The spider plant (Chlorophytum) is one of the easiest houseplants to take care of for beginners. Their long, beautiful sword-like leaves thrive just about anywhere in your home or office. They don’t need a lot of water and they survive even in moderate light. But what are the biggest spider plant benefits you should know about?
Spider plants have great health benefits you should be aware of. Even if you’r new to houseplants, this little green beauty will reward you with tons of perks you shouldn’t neglect.
In this post, I’ll walk you through six great spider plant benefits to help you decide whether it’s the right indoor plant for you. By the end of this post, you’ll know more about what spider plants are good for and whether you should add one to your houseplant collection.
Let’s get started!
6 Benefits of Spider Plants (Chlorophytum)
As with houseplants in general, the spider plant also comes with a bunch of great benefits to your health. And what’s even better is that it’s one of the easiest indoor plants to take care of.
Without further ado, let’s jump right in!
1: Produces oxygen
When you spend a lot of time indoors, you want to make sure the air you breathe has enough oxygen in it. Oxygen will help you stay energetic and productive throughout the day.
With that said, spider plants are especially beneficial in office spaces where we spend several hours daily.
Furthermore, spider plants are a great addition to your home. Not only do they look great, but you’ll get a small oxygen boost from them, too.
Tip: The more light your spider plant gets, the faster it will grow and the more oxygen it will produce. Thus, feel free to move your spider plant from a dark corner to a spot that gets more indirect sunlight. Remember to keep an eye on its watering–more sunlight translates into a higher water and nutrient consumption.
2: Helps purify the air
Apart from the direct spider plant benefits from producing oxygen, they also help purify the air in your home or office.
According to the NASA Clean Air Study, some of the most common toxins spider plants can get rid of are:
- Formaldehyde:
Colorless, strong-smelling chemical gas that causes both long-term and short-term health problems. Formaldehyde irritates your mucous membranes like eyes, nose, and throat. It can also cause skin irritation if your skin is sensitive. - Toluene:
Long-term exposure to toluene can damage your central nervous system. For young children, toluene can even cause problems with growth and development. - Ozone:
The most powerful oxidant in our atmosphere. And yes, ozone is great in the upper layers of our atmosphere, but it’s toxic for humans to breathe. - Carbon monoxide:
Colorless, odorless gas that causes headaches, fatigue, and flu-like symptoms. Spider plants reduce indoor carbon monoxide levels effectively.
All in all, one of the biggest spider plant benefits is that they help you feel better overall. If you live in a big city, chances are the air pollution is higher than in rural areas. Why not get a spider plant to help you breathe more easily?
3: Decreases stress
When we spend time in nature, we automatically feel more relaxed. Studies have proven that green surroundings help us reduce stress and feel better overall.
Thus, if you can’t get out into the nature and walk through a forest, why not bring a piece of it into your own home?
Spider plants look beautiful in hanging baskets or on top of book shelves, for example. Their long, sword-like leaves come in various color combinations, too.
And hey, if houseplant care tends to cause you stress, don’t worry about it. Spider plants are easy to grow and regrow. They survive even in darker corners of your home and you don’t need to water them too often.
When spider plants blossom, simply cut off one of the little “spiders” and place it in a pot. In a few days, it will start to root down and you’ll have a new plant to place into another room, for instance!
4: Survives without much care
As I mentioned above, spider plants are one of the hardest houseplants to kill. They don’t need frequent watering thanks to their ability to store water in their roots.
In fact, you should make sure the soil is dry to the touch before you water your spider plant again.
During summer, spider plants need more water if they get plenty of sunlight and the temperatures are high. When winter comes, reduce the watering and let the soil dry completely before the next watering.
5: Looks great
The biggest spider plant benefit for beginners is that they look amazing even if you forget them for a while. Thus, spider plants are often the first houseplants beginners add to their collections.
As long as you place your spider plant in a spot where it gets indirect sunlight, it will look great year-round.
With enough light, the plant will grow hanging stems with little “spiders” at its tips. You can leave them there to grow–this will make them look great in hanging baskets. Alternatively, you can cut them off and plant them in fresh soil.
6: Is safe for pets
If you have pets in your home, you want to make sure none of your houseplants are toxic for them. Sometimes our cats and dogs tend to nibble on the leaves and flowers they discover in our indoor plants, right?
That being said, one of the best spider plant benefits is that they are pet safe. According to ASPCA, this low-maintenance indoor plant is 100% safe for your dogs and cats.
Summing it up: Spider plant benefits to be aware of
All in all, spider plants come with a bunch of amazing health benefits. Even if you’re a beginner, these beautiful green friends make great low-maintenance plants for your home.
I hope you found this post about the top spider plant benefits helpful. If so, please drop me a line in the comments below. I’d love to hear your thoughts about spider plants and your experiences with growing them.
P.S. If you liked this post, please share it with others! Thanks for your support!
