Scientific Name:
Chlorophytum comosum
Pronunciation:
kloh-roh-FY-tum kom-OH-sum
Common Name:
spider plant, airplane plant
Family Name:
Asparagaceae
Plant Type:
Indoor foliage plant
Key ID Features:
Leaves linear, most 30-40cm long x 2-3cm wide, base sheathing, apex acute and tapered to a point, margins entire and recurved; produces small young plants from nodes that hang from the parent plant.
Habit:
Arching, Pendulous
Form:
Mounded, Weeping
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
0.2 - 0.4m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Africa
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 9: (-7 to -1 °C)
Exposure:
Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
High
Landscape Uses:
Hanging basket, Indoor plant
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown may include C. ‘Vittatum’ (white stripe along the midrib) and C. 'Variegatum' (has white leaf margins).
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Basal
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Parallel venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Summer:
Green, cv. Variegatum: white margins; cv. Vittatum: white central stripe.
Shapes:
Linear
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Sheathing
Margins:
Entire
Additional Info:
Leaves variegated
Inflorescence Type:
Raceme
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
6
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White
Flower Time at Peak:
Jan, Feb, Mar, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Additional Info:
Uninterrupted long nights (> 13 hours) are required for flower initiation. Cymose clusters at nodes but the overall effect is racemose.
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Green, Brown
Fruiting Time:
Jan, Feb, Mar, Oct, Nov, Dec
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant, 3 - angles, about 8mm long
Bark or Stem Colour:
Organ Modifications:
Fleshy monocot roots, Rhizomes, Runners (or stolons), Runners (and plantlets at the tips or nodes) form after flowering and 3+ weeks of short days and long, uninterrupted nights.
Propagation:
Division - above ground parts, Division - below ground parts
Optimal Temp.:
Medium
Light Level:
Medium
Maintenance:
Low
Other:
Requires regular repotting or division.
Pest Susceptibility:
Leaf scorch, Mites, Root rot, Scale insects
