Family: Asparagaceae
Common name: Spider plant, Spider ivy, Ribbon plant, Airplane plant
Spider plants are a good addition to any garden because of their looks, and ease of growing. There are different variants mostly based on the color and patterns of the leaves. The variety with plain green leaves is not as popular with gardeners, as the variegated ones.
Spider plants come with leaves having green center and white margins; white center and green margins; yellowish center and green margins, and an array of these variegations. They are called spider plants because the inflorescence gradually turns into spiderettes or baby plants that bend down, touch the ground, and then grow into baby plants.
The flowers are greenish white and sparse, but the baby plants growing all around the mother plant are quite a sight. Propagation is very easy since it’s done by cutting off these baby plants from the mother plant, and replanting them in well-drained soil. They make good indoor plants provided there is good indirect sunlight. Spider plants look very pretty when they are suspended, since the plantlets hang all around like little parachutes.
It’s also called an ‘air purifying plant’ since NASA’s Clean Air study pronounced Chlorophytum as capable of removing some common household toxins in the air.
Propagation is from plantlets or spiderettes that grow from the mother plant.
Photo Courtesy: love4gardening.com
