I'm kind of fascinated by my Spider plant. It's the offspring of a Spider Plant I used to have at work. I had a cubicle in the middle of the office with no sunlight. So it never got very big and never had babies. Well, I went to California for two years for school and left my plants (I have a silver queen Chinese Evergreen, too) with my grandma to take care of. Whenever I talked to her, she would always give me an update on my plants. lol. Well, she kept them in her laundry room that has a big window, so it got a good amount of sunlight. It grew really fast and she repotted it. Then it started growing babies. But she always cut them off and replanted them (so she ended up with like 3 other plants and then wanted me to take all of them after I got home, and I was like, "I don't know what to do with them!" lol). So anyway, we planted 2 in the same pot, and I brought it to work with me (she still has the momma plant and one or two of the babies). I have a window cubicle now, so mt plant is on a little table next to the window. In the summer it got direct sunlight in the afternoons for a few hours, but now it gets indirect sunlight all day. Anyway, the thing is going crazy. LOL. It did get a lot bigger since I brought it in, but It's grown 4 stems (I realized it's 2 from each plant. They kind of look like one plant now), and the stems are super long with other stems growing off of them (one has 4, one has 3, and the other two have 2). They're all in various stages of development, but the biggest baby is growing a baby itself! My plant has grandchildren already! And I love the little white flowers. It almost seems like they're endless. Every day there are a few new ones open, and a few that have fallen off (it's been flowering continuously for about 5 months). I like how the flowers open really wide- like their petals curl back and they have the little orange-tipped stamens sticking out in 5 directions. The plant is super awkward-looking, though. the stems are each about 3 times longer than the leaves of the parent plant. But I love my fascinating, awkward-looking plant. I'd like to hear others' Spider Plant stories!
In Mexico this plant is called Madra Mala - bad mother, because it throws (or grows) its babies out of the pot. Also, Airplane plant because the babies fly free under mom. Proper name is CHLOROPHYTUM comosum aka spider plant. My Daughter never can remember it's name so she calls it her "Arachnid folage". ;))) barb
Years ago I moved into a new office. The prior tenant had a spider that was three types planted and trimmed so they hung in layers. the longest and bottom layer was a dark green. the next layer had green and white or yellowish leaves. The top layer had green. whitish and a bit of pink in the leaves. It hung from the crossbar in dropped ceiling in a sort of narrow bay window. I got tired of the triming and the fussing with it and just let it grow. When the babies reached the floor, then I cut them off. the vaccuum didn't do well with them. I have never seen the tri color spider again but have seen the others. Am I that old that I am remembering the tri color wrong? barb
I've had the oyster plant and several other tradescantias. Their stems tend to grow in a zig zag pattern not arching down straight over the edge of the pot. They are also a less delicate plant, so I don't think that's it. Mystery contunues. barb
Have had all-green spider plants for many years---since the late 1970s! Rather like my philodendron and giant Christmas cactus, they have always been with me. Hang them outside in summer: I really like the lovely white blossoms. These make babies at a modest, steady rate: have 3 or 4 in a cup right now, awaiting potting. Thanks for posting this thread! It has caused me to take a fresh look at my elderly but healthy spiders. Barb, I have not heard of or seen a tricolor spider but would sure like to! Hmm...Are you sure it wasn't another family member of Asparagaceae, like maybe a tricolor Dracaena or Cordyline? Were the babies growing from the tricolor plant or from the others?
No Amy. I'm familiar with the Drac-tricolor. The top plant looked exactly like the rest of the spiders, but maybe it was the lighting or some other odity. The interior lighting was florescent and it was in a So. facing window as I remember. This was in Sacramento, CA so who knows. Happy Thanksgiving Amy and Everyone!!!! barb
I've seen the variegated spider plants with the pink blush as well, although not very often and I can't find an online reference for it... I wonder if soil/fertilizing conditions could cause the pink tinge?
Thanks Gardenscaper, Maybe I'm not wrong after all. It could be certain conditions that cause the pinkish tinge. That's all it was, just a tinge. barb
My mother has an all-green spider plant that she's had my whole life, not sure where it came from originally, she's always having to hack it up and repot it every few years. Its huge, my parents house has ceilings that are a foot or two taller than normal and it has lots of shoots trailing down to the floor. I can remember giving many many babies of it away to people and at one poimt had many of them hanging around the house (we macramed so many hanging baskets!) About 9 months ago I asked her to grow up a baby of it for my apartment, I just brought it here a few days ago. It has 2 shoots now, one with a baby thats getting close to where I can grow it and one baby thats very tiny, just starting to grow. Im excited to try to grow the babies and see how much I can remember of how to grow it. I'll be getting out my big wooden beads and macrame stuff soon to make it a hanger.
In fact, funny story, I only learned that there are other varieties of spider plants a few days ago, I thought all spider plants looked like my moms, any I'd ever seen were either from my mom's plant, or my brother's godmother's plant (who I'm now remembering being told that's where my mom's plant came from.) I was getting a grown cutting from my mom who told me it was rootbound, and I would have to repot it. I started looking online to try to find out what kind of soil to put it in, and was getting pretty confused with the pictures going along with all the posts and articles. It was then I discovered that not only are there different varieties with stripes down the leaves and such, but the kind I have is actually harder to find. You learn new things every day, I guess!
I forgot about this thread! Thanks for your spider plant story. Yes I was surprised when I found out the all-green ones are harder to find. You should see my plant now, a year and a half later. It's crazy. and the babies shoot off these loooooong stems that keep growing leaves at nodules but get to be 6 feet long before a plantlet actually grows. I have them pinned all along the walls of my cubicle because they are too long. I also have one plantlet growing in my fish tank filter. Experiment, lol.
That's really cool! And yeah, I didn't even see the age of the thread until after I posted, resurrection, I guess. I'm really excited to make a baket holder/ hanger/ thing for it, I remember always making them growing up and it will be cool to watch it grow. I got my first two houseplants in the last week, this spider and a dracaena fragrans massangeana. I'll have to get the proper name for the spider plant to stick into my brain. :) I enjoyed reading about your spider and hearing how much its grown in justal a year and a half! I almost can't wait until mine grows that much! I've decided the only way to feal with my impatience over them is to get many different plants to watch and learn about. But it's pretty scary, of feel just horrible if I accidentally killed one, so im trying to start with a few that are pretty easy to care for. If you have any suggestions I'd love to hear them! Laura
Laura, the Dracaena will eventually flower. We've kept these "corn plants" for years and years, and this year for the very first time one suddenly put out an enormous stalk, almost 2 feet long, with a series of flowers that are overwhelmingly fragrant in our apartment. I love it, although the heady perfume is NOT subtle. Here are a couple of pictures. These plants are pretty indestructible. The spiders grow forever. In one sense, a spider plant may easily live longer than the humans who care for it, as the young spiders are distributed again and again while the original plant continues to live. People become poor just buying new pots for new spider-plants! And the corn plants are very good indoor friends of yours. Our "cornplant corner" crowds our small living space like a jungle. In return for our rescuing these alley throwaways, the plants provide us with lots of healthy air to breathe, here in the core of the city. (When your Dracaena reaches the ceiling, you chop the stem and replant the chopped chunk, and away you go again.)
Ok, suggestions! I haven't had a ton of different plants, but Pothos plants are really nice. They are a vine so have to grow along something or hang in a hanging pot. There are many different kinds. I have one with big leaves and one with smaller green and white leaves. Also, Chinese Evergreens. There are a lot of different kinds. I had one whose coloring was called "Silver Queen". It's very pretty and very easy to care for. I also had prayer plants, but they both died. I found that they're really weird about watering. One of them went dormant (I thought it was dead at the time) after my coworker forgot to water it when I was on vacation for a week, so I was surprised when a few months later leaves started coming out again, and it even got some flowers, which I heard is rare. But then it just died about 8 months later. I have no idea why. African violets are easy. It's pretty much the only plant that my mom can't kill. haha. And I want to say something about Orchids... They are awesome plants, and some people think they are "difficult", but I don't think so. In my experience they take a lot more specific care- like you can't water them too much or the roots will rot, and you have to have it in a pot that drains well, and they can't be planted in soil- they need to be in moss or bark mix. They also have to have a lot of sun (not too much direct, but bright). So their care is kind of specific, but they're not "difficult". They're worth it, though. Their flowers are so unique and beautiful. Sometimes you have to be patient because there's no guarantee when they will re-flower. I've been waiting for 2 years for one of mine to bloom again, even though it should be every year or less. But then I found out that it is most likely because when I repotted it (it needed to be because the moss was going bad and the pot didn't drain well), the pot was too big and they don't usually flower unless they're sort of root-bound. But anyway, I know you want something easy, but it would be worth it to try an orchid, too. Lowe's is a good place to get them. They usually have a big variety. I've gotten into aquatic plants lately because of my fish tanks. Now those can be really difficult- you have to have the right lighting or they will die. Sometimes you need injected CO2 or they will stay small and sad looking... you have to fertilize for the same reason unless you have a soil-based tank. but that adds a whole number of other factors to deal with! They're a lot more work than terrestrial plants. But fun and rewarding.
Grooon, I had read about the Dracaena flowering when it gets older but haven't actually seen any pictures of one doing so. Thank you for sharing the pictures of yours with me! That must be very exciting, I've read it smells something like honeysuckle but very strong. It must be very nice with this summer weather where you can air the place out a little if needed. :) Mine has a stalk about 2 ft tall and one about 3 ft tall. I just repotted it 2 days ago, I was having some problems after bringing it home anf worried thar it was dying, it's starting to bounce back gradually though I think, with a bigger pot and some drier soil, I think it was being overwatered (got it from Walmart) and I think its happier in the drier soil, its in a 12 inch pot now instead ofa 10 inch. I'll take some pictures of Dracaena (Jack) & spider (Bob) once theyre stabilized from moving a bit and I have the spider hanging. Laura
Krista, thank you for all the great suggestions! My mom says she has an ivy that's doing well that she will bring me, I'll have to look up the exact kind when I get it. The Porthos sounds really cool, I've never heard of it before, I will have to do some research, I love plants that trail down that I can hang high. I've been seeing African violets everywhere, and hearing about them lots, I'm thinking of picking one up. I've been looking at all these beautiful orchids everywhere and I would love one but I was worried I wouldn't have the skill to care for one. Reading about what conditions they like though from you, I just might try one in the future. I've also been considering some kind of large cactus. But I haven't looked too much into different varieties as yet. So many plants to consider. I appreciate you taking the time to give me some ideas. I might end up having to spend a week macrame-ing plant hangers! Laura
