Meta description: Be the spider plant whisperer with the help of this article! Learn all about the amazing Spider Plant Benefits – from purifying air to reducing stress and increasing productivity. Get your own spider plant today and start reaping its benefits for a thriving home!
Spider Plants or Chlorophytum comosum, are excellent houseplants not only because they are gorgeous and very easy to take care of, but also because they have plenty of other benefits.
This plant is also sometimes called the airplane plant, ribbon plant, or spider ivy. They can tolerate high levels of heavy metals in the soil and they rarely cause allergic reactions.
These plants usually have long green stems and dark green leaves with white stripes running down the middle and their margins. Among others, they have been proven to purify the air, increase humidity levels, and reduce stress.
- Related article: How to Take Care of Spider Plant
Read on to discover more about the spider plant and the benefits of keeping it in your home.
1. Spider Plants Remove Air Pollutants
Most houseplants are preferred by many because of their air purification properties.
Spider plants are one of the most efficient in ridding the air of the following air pollutants:
- Formaldehyde
- Carbon dioxide
- Toluene
- Carbon monoxide
- Xylene
Although a single plant won’t probably make much of a difference in air quality, it most certainly won’t hurt to keep one. Moreover, this non-toxic plant naturally increases indoor oxygen levels and therefore makes breathing an ease.
Because of its ability to remove indoor pollutants, it is said to be the best choice for allergy patients. These indoor plants can remove dust mites and mold spores among other irritants.
2. Spider Plants Tolerate Lead
With constant development and the rise of manufacturing plants, the neglect in the proper disposal of waste has led to elevated levels of lead in the environment as well.
Too much lead in the environment can result in a decrease in crop growth and animal reproduction as affect animals’ neurological functioning.
Spider plants are popular houseplants but they can also thrive in contaminated soils. Through phytoremediation, spider plants remove heavy metals from the environment.
Not only is this method impressive but it is also inexpensive as these resistant plants are fast-growing.
They can tolerate and grow on dirt that contains up to 500 mg of lead per kilogram of dry soil.
3. Spider Plants Increase Humidity
Spider Plants have a high transpiration rate, which causes them to increase indoor humidity.
For them to be able to transpire though, they will need to be properly watered. This will allow them to release humidity into the air through water vapor.
Highly humid spaces can prevent the spread of most airborne diseases like coughs and sore throats. This makes spider plants a great addition to any home or office space.
4. Spider Plants are Useful in Feng Shui
Feng Shui is the ancient practice of designing one’s space to help with a balanced and peaceful mind.
According to this art, Spider Plants can be useful because of their connection to the Earth element.
The advice is to keep a Spider Plant in your bedroom or living room to help with grounding yourself and your family, or near your desk to influence your learning.
Of course, to take advantage of its positive energy, it’s essential to keep your Spider Plant in good condition. Dead plants bring bad energy and should be removed.
5. Spider Plants are Easy to Propagate
Remember when you read that a single Spider Plant won’t do much for air quality? The obvious solution is to grow many more and fortunately, Spider Plants make it easy.
They are one of the easiest plants to propagate, which means that from a single mother plant, you will be able to obtain hundreds more.
Healthy plants produce so-called spiderettes, which are small plantlets that grow at the bottom of long stems.
You will simply need to cut them away and place them in water or damp potting soil for them to form roots and eventually grow into mature plants.
If you don’t want to keep them all to transform your house into a jungle, they also make wonderful presents for friends and family!
Read more about the Best Way to Propagate Spider Plant.
6. Spider Plants are Very Low Maintenance
If your first thought was for that one friend who manages to kill even the hardiest plants, do not fear: This plant is one of the easiest indoor plants to maintain.
If you are not blessed with a green thumb or travel often, the spider plant is the perfect plant for you!
They can survive long periods without water and they adapt well to different temperatures although they usually prefer cooler temperatures over warm ones.
They also easily adjust to light and climatic conditions and rarely suffer from diseases or get infested with pests.
To keep this plant perfectly healthy, it will be enough to repot them about once a year in a container with drainage holes. Also, expose them to bright, indirect sunlight, and water them only when the soil is slightly dry.
Some telltale signs that your spider plants are getting too much sun is when they start having brown spots on their long, arched leaves.
7. Spider Plants Reduce Stress
It has been proven time and time again that houseplants are excellent to reduce stress levels and anxiety.
Even just looking at Spider Plants will help, and the benefits increase if you engage in gardening activities, such as pruning and repotting.
You’ve probably already experienced this yourself, but studies have proven that, for example, transplanting plants makes people more comfortable and relaxed.
Not only that, it has been researched that adding this plant to hospital rooms of surgical patients has helped hasten their recovery rate. The patients require less pain medication and have little to no problems with their blood pressure and heart rates.
8. Spider Plants are Easy to Find and Inexpensive
While sometimes, shopping for plants can burn a hole through your wallet, buying these plants won’t.
Because spider plants propagate easily, they are easy to find and also inexpensive. You can get one in most garden centers and online stores.
If you know someone that has a Spider Plant, most likely you will be able to get a tiny spiderette for them to propagate your own Spider Plant, for free.
9. Spider Plants are Safe for Children, Dogs, and Cats
Everyone with pets or small children probably knows that it can be a hassle to make sure that your house is safe. Fortunately, these plants don’t cause any problems in this regard.
Even if a curious, tiny, inhabitant of your home should decide to munch on their leaves, it won’t have any adverse effects as these plants aren’t toxic to pets or humans.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that you can let your pets or children regularly chew on them, but there’s nothing to worry about if they go for a taste.
Learn more about Spider Plant Effects on Humans.
10. Spider Plant Spiritual Benefits
Spider plants, with their charming aesthetic and admirable air-purifying capabilities, carry a deeper significance that often goes unnoticed. They possess a spiritual dimension that’s well worth exploring for their benefits.
In the world of Feng Shui, an ancient Chinese art and science that focuses on harmonizing individuals with their surrounding environment, spider plants are a popular choice.
They’re believed to foster positive energy, creating a sense of peace and tranquility. Having a spider plant in your home is like inviting a harmonious, creative energy into your life.
Hardy and prolific, spider plants are symbols of abundance and adaptability to a variety of environments. They remind us of our ability to persevere past life’s various challenges. This makes nurturing a spider plant a unique spiritual journey in patience, gratitude, and personal growth.
Their nickname, “mother-in-law’s tongue”, alludes to the plant’s protective qualities. The cascading leaves are thought to form a barrier against negative energy, fostering a sense of safety and security.
The spiritual significance of spider plants intertwines with their physical attributes. They’re not merely decorative or functional; they’re symbols of balance, resilience, growth, and protection. Their presence in our spaces represents the connection between nature and our spiritual well-being.
Final Thoughts on the Benefits of Spider Plants
If you’re looking to add a low-maintenance, beautiful plant to your space that also offers a range of health and wellness benefits, the Spider Plant is absolutely an excellent choice.
From purifying the air to reducing stress and increasing productivity, Spider Plants have a lot to offer.
They are also affordable, easy to care for, and propagate easily, making them great for gifting and sharing. Simply give it a good source of indirect light and it will survive long.
Whether you’re looking for a natural way to enhance your indoor environment or simply want to reap the numerous benefits of houseplants, consider adding the spider plant to your houseplant collection today!
Check out these other in-depth articles to learn more about Spider Plants:
- Can I Grow Spider Plant in Water
- Pruning Spider Plant Brown Tips
- Plants That Look Like a Spider Plant
- Spiderettes on Spider Plant
- Spider Plant Watering Needs
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