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Chlorophytum comosum (Thunb.) Jacques

Spider plant

Native records: 21 botanical areas

Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, 18 more areas

See all areas

Natural distribution

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NativeIntroducedUncertain

Distribution is shown as WGSRPD Level 3 areas. It does not imply the species occurs throughout an entire area.

Last updated:

Distribution last verified:

See sources

Photograph of Chlorophytum comosum

A perennial herbaceous plant of the Asparagaceae family, known for its narrow arching leaves and plantlets that form on the ends of runners. Native to tropical and southern Africa.

Description

A clump-forming perennial with fleshy, tuberous roots. Leaves are linear, 20-60 cm long and 1-3 cm wide, arranged in a basal rosette. The inflorescence reaches 30-75 cm in length, often branched and arching downward, producing small white flowers. Plantlets (vegetative propagules) develop from bracts, enabling pseudovivipary. Widely cultivated as a houseplant; variegated cultivars like 'Vittatum' and 'Variegatum' are especially popular.

Habitat

Widespread across sub-Saharan Africa, from West Tropical Africa to Cameroon and from Ethiopia to Southern Africa. Grows in shaded understory of evergreen forests, riverine forests, rock crevices along streams, sometimes epiphytically, from sea level to 2450 m elevation.

Distribution areas

  • Australia

    • New South WalesIntroduced
    • Norfolk Is.Introduced
    • Western AustraliaIntroduced

  • Bangladesh

    • BangladeshIntroduced

  • Burundi

    • BurundiNative

  • Cameroon

    • CameroonNative

  • Chile

    • Juan Fernández Is.Introduced

  • Côte d'Ivoire

    • Ivory CoastNative

  • Ecuador

    • EcuadorIntroduced

  • Equatorial Guinea

    • Equatorial GuineaNative
    • Gulf of Guinea Is.Native

  • Eswatini

    • SwazilandNative

  • Ethiopia

    • EthiopiaNative

  • Gabon

    • GabonIntroduced

  • Germany

    • GermanyIntroduced

  • Guam

    • MarianasIntroduced

  • India

    • Andaman Is.Introduced

  • Kenya

    • KenyaNative

  • Korea, Democratic People's Republic of

    • KoreaIntroduced

  • Korea, Republic of

    • KoreaIntroduced

  • Liberia

    • LiberiaNative

  • Malawi

    • MalawiNative

  • Mauritius

    • MauritiusIntroduced

  • Mozambique

    • MozambiqueNative

  • Myanmar

    • Andaman Is.Introduced

  • Nauru

    • NauruIntroduced

  • New Zealand

    • New Zealand NorthIntroduced

  • Nigeria

    • NigeriaNative

  • Norfolk Island

    • Norfolk Is.Introduced

  • Northern Mariana Islands

    • MarianasIntroduced

  • Portugal

    • MadeiraIntroduced

  • Réunion

    • RéunionIntroduced

  • Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

    • St.HelenaIntroduced
    • Tristan da CunhaIntroduced

  • Sao Tome and Principe

    • Gulf of Guinea Is.Native

  • Seychelles

    • SeychellesIntroduced

  • Sierra Leone

    • Sierra LeoneNative

  • South Africa

    • Cape ProvincesNative
    • KwaZulu-NatalNative
    • Northern ProvincesNative

  • South Sudan

    • SudanNative

  • Spain

    • Canary Is.Introduced

  • Sudan

    • SudanNative

  • Tanzania, United Republic of

    • TanzaniaNative

  • Tunisia

    • TunisiaIntroduced

  • Uganda

    • UgandaNative

  • Zambia

    • ZambiaNative

  • Zimbabwe

    • ZimbabweNative

Climate of the native range

The Köppen climate classes found in the areas this plant is recorded as native to. It does not mean an entire area has that climate.

  • Aw Tropical, savannah
  • Am Tropical, monsoon
  • BSh Arid, steppe, hot
  • BWh Arid, desert, hot
  • Cwa Temperate, dry winter, hot summer
  • Cwb Temperate, dry winter, warm summer
  • BSk Arid, steppe, cold
  • Cfa Temperate, no dry season, hot summer
  • BWk Arid, desert, cold
  • Af Tropical, rainforest
  • Csb Temperate, dry summer, warm summer
  • Cfb Temperate, no dry season, warm summer

The same climate occurs in 260 areas worldwide, 220 of which have no record of this plant. See them on the map

A matching climate does not mean the plant can grow there. Range limits are also set by things other than climate — dispersal history, soils, competition. Source: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0 (observed period 1991–2020).

Recorded medicinal uses

The cited source records medicinal use of this plant. It is not an assessment of efficacy or safety.

  • Chlorophytum comosum is recorded as used medicinally.

    Source location: p.43, left column, line 44

    World Checklist of Useful Plant Species · Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity (KNB) · CC BY 4.0 · source version: wcups-2020-62602715

    Open source

Other names

Spider plant、Common spider plant、Hen and chicks、Airplane plant、Spider ivy、St. Bernard's lily、Ribbon plant

Family
Asparagaceae
Genus
Chlorophytum

Other species in Chlorophytum

Sources

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Australia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Burundi · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Bangladesh · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Chile · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Côte d'Ivoire · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Cameroon · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Germany · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Ecuador · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Spain · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Ethiopia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Gabon · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Equatorial Guinea · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Guam · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    India · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Kenya · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Korea, Republic of · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Liberia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Myanmar · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Northern Mariana Islands · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Mozambique · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Mauritius · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Malawi · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Norfolk Island · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Nigeria · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Nauru · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    New Zealand · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Korea, Democratic People's Republic of · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Portugal · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Réunion · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Sudan · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Sierra Leone · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    South Sudan · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Sao Tome and Principe · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Eswatini · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Seychelles · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Tunisia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Tanzania, United Republic of · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Uganda · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    South Africa · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Zambia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Zimbabwe · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

Image information