Spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) are among the easiest houseplants to multiply. The small plants that dangle from the parent are already young plants, so rooting them is easy. Getting a mature plant to make them in the first place can be the harder part.
Our spider plant propagation guide gives the quick steps for each method. This article goes further: how plantlets form, what stops them, when division is the better choice, and how to look after the young plants once they are potted.
How a spider plant makes plantlets
The long, wiry stems are stolons. NC State Extension says they carry both flowers and plantlets. University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension describes the sequence. Stems up to 60 cm (2 ft) long appear, small white star-shaped flowers open at the ends, and then more leaves form there, making the plantlets.
Clemson Extension notes that plantlets root when they touch soil. In a hanging basket they simply dangle. You can leave them on for a fuller basket or detach them to start new plants (Clemson).
Why a plant makes no plantlets
This is the most common spider plant propagation question. The sources point to four checks.
| Check | What the source says | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Day length | Stolons and plantlets develop after short days and long, uninterrupted nights, with less than 12 hours of light a day for at least three weeks (NC State) | Give the plant long, dark nights; keep it away from lamps left on late |
| Feeding | Over-fertilizing decreases plantlet formation (NC State); heavily fed plants may form fewer (Wisconsin) | Feed lightly; Wisconsin says every 3–4 months is usually enough |
| Pot size | Plants produce plantlets best when slightly pot bound (Wisconsin) | Do not move a healthy plant into a much bigger pot |
| Cultivar | ’Variegatum’ tends to produce fewer plantlets than other types (Wisconsin) | Expect fewer from this cultivar; divide it instead |
The short-day trigger
NC State’s wording matters: the nights need to be long and uninterrupted. A plant in a room where the lights stay on into the evening may never get the signal. Clemson notes that most offshoots appear as days shorten in the fall, which fits the same pattern.
Wisconsin adds that plants grown indoors may produce stolons at any time of year. So a plant without plantlets is not necessarily unhealthy. Check day length and feeding before assuming something is wrong.
Whatever you change, Iowa State advises propagating only from healthy, vigorously growing plants. Sort out root or pest problems first.
Rooting plantlets
NC State’s Extension Gardener Handbook explains that plantlets at the tips of runners can be rooted while still attached, or detached and placed in a rooting medium. Both work.
Attached (layering)
- Fill a small pot that has a drainage hole with soilless mix and wet it.
- Set it beside the parent so the stolon reaches without strain.
- Rest the plantlet’s base on the mix and hold it down with a bent paper clip or wire, as Wisconsin describes.
- Keep the mix moist. Illinois Extension says roots may take 2 to 3 weeks.
- Once it has rooted, snip the stolon.
Iowa State lists spider plant among houseplants suited to simple layering, which is the same idea: the parent keeps feeding the plantlet until you cut it free.
Detached
Illinois Extension notes that plantlets often form short white aerial roots while still attached. Gardeners often remove these and pot them successfully before a full root system develops. Clemson advises detaching plantlets once roots have formed and potting them directly into moist growing mix.
Choose plantlets with visible root tips. A plantlet with no roots at all is the one to root while attached.
Dividing the clump
Division is the method NC State lists as recommended. Iowa State includes spider plant among houseplants best propagated by division. It is the better choice when:
- The plant has no plantlets, or you grow a cultivar that makes few.
- The roots are crowding the pot. Clemson advises dividing before the thick, fleshy roots expand enough to crack the container.
- You want a few larger plants quickly. Iowa State says larger pieces recover faster.
Iowa State’s division steps:
- Slide the plant out of its pot and lay the root ball on its side.
- Loosen it with your fingers. Use a knife if the roots are too tight to pull apart.
- Make sure each piece has healthy leaves and roots.
- Replant in fresh potting soil in a suitably sized pot, usually smaller than the original.
- Water to settle the soil and place in bright, indirect light.
Clemson says spider plants can be repotted at any time of year. Wisconsin notes they grow fast and need frequent repotting, so division often fits into routine repotting.
Potting up and aftercare
| Factor | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Mix | General-purpose potting soil with good drainage (Clemson); a soilless medium also works (Wisconsin) |
| Light | Bright, indirect light; avoid midday sun, which can scorch leaves (Clemson) |
| Water | Let the mix dry slightly between thorough waterings (Wisconsin, Clemson) |
| Temperature | 18–24 °C (65–75 °F) by day and 10–13 °C (50–55 °F) at night (Clemson); keep above 7 °C (45 °F) (NC State) |
| Feeding | Wait a few weeks after dividing (Iowa State); Clemson waits four to six months before feeding newly potted plants |
The sources differ on feeding after potting. Both point the same way: do not rush fertilizer onto young roots, especially given NC State’s warning about over-feeding and plantlets.
Brown tips on new plants
Brown tips are common and are not a propagation failure. Wisconsin lists low humidity, very dry soil, salt build-up and fluoride or chlorine in tap water as causes. Clemson adds too much fertilizer. NC State suggests avoiding tap water for that reason. Our spider plant brown tips guide covers the checks.
Seed
Spider plants can set seed after flowering. Wisconsin notes seedlings will not necessarily have the parent’s leaf coloration, so plantlets or division are the way to keep a variegated cultivar.
Pets
The ASPCA lists spider plant as non-toxic to dogs and cats. For light, watering and tip damage on mature plants, see our spider plant care guide and the spider plant hub. For other species, see our houseplant propagation methods guide.
References
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Chlorophytum comosum
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, S. Mahr: Spider plant, Chlorophytum comosum
- Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC 1513: Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
- Iowa State University Extension and Outreach: How to Propagate Houseplants by Division and Offsets
- Iowa State University Extension and Outreach: How to Propagate Houseplants by Air Layering and Simple Layering
- University of Illinois Extension: Houseplants: Specialized Structures
- NC State Extension Gardener Handbook: Chapter 13, Propagation
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: Spider Plant