Chlorophytum comosum

Spider Plant, Spider Ivy, Ribbon Plant, Airplane Plant

One of the most widely grown houseplants in the world, Chlorophytum comosum is native to the understorey forests and rocky outcrops of tropical and southern Africa, where it grows as a ground-level herb beneath the canopy. It forms a dense, arching rosette of long strap-shaped leaves and, once mature, sends out wiry stolons — long trailing stems that produce small white flowers and then miniature plantlets, the 'spiders' that give the plant its common name. Most plants in cultivation are variegated cultivars with a white or cream central stripe rather than the plain green of the wild species. In a terrarium it suits an open setup with good drainage and regular airflow; stolons will need pruning to prevent overcrowding.