Potted spider plant

Credit: Maja Dumat

Chlorophytum variegatum leaves

Credit: Maja Dumat

Numerous Chlorophytum seedlings

Credit: Denes Feri

Chlorophytum comosum variegatum leaves

Credit: David J.Stang

Chlorophytum variegatum flowers

Credit: Wildfeuer

Chlorophytum comosum 'Variegatum', a spider plant full of panache

Do you dream of variegated foliage, but don't have a green thumb? Forget monstera deliciosa variegata. Choose Chlorophytum comosum 'Variegatum' instead. This plant, straight from the Cape of Good Hope, is one of the easiest to grow!

How to recognize Chlorophytum comosum 'Variegatum'?

Chlorophytum comosum 'Variegatum' is a perennial with a bushy, drooping habit. It measures up to 60 centimetres high and as wide.

The plant has no stem. However, it has tuberous roots that enable it to store water and survive periods of drought.

Ribboned, arching leaves grow in a rosette. Green, they are variegated with white or cream.

Chlorophytum comosum 'Variegatum' flowers in summer. It develops long runners. Each bears white star-shaped flowers.

After flowering, the flowers give rise to seedlings. Simply marcot them or take cuttings to multiply the spider plant.

Nasa has classified Chlorophytum comosum 'Variegatum' as a depolluting species. It is also harmless to humans and certain animals. However, it is toxic to cats, causing digestive problems and contact dermatitis.

Our maintenance tips

Chlorophytum comosum 'Variegatum' plants are perfect plants for beginners, the faint-hearted and anyone without a green thumb. They need only a little water and light. But with the right care and a little attention, their foliage reveals all its beauty.

Watering

Water when the soil is dry, for about three centimeters. Use room-temperature, non-calcareous water, preferably rainwater. When watering, avoid wetting the leaves.

Thirty minutes after watering, drain off any stagnant water in the saucer. It may rot the roots.

To improve humidity, place your Chlorophytum comosum 'Variegatum' with your other plants or place its pot on a dish of moist clay balls.

Spray

Chlorophytum comosum 'Variegatum' plants like humidity. Mist your plant with non-calcareous water at room temperature. Avoid spraying tap water. It leaves white marks on the foliage.

As well as improving hygrometry, spraying helps to prevent pest infestations.

Repotting

In spring, transfer your Chlorophytum comosum 'Variegatum' to a larger pot, so that it can continue to grow.

Obtain a perforated jar.

Place clay balls or gravel in the bottom for drainage. Pour in potting soil for green plants and place your Chlorophytum 'Variegatum' in the center. Fill with substrate.

Water directly after repotting.

Fertilization

You can stimulate the development of your plant during its growth phase, in spring and summer, with fertilizer.

Apply liquid fertilizer for green plants when watering.

Cleaning

To promote photosynthesis, remove any dust that accumulates on the leaves with a feather duster or a clean, damp cloth.

Prune

Remove dried or yellowed leaves.

Plantation

Once the last spring frosts have passed, you can plant.

Choose a location sheltered from the wind. Leave a space of 50 centimetres between chlorophytum comosum 'Variegatum and other plants. Your plant will particularly appreciate the company of tall trees: their roots absorb water and leave well-drained soil.

Dig a hole two or three times as wide and deep as the root ball. You can add gravel or pozzolan to the bottom to promote drainage. Place a layer of garden soil and plant chlorophytum comosum 'Variegatum in the middle.

Cover with soil, making sure to bury the root ball. Tamp down and water for the first time to eliminate air bubbles.

Cutting

Cutting is carried out during the strong growth phase, generally in spring and early summer.

Locate a young shoot and carefully separate it from the mother plant. Take care to remove its roots without damaging the rest of the root system.

Reproduce the various sections in the desired locations.

Cutting is carried out during the strong growth phase, generally in spring and early summer.

Locate a young shoot and carefully separate it from the mother plant. Take care to remove its roots without damaging the rest of the root system.

Select an aerial stem, then bury the new rosettes in a pot with sandy soil. You can use a wire or hairpin to secure it in the soil so that it doesn't move. But be careful! At this stage, the stems must not be separated from the mother plant!

When the roots reach two or three centimetres, cut off the stolon and repot the new plant.

Diseases / Threats

Information

Family	Asparagaceae - Asparagaceae
Type	Chlorophytum - Chlorophytum
Species	Chlorophytum comosum - Chlorophytum comosum
Lifecycle	Perennial
Foliage	Evergreen
Exposures	Half-shade Shade
Substrats	Clay soil Humus soil Sandy soil
Planting methods	Open ground In pots In tubs Planter
Categories	Interior Herbaceous
Origins	South Africa West Africa Central Africa
Hardiness (USDA)	10b
Leaf color
Flower color