Types of Spider Plants

Spider plants are perhaps the most well known plant in the world.  Most people recognize them, have owned them, or have grown them at some point in time.  These are great plants for those who are just starting out with plants as they are very tolerant of neglect.  Many people enjoy spider plants because every type has been shown to remove the toxins out of the air, making the air better for breathing.   

There are seven different types of spider plants but generally they all look very similar.  They are usually either plain green, or green with white margins, or green with a central white stripe.  The untrained eye can often not discern one type of spider plant from another. 

All types of spider plants are very easy to care for.  All of the different varieties are native to Africa so they prefer a medium to high light, but they do not do best in direct afternoon sunlight.  The plants with the white on them will require more light than the plain green types. 

Generally speaking, spider plants don’t need all that much water.  Each type actually needs to dry out almost completely between each watering.  The reason for this is that they have very large root structures that store plenty of water.  Over watering any of the seven types of spider plants will usually result in root rot, which can eventually cause the demise of the entire plant. 

Because the spider plant is from Africa it generally does well in the same temperatures that a human would be comfortable in.  They do best when the temperature stays about 40 degrees Fahrenheit.  Being native to Africa, all seven types will need a bit of humidity, especially during the winter months.  If your plants are kept indoors in the winter months it is important to mist them once every couple weeks to keep away spider mites. 

All seven different varieties of spider plants do well in a peat based potting soil.  You can add some loam for stability.  You will need to repot the spider plants when the large white roots fill the pot and make watering more difficult than it was before.  You might need to report as often as once or twice a year, although this may vary from species to species with the all green types tending to grow faster than the white and green types.   

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