Plants
Atlantic Spider Plant has botanically name Chlorophytum comosum. This spider plant has a catchy, captivating flourish with small white flowers and baby leaves created on the runners or the long narrow stem. It looks stunning and cute.
The Atlantic spider plants are very easy to grow and maintain. It requires only a shiny bright space and good soil that is moist. It usually grows up to 19 inches tall when well-maintained.
9. Variegated Bonnie Spider Plants
A compact, green, and white variegated spider plant is known as The Variegated Bonnie Spider Plant or Chlorophytum comosum. Compared to other regular bonnie spider plants, the variegated bonnie spider plant gets arched green and white leaves. This spider plant is perfect for your living area as it has attractive characteristics. Like other variegated plants, this type is also very easy to maintain.
Also Read About: 15 Different Types of Air Plants with Pictures & Information
Spider Plants – Uses and Benefits
The very great feature this plant has is air purification. NASA’s Clean Air Study proved that spider plants efficiently eliminate toxins like formaldehyde, xylem, and toluene from the air.
According to a few Fang Shui practitioners, a Spider Plant has great vibes to increase your focus and good luck. Another set of people claims that spider plants can reduce stress. Because of these qualities, people use them in office spaces or corporate places significantly.
How to Take Care of These Types of Spider Plants?
Maintaining a spider plant is quite an easy task. All you need to be careful about is the right place to keep it. Some of these types can bear direct sunlight. Some of them need only partial shade.
When we talk of spider plants, they could be prone to some spider mites or some other nasty pests. It is vital to clean them well frequently and keep checking on them for protection from pests.
Make sure you don’t overwater the spider plants, as their leaves could turn brown. Those who love planting them in hanging baskets, please take care of the soil’s moisture. Let the soil dry for longer before watering the plant again during winter.
Conclusion
Thus, you can grow different spider plants to make your indoors and outdoors attractive. All these ornamental plants help you enhance the look of your house. The best part is they are colorful, easy to maintain, and bless you with positive vibes. You can plant the type that suits your home and hear all compliments on how it adds beauty to your place.