Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) is named so because of its resemblance to the legs of a spider. Originally from African subtropics, spider plants are also sometimes known as spider ivy and ribbon plant.
These plants produce small white flowers which sprout spiderettes or baby spider plants. These can later be repotted to grow even more spider plants. Spider plants thrive best under the shade of other plants and enjoy humidity with nice air circulation.
There are two types of varieties of spider plants for example green (chlorophytum comosum) and variegated (chlorophytum comosum variegatum). And none of them do well in low to no light areas.
Can spider plants live in low light?
Spider plants can live in low light for a while. But too little light can lead to stunted growth, and finally to death if the plant is not taken care of properly. Spider plants need a medium to bright, indirect sunlight.
Can spider plants live in low light?
Here learn about how much light your spider plant needs, and if it is getting too much or too little light. Keep reading to know more.
Can Spider Plants Live in Low Light?
Spider plants have a reputation for being easy-to-care houseplants, thus beloved by newbie and veteran gardeners alike. As they are easy to grow and require minimum care, people tend to forget the light requirements of spider plants.
However, similar to all plants, proper lighting condition is crucial for the healthy growth of spider plants. Even when indoors, they need medium bright light to thrive.
Actually, indoor areas are great places for spider plants as they require bright light but not directly. Too much exposure to direct sunlight can burn the leaves of the plants. On the other hand, if the place doesn’t have enough light, the plant may wilt and die.
If a spider plant is kept in little to no lighting condition for an extended period, it’ll experience slow growth and will be unable to sprout spiderettes. Besides, this condition may worsen the adverse effects of drafts, overwatering, nutrient deficiencies, and disease infestation.
How Much Light Does a Spider Plant Need?
A spider plant will do best if it gets 6-10 hours of natural sunlight daily. The white or yellow stripes on the leaves turn more beautiful and striking the more it’s exposed to light.
But remember, the sunlight shouldn’t be direct or too bright. If the plant’s exposed to direct sunlight, keep the exposure limited to under 5 hours. Too much direct light will make the leaves sunburned and the tips will turn brown.
What Is the Best place for Spider Plants?
Being native to South and West African forests, spider plants normally grow under the tree canopies. As a result, they are more accustomed to partial shade and bright, indirect sunlight.
If you’re planning on growing spider plants indoors, you should try to reproduce similar lighting conditions in your home. Spider plants can be kept in the living room, bedroom, bathroom, even in patios or balconies. Just make sure the place has an indirect bright light, high humidity, and stable temperature.
The best place for a spider plant would be near or in front of an east-facing window where it receives soft morning sunlight but will be safe from the burning afternoon sun.
If you want to place your plant near a window facing west or south, make sure to place it at least 5-6 feet away from the window. Plus, you can use a drape or sheer curtain to filter the direct harsh sunlight.
Is the Spider Plant Getting Too Much Light?
Spider plants definitely need bright light regularly, but too much light can be harmful to them as well. There are some signs which show the plant getting excessive light more than necessary. These include:
- Yellow leaves
- Brown edges or tips
- Leaf burn
- Curling of leaves
- Drooping leaves
- Dry and flaky soil
If you notice any of these signs, you should be concerned and careful about your lighting conditions. Some think these signs indicate a lack of watering problem and tend to water their plants more. Instead of solving the problem, rather it leads to further complications.
So, you should try to understand the need of your plant and provide the required care and nutrients as necessary. Like, you can trim down the yellow and brown leaves to boost the growth of your spider plant which will result in quicker recovery.
Is the Spider Plant Not Getting Enough Light?
As explained earlier, spider plants can survive in low light but they will not grow as healthy.
Similar to getting too much light, your spider plant will also show certain signs when it’s not getting enough light. These include:
- Stunted or unhealthy growth
- Leaning towards light
- Abnormal leaf color
- Soggy soil
- Weaker foliage
- Root rot
When your plant won’t get enough light, it won’t be able to produce enough food. Instead of focusing on growth, it’ll start to store energy. Thus, it’s crucial to move your plant to a spot where it can receive enough light.
How To Keep Spider Plants Live in Low Light?
If your place doesn’t have enough light, keeping your spider plant healthy will be challenging. However, there are lots of available options you can try.
Change Position of the Plants
The easy option is to get two spider plants and change their position alternately. If you want to decorate a certain area with a spider plant but have low lighting there, you can alternate the plants. Keep one of them in the designated low-light area and the other in a medium-light area for health. The next day, you can switch them by bringing one in and getting the other out. That way, both plants will be healthy and low light won’t affect their growth much.
Provide More Light
Typically, plants thrive best in natural light, however, they do fine in artificial light as well. If you have a low to no light zone, then a good strong artificial light like LED or fluorescence will work wonders. There are many grow lights used for this purpose only. Some of them are:
Magic Mirrors
Mirrors not only make rooms appear larger and more gorgeous; but they can also enhance the lighting levels.
Magic mirrors can increase light in two ways, redirection and reflection.
You can use a mirror to reflect sunlight and thus brighten up the dark, gloomy area. This way your spider plant will get the light it needs. If the plants are in a dark corner, you can use strategically place mirrors to redirect sunlight from a window into that corner.
LED
LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights can be a good source to provide artificial light for spider plants not getting enough lights. LED grow lights are stylish, energy-efficient, and durable. Plus, they won’t put many dents in your pocket being pretty affordable.
LED lights provide both blue and red rays and fulfill different requirements. Red light helps stimulate the flowering of the plants. On the other hand, blue light is beneficial to increase the active growth of the plant.
To get the best use of LED lights, make sure to illuminate your plant for at least 12 hours for optimum growth and foliage.
There are many available options for LED lights out there, but some of these will be perfect for your home.
EZORKAS 9 Dimmable Levels Grow Light will be a great light source for your spider plant. It comes with an auto turn on and off timer function, plus three-cycle time modes.
Another excellent option is the Relassy LED Grow Light. This is a professional level grow light providing sunlight full spectrum and a bigger illumination area.
Fluorescence
Fluorescent lights are also ideal for spider plants, as they need low to medium light. These lights typically come in a long, tubelike shape.
Besides, they have various dimensions as well such as T5, T8, T12, etc. T5 and T8 are the most popular formats, whereas T12 is used occasionally.
T5 lights are tiny in size and more compact than others. As a result, these are best suited for houseplants.
Hydrofarm Agrobite FLT22 T5 Fluorescent Grow Light and Fluorescent Light Bulbs are good fluorescent light options.
Can Spider Plants Live in No Light?
As spider plants can live in low light, they can survive in no light too. However, it’ll be a short life because no plant can live without light.
In that case, artificial lights are the literal lifesavers for your plants.
What Other Plants Can Survive in Low Light?
- Lucky Bamboo
- English Ivy
- Snake Plant
- Peperomia
- ZZ Plant
- Staghorn Fern
- Dieffenbachia
- Pothos
- Maidenhair Fern
- Philodendron
- Dracaena
- Parlour Palm
Final Thoughts
Spider plants can easily live up to more than five decades. As perennial plants, they can even outlive their owners. With proper care and maintenance, it won’t be impossible if your spider plant ends up outliving you.
Just keep your spidey plant in a bright, well-lit spot and you’ll be rewarded with clean, good air. According to NASA Clean Air Study, spider plants can effectively remove common household air toxins as they work extremely well as natural air purifiers.
