Spider plants are among the most forgiving houseplants there are, which is why they turn up in offices and on classroom windowsills. The one thing they do complain about is brown leaf tips, and that's usually minerals building up in the pot or plain dry winter air, nothing exotic. Flush the pot before you start buying distilled water.
If you have cats or dogs, see the pet safety table for the full toxicity rundown.
Light
Bright, indirect light. Takes some direct sun, but midday sun through glass bleaches the variegation and scorches leaf tips.
Water
Water when the top inch (2.5 cm) has dried, until it runs out of the bottom, then empty the saucer. The fleshy roots store a reserve, so a brief dry spell beats a pot left standing wet, but don't let the whole pot go dry for long: running short of water is one of the main causes of brown tips. Avoid softened water, which trades calcium for sodium and salts up the soil.
Humidity
Average home humidity is fine for growth, but dry winter air is one of the leading causes of brown leaf tips. Keep it away from radiators and forced-air vents.
Temperature
Happiest at 65-75°F (18-24°C) by day, and untroubled by nights down to about 50°F (10°C). Colder than that and it starts to suffer, so keep it back from a cold windowpane in winter.
Fertilizing
A light feeder, and salt-sensitive: overfeeding is what browns the tips and cuts down the plantlets. Balanced liquid fertilizer every 3-4 months at full strength, or monthly at half strength through spring and summer. Skip winter, and skip it for the first few months after repotting. Flush the pot with plain water every 4-6 months to wash out the salts that do build up.
Pruning
Pull or snip fully browned leaves off at the base. Trimming brown tips is cosmetic and the browning returns unless you fix the cause, but if you want it tidy, cut at an angle following the leaf's taper. Cut unwanted plantlet stems back at the base.
Toxicity to pets
Non-toxic to cats and dogs per the ASPCA. Eating a lot of any plant can cause mild stomach upset, but there's no toxin involved.
Common questions
How do I propagate a spider plant from the babies?
Three ways, all easy. Wait until the plantlet has roots of its own, then detach it and pot it into moist growing mix. Or set a still-attached plantlet on a pot of soil beside the parent, pin it down with a bent paper clip, and cut the stem once it roots, so it keeps drawing on the parent while it establishes. Either works any time of year. Dividing a mature clump is the third route.
Why won't my spider plant produce babies?
Usually the season, the feeding, or the pot. Plantlets come mostly in fall, when the nights lengthen, so a plant under a lamp in an evening-lit room may never get the signal. Heavy feeding suppresses them. And spider plants produce best when the roots are a little snug, so one just moved into a much larger pot often pauses. Failing all that, it may just be young: maturity can take a few years.
Are spider plants really hallucinogenic for cats?
There's no scientific evidence for it, though the claim gets repeated constantly. What is documented is that the ASPCA lists the plant as non-toxic to cats and dogs. Plant-eating is normal cat behavior, and a cat that works through a lot of foliage may be sick afterward, but no drug or poison is involved.
How often does a spider plant need repotting?
Every year or two into a slightly larger pot, sooner if it's growing hard. Those fleshy roots expand fast, so repot before they crowd tightly enough to crack the container. Go up one size only, so it fills the pot again quickly and the surplus soil doesn't sit wet. Any time of year works, and a pot that dries out within a day or two of a thorough watering is the practical sign it's overdue.
Related articles
Why does my spider plant have brown tips?
Brown tips on a spider plant are almost always minerals, dryness, or both. Tap water gets most of the blame, and it deserves less of it than you'd think.
Overwatered or underwatered? How to tell the difference
Both look like a drooping, yellowing plant — but the fixes are opposites. Four checks that tell you which problem you actually have.
This guide was researched and written with AI assistance and reviewed by a human editor before publishing. How we use AI