Chlorophytum comosum ‘Vittatum’ — available from Hortology
The good old spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) may whisk many of us back to the seventies, but it is enjoying a style revival as people seek space-saving plants to trail from hanging containers and purifying plants that clear pollutants in the air. Usually grown in its variegated form, the cream and apple-green tones of this widely grown houseplant inject a room with light; once mature, the ribbon-like evergreen leaves form a bushy fountain of arching foliage, beneath which a dangling gaggle of miniature baby plants (known as ‘plantlets’ or ‘offsets’) grow. This impressive cascade of mother and offspring has led to the plant being associated with motherhood in folklore and herbal medicine; for instance, the Nguni people of southern Africa give Chlorophytum comosum to pregnant and postpartum women, in the belief that the plant will protect mother and child.
There are 202 species of Chlorophytum, with almost 40 native to Africa, including the spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum), which grows in a variety of habitats at sea level and all the way up to 3,000 feet. The name stems from the Latinised Greek khlōros (pale green) and the Latin comos (hair), since the foliage looks like a mop of hair. In Europe, it was first described by Swedish botanist Carl Peter Thunberg in the late 18th century after a 3-year stay in South Africa.
Two variegated forms dominate the market, but if they are too much of a blast from the past, there are other excellent varieties to grow, including curly ‘Bonnie’ and stout ‘Ocean’. Whichever form the spider plant is cultivated in, it will help to remove indoor air pollutants such as formaldehyde, and it is a doddle to grow.
One of the least
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