Chlorophytum spp.
grass lilies
Tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia, Australia
Overview
Chlorophytum is a genus of more than 150 species of evergreen, rhizomatous perennials in the family Asparagaceae, native to tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia, and Australia. Plants form low rosettes or clumps of soft, strap-shaped to lance-shaped leaves, usually 6-18 inches (15-45 cm) long, in plain green or, in many cultivated forms, striped with cream or white. Roots are often thickened into small water-storing tubers. Slender, wiry stems carry loose sprays of small, six-petalled white star-shaped flowers. In the spider plant, C. comosum, these flowering stems also bear young plantlets that root where they touch soil, giving the arching, offset-bearing habit grown as a houseplant. Most species reach 8-24 inches (20-60 cm) tall and wide. The genus grows in shaded woodland, grassland, and rocky ground in the wild and tolerates a wide range of indoor and outdoor conditions. Tender to frost, most species are grown as houseplants or as warm-climate groundcover in USDA zones 9 to 11. Leaf tips brown in dry air or where water carries excess fluoride or salts.
Native Range
Chlorophytum is native to tropical and subtropical Africa, with further species in Asia and Australia. The widely grown spider plant, C. comosum, comes from southern Africa. Species grow in woodland shade, grassland, and rocky slopes.Suggested Uses
Chlorophytum is grown as a houseplant in pots and hanging baskets, where the spider plant trails its plantlet-bearing stems. In frost-free climates it is planted as a shaded groundcover and edging. Variegated forms are used for indoor and container displays.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height8" - 2'
Width/Spread8" - 2'
Bloom Information
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
green, often striped cream or whiteGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 2-6 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Chlorophytum species grow in bright, indirect light to partial shade on free-draining, general-purpose soil kept evenly moist in growth and drier in winter. They tolerate lower light and irregular watering, which makes them common houseplants. Most species accept a soil pH from about 6.0 to 7.5 and average room humidity. Outdoors they suit shaded beds and containers in frost-free climates, USDA zones 9 to 11. Leaf tips brown from dry air, drought, or fluoride and salts in tap water or fertilizer. Crowded clumps can be divided, and spider-plant plantlets root readily to make new plants.Pruning
Remove browned leaf tips and faded leaves to keep plants tidy. Cut off spent flower stems, or leave them on the spider plant to grow plantlets. Lift and divide overgrown clumps in spring.Container Growing
Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons