Types of Spider Plant Varieties: With Pictures
The Chlorophytum comosum or spider plant, comes in many varieties, each of which can be grown in your indoor garden. I’ll tell you which varieties exist ahead and include photos of each!
What are the types of spider plant varieties? The types of spider plant varieties include the Shamrock, Bonnie, Fire Flash, Zebra, Hawaiian, Ocean, Atlantic, and more.
In this extensive guide to spider plant varieties, I’ll go through and explain each one. I’ll also share photos from my own indoor garden that will make identification far easier, so make sure you check it out!
1. Zebra Spider Plant
Starting the list is the Zebra spider plant or Chlorophytum laxum ‘Zebra.’
Some indoor gardeners refer to this variety as Zebra Grass Spider Plant, but both are the same type of spider plant.
As a name reminiscent of the striped animal would make you think, the Zebra spider plant features dark green leaves bordered on either side by white edges.
So why Zebra Grass then? The texture of this spider plant variety is reminiscent of grass.
The Zebra spider plant grows best when it gets indirect light and is kept between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
For more information on the Zebra Grass Spider Plant I’d recommend reading an article I wrote called What to Do with Spider Plant Babies? The article has multiple pictures I took of my Zebra Grass Spider Plant and the tiny offshoots or spider babies it was producing during Summer.
2. Vittatum Spider Plant
Next is the Vittatum spider plant. The Chlorophytum comosum ‘Vittatum’ (Variegated Spider Plant).
With the word variegated associated with its name, is naturally quite a popular pick among those looking to add a spider plant to their indoor plant collection.
Also known as the variegated Ribbon Plant and Spider Ivy plant.
The leaves of the Vittatum are narrow and arching and can easily reach lengths of 18 inches.
The variegation in question refers to the strips of creamy white seen in each long, blade-like leaf.
The Vittatum is a flowering plant that comes from South Africa. However, it can be hard to get the Vittatum spider plant to bloom.
A few of the reasons people choose the Vittatum spider plant over other types of plants are:
- That it doesn’t attract many pests
- It’s not prone to diseases
- It’s mostly drought-tolerant, making it an appealing hard-to-kill indoor plant for people who tend to “overwater”.
Just ensure any Vittatum spider plants you’re caring for get enough light, or their variegated leaves may begin disappearing.
3. Bonnie Spider Plant
One of the most popular types of spider plant varieties by far is the Bonnie spider plant or Chlorophytum comosum ‘Bonnie.’
Another nickname for this variety is the “curly spider plant,” and it only takes one look to see why. The Bonnie’s leaves are all twisted!
The wavy, tangling, overlapping growth pattern of the leaves makes this one very unique spider plant.
The Bonnie spider plant is smaller than most spider plants, growing about eight inches tall on average.
Bigger Bonnies might reach heights of 18 inches, and the plant grows just as wide as it does tall.
Your Bonnie spider plant may produce yellow flowers if it’s especially happy.
Care for the plant by providing medium light, well-draining soil, and liquid fertilizer every month during the active growing season.
When you water the Bonnie, water it deeply but let the soil get a little dry before you water it again.
4. Variegated Bonnie Spider Plant
If you thought the Bonnie was a beauty on its own, wait until you see the variegated Bonnie spider plant!
The Chlorophytum comosum ‘Bonnie Variegated’ has the same unique appeal as the original Bonnie spider plant, but with variegated stripes!
The leaves are a little less twisted than the original Bonnie, but that makes it all the easier to see the creamy stripes through every leaf of this spider plant.
The variegated Bonnie spider plant is even smaller than the traditional Bonnie plant. That makes this plant a great contender for a small plant that fits nicely on your work desk, in a terrarium, or in cubicles.
If you’re looking for other small plants that fit this description, I’d recommend reading my article, The Best Small Plants for Open Terrariums.
5. Shamrock Spider Plant
The Shamrock spider plant variety (referred to as the Chlorophytum comosum ‘Shamrock’ in full) is known for its solid green foliage throughout.
The bright, cheery shade of green might remind you of shamrocks, or at least of St. Patrick’s Day.
This is another tidy variety of spider plants, as the Shamrock never grows taller or wider than eight inches. It could become the centerpiece of a small indoor garden or easily slot into a larger one.
Maintaining even moisture is a critical part of this plant’s care, as is avoiding direct sunlight. Your Shamrock spider plant could develop brown spots or brown tips.
If these are spider plant issues you’re struggling with, I recommend reading my related article Why Is My Spider Plant Turning Brown?
6. Reverse Variegatum Spider Plant
As quite the beloved spider plant variety, the Reverse Variegatum (Chlorophytum comosum ‘Variegatum’) gets a lot of attention, and rightfully so.
Its leaves have a natural, appealing arch and only grow in inch-long segments.
Don’t take that to mean that the Reverse Variegatum is a small plant, though. This spider plant variety can easily grow up to 16 inches wide and three feet long when fully mature.
The foliage features green centers and white margins, creating quite an appealing contrast.
In the autumn, this plant develops stalks with small white flowers and spiderettes, also called “spider babies.”
The Reverse Variegatum needs three to four hours of indirect light per day.
Keep up your watering habits in the spring and summer but then scale way back as the months turn colder between autumn and winter.
It’s okay if you water this plant more seldom than you would have assumed.
You need to let the Reverse Variegatum spider plant’s soil dry out between watering it, so watering about every five days and even as infrequently as every 10 days is fine.
Essentially, once you’ve initially watered it, wait for the soil to dry out and then water it again making sure that you’ve poured enough water onto the soil to soak in and reach the deepest roots.
7. Purple Spider Plant
The Cleome hassleriana, known to some as the Violet Queen and to others as the Purple Spider Plant or Spider Flower, is actually its own species.
Technically, the Purple Spider Plant is not a Chlorophytum comosum, but it is usually thought of as a type of spider plant.
The Purple spider plant grows natively in southeast Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina. It’s since spread to South Asia but didn’t originate there.
Outdoors, the purple spider plant can reach tremendous heights of 60 inches, but indoors, you can expect a much more reasonable size of roughly half of their outdoor counterpart.
Attesting to its nickname as the Spider Flower,” purple spider plants grow appealing flowers that produce quite a lovely scent.
The flowers aren’t exclusively purple, by the way, but can also be white or pink. Each flower features six stamens and four petals.
Caring for a Cleome hassleriana is different than the other types of spider plant varieties on this list.
It’s hard to think of this particular spider plant variety as being related to the plant we commonly know as a spider plant. The Spider Flower looks a lot more like a bush or wild plant you’d find growing wild in an open field.
The Purple Spider Plant prefers full, direct sunlight and well-draining soil.
8. Ocean Spider Plant
The Ocean spider plant, Chlorophytum comosum ‘Ocean’, is a beautiful spider plant variety to consider for your indoor garden.
The rolling, curling shape of the leaves is likely why this variety earned its name, as the leaves look like the waves in the ocean.
The Ocean spider plant reaches sizes of eight inches wide and eight inches long, so it’s by no means a large indoor plant.
You may see plantlets develop from the Ocean Spider Plant, which is a surefire sign that you’re caring for it properly.
The plant also grows small flowers. Each is in the shape of a star and is usually white.
The Ocean spider plant does best in regular, moderate temperatures and in bright, indirect light.
Use well-draining soil, water regularly throughout the warm months, and be ready to reduce watering frequency by the winter.
9. Hawaiian Spider Plant
The Hawaiian spider plant is a Chlorophytum viridescens, which is still a spider plant, just a different variety.
Nicknamed the Golden Glow plant, the Hawaiian spider plant is a hybrid.
It’s smaller than the other spider plants I’ve gone over to this point, so if you want to start an indoor garden but you don’t have much real estate to do it, this could be just the spider plant variety for you.
The Hawaiian spider plant has long green leaves with a natural, slight curl to them.
The color is very bright and sometimes features yellowish stripes that may also be a pale champagne hue. The glossy texture of the Hawaiian or Golden Glow spider plant leaves are quite appealing as well!
That said if you notice your spider plant becoming too pale or beginning to droop and not able to hold itself up anymore, I highly recommend reading my article: Spider Plant Looking Pale & Limp? Here’s What to Do!
Since it’s rarer, you want to go out of your way to care well for the Hawaiian spider plant.
Water yours often but not too much, as you want to let the soil dry out in between waterings.
Well-draining soil is a must, as is moderate sunlight. Put the plant no closer than six feet from any windows in your home or office.
10. Fire Flash Spider Plant
Does your indoor garden need a pop of color? Consider the Fire Flash spider plant, aka the Chlorophytum amaniense ‘Fire Flash.’
It’s also referred to as the Orange spider plant and Mandarin Plant.
Another rare spider plant variety, the Fire Flash hails from southern and western Africa.
This tropical evergreen is often grown large to show off those gorgeous leaves.
The leaves are much wider than those of a typical spider plant, and the stems can be a light but clear shade of orange.
A very happy Fire Flash will even bloom small white flowers!
To maintain your Fire Flash’s variegation, never expose this plant to direct sunlight. It needs indirect light only.
Moist soil around the clock is fine for the Fire Flash but do not let the soil get soaking and soggy.
Use distilled water when caring for this spider plant, as fluoridation can sometimes cause permanent leaf browning.
The Fire Flash is mostly disease and insect-resistant but could be susceptible, so don’t let up in your care.
11. Chlorophytum Spider Plant
Chlorophytum capense is another name for the Chlorophytum spider plant.
This shrub-like spider plant variety develops linear leaves in a solid green color.
It is not the same as a traditional Chlorophytum comosum and is often confused for such.
Your Chlorophytum spider plant may grow flowers with six white petals in the shape of a star. No hanging plantlets will grow though.
Chlorophytum capense prefers a semi-shaded environment and moderate amounts of water. The plant, when mature, will often grow two feet wide and about a foot tall indoors.
12. Atlantic Spider Plant
The last type of spider plant variety we’ll look at is the Atlantic spider plant, which is also referred to as the Chlorophytum comosum ‘Atlantic.’
The leaves are mostly white with dark green edges on either side. The Atlantic spider plant features curling leaves as well.
This perennial indoor plant reaches heights of four to eight inches, so it stays relatively small.
It may produce white flowers too!
Since it’s variegated, the Atlantic spider plant must stay out of direct light. Partial or dappled shade is good, as is partial shade and indirect light.
The plant prefers moderately acidic soil with a pH range of 6.1 to 6.5.
Atlantic spider plants are drought-tolerant, humidity-tolerant, and dry-shade-tolerant, but it’s best to provide optimal care as often as you can.
