Spider Plant Care: Brown Tips, Water and Plantlets

Give a spider plant medium to bright light out of direct sun, let the soil dry slightly between thorough waterings, and water it with something other than straight tap water if you care about the leaf tips. NC State Extension lists it as preferring medium light and intolerant of direct sunlight, growing best in moist soil while tolerating drought, and specifically warns that chlorine and fluoride in tap water cause leaf tip burn.

Wisconsin Horticulture agrees on all three points and adds the fix: using distilled water or rainwater will help prevent tip browning.

Keep it above 45 F, per NC State, and reduce watering in winter.

Spider plant is one of the few popular houseplants listed as non-toxic to cats and dogs - see the pet safety page for what that does and does not mean.

Brown, crisp leaf tips on a spider plant have four documented causes, and tap water is the one people miss. NC State says to avoid tap water because chlorine and fluoride can cause leaf tip burn. Wisconsin Horticulture lists the full set: low humidity, excessively dry soil, salt accumulation, and chemicals in tap water.

Clemson Extension's disorder sheet adds the remedy that works on salt: drench the pot periodically so water runs freely out of the bottom, which leaches accumulated salts out of the mix, and empty the saucer afterwards. White or grey crusty deposits on the soil surface or pot rim are the visible sign of that build-up.

Wisconsin also notes that excessive fertiliser itself causes tip browning and reduces plantlet formation, so more feeding is the wrong response.

Trimmed tips do not regrow. Fix the cause and judge by the new leaves.

NC State lists medium light as the preference, with tolerance of deep shade but intolerance of direct sunlight. Wisconsin describes it as very easy to grow indoors in medium to bright light throughout the year, and warns against full sun outdoors because the leaves sunburn.

On water, NC State says it grows best in moist soil but tolerates drought and dry conditions; Wisconsin says to allow the soil to dry slightly between thorough waterings, and notes the thick fleshy roots let it survive irregular watering.

For soil, NC State lists loam with good drainage at a neutral pH of 6.0 to 8.0; Wisconsin says general purpose potting soil or a soilless mix is fine, and that the plant does well slightly pot-bound but needs repotting fairly often as the roots crowd.

The dangling babies are a daylength response, not a reward for good care. NC State says plantlet development requires short days and long nights - less than twelve hours of light a day - for at least three weeks. Wisconsin gives the same figure: flowering is triggered by short days and extended nights lasting at least three weeks, and plantlets develop after flowering.

A spider plant beside a lamp that burns until midnight may never make plantlets. A plant in a room that goes properly dark in autumn will.

Rooting them is easy. Wisconsin's method is to pin the plantlet onto a pot of soilless medium while it is still attached to the parent, wait for roots, then cut it free. Already-rooted plantlets can simply be potted, and large plants can be divided.

Wisconsin also notes that too much fertiliser reduces plantlet formation.

Wisconsin's feeding guidance is deliberately sparse: fertilising every three to four months is usually enough, or feed more often using a half-strength solution. The warning attached matters more than the schedule - excess fertiliser reduces plantlet formation and causes tip browning.

NC State says to keep the plant above 45 F and to reduce watering in winter, and describes its humidity preference as medium, with a humidifier or pebble tray if the air is very dry. Penn State Extension's assessment of those options is worth knowing: grouping plants, a cloche or a humidifier work, while misting and pebble trays do very little.

Repot when the roots crowd. Wisconsin notes spider plants thrive slightly pot-bound but need repotting fairly frequently, since the fleshy roots fill a pot quickly and can push the soil upward.

NC State lists spider plant as non-toxic for cats, dogs and horses, and reports no significant problems for the species. That is the closest thing to a clean bill among popular houseplants.

Non-toxic means poisoning is not expected. It does not mean an animal can eat as much as it likes: a cat or dog that chews a quantity of any plant can vomit or have loose stools, and fertiliser residue, pesticide or leaf shine on the plant is a separate risk. Clemson advises against commercial leaf shine products on houseplants generally.

If a pet has eaten a large amount, or is unwell after chewing any plant, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435. Our spider plant pet safety page sets out the full listing.

Yes. Wisconsin Horticulture calls it very easy to grow indoors in medium to bright light all year, and NC State Extension says it prefers medium light, tolerates deep shade and dislikes direct sun, which suits most rooms. It stays a manageable 1 to 1.5 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide (NC State), is listed as non-toxic to cats, dogs and horses (NC State), and its thick, fleshy roots let it cope with irregular watering (Wisconsin). Wisconsin suggests hanging containers so the stems carrying plantlets can drape down.

Not enough to notice at home. Wisconsin Horticulture repeats the common claim that spider plant absorbs formaldehyde, xylene, benzene and carbon monoxide, and in sealed test chambers plants do remove some of these chemicals. But a 2019 review by Bryan Cummings and Michael Waring of Drexel University, published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, reanalysed those chamber studies and found that it would take between 10 and 1,000 plants per square metre of floor space to match the air cleaning that a building's normal ventilation already provides. Grow a spider plant because it is easy and attractive; for cleaner air, ventilate.

Year-round only in mild climates: NC State gives USDA zones 9a to 11b and says to keep it above 45 F. Wisconsin notes it can be grown outdoors as an annual in cool climates and, as covered above, warns against full sun outdoors. If you move a pot outside for summer, put it in shade and bring it in before nights approach 45 F.

All spider plants sold are cultivars of one species with the same care, so choose by look: a centre stripe ('Vittatum', 'Milky Way'), white edges ('Variegatum') or curled leaves ('Bonnie'). Our types of spider plants page compares all eight cultivars NC State lists.

This section was added on 2026-09-25. Research and drafting were done with the help of AI, and every figure was checked line by line against the sources added to this page. If you find a mistake, tell us and we will correct it.

High up, in bright light but out of direct sun. NC State says spider plant does particularly well in hanging baskets or containers where the leaves and stems can cascade, prefers medium light and is intolerant of direct sunlight. Wisconsin Horticulture says medium to bright light all year and warns that full sun outdoors burns the leaves. Patch Plants suggests a desk or a shelf where it can hang down.

In a house that means a hanging basket or a high shelf a few feet back from a bright window, in a room kept above 45 F (NC State). NC State also says it prefers medium humidity; in a dry room it suggests a humidifier or a tray of pebbles and water under the pot.

Yes, if you want to; it does not hurt the plant. Patch Plants lists snipping off brown tips as part of basic care, and UC Marin Master Gardeners recommend trimming brown or dry leaf tips with sharp scissors. Cut along the tip at a slight angle so the leaf keeps a pointed shape, and leave a thin line of brown rather than cutting into green tissue.

Trimming does not stop new tips browning. For that, change the water: the brown-tips section above explains why fluoride and chlorine in tap water are the usual cause.

About once a week in the growing season, less in autumn and winter, but check first. Patch Plants waters about weekly and tests by pushing a finger to the second knuckle; if it comes out dry, it is time. Wisconsin's rule is to let the soil dry slightly between thorough waterings, and NC State says to reduce watering in winter.

Spider plants forgive a missed watering. Wisconsin explains that their thick, fleshy roots store water, which is why they tolerate irregular watering and suit beginners. What they tolerate less well is wet soil around those roots for days on end.

Few, but they are real:

• Sensitive to water quality. Chlorine and fluoride in tap water burn the leaf tips (NC State), so a perfect plant needs rainwater or distilled water.
• Outgrows its pot quickly. Wisconsin says the roots grow fast and crowd the pot, so the plant needs frequent repotting, though it does best slightly pot-bound.
• A magnet for cats. It is listed as non-toxic, but cats often chew it and may vomit; see cats and spider plants.
• Some forms are shy with babies. Wisconsin notes that 'Variegatum' produces fewer plantlets and 'Vittatum' grows more slowly.
• It can spread outdoors. Wikipedia records it as naturalised in Western Australia and Bangladesh, and Wisconsin says it is used as a ground cover in warm climates. In a warm region, compost unwanted plantlets rather than throwing them into the garden.

• Keep it slightly snug. Wisconsin says it grows best when slightly pot-bound, so move up one pot size at a time.
• Feed sparingly. Every three to four months, or more often at half strength (Wisconsin); NC State warns that overfeeding cuts plantlet production.
• Give it long nights in autumn if you want babies. Plantlets need short days of under 12 hours of light for at least three weeks (NC State), so a spot away from evening lamps helps.
• Pick a cultivar you like. Wisconsin describes 'Milky Way' with a broad white-to-cream centre, 'Vittatum' with a creamy centre stripe, 'Variegatum' with white margins and 'White Stripe' with a narrow centre line.
• Root the plantlets. Patch Plants says to look for the small brown nodules under each baby, which are the start of its roots, and keep them when you pot it up.