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Airplane Plant

Chlorophytum comosum (klo-ro-FY-tum ko-MOH-sum)

Family: Asparagaceae Non-native Herbaceous (1-3 ft)

'Variegateum' is a variegated sport of the spider plant houseplant which is in the Asparagaceae (asparagus) family and is native to South Africa. This cultivar has green leaves with white margins. It produces small white star-shaped flowers from which plantlets form that dangle from stems that can be up to 2 feet long. This occurs when the days start getting shorter in the fall. This easy-care plant can be grown indoors in pots or hanging baskets in bright indirect light and average humidity. It needs moist, well-drained soil during the growing season and reduce water during the winter. Do not over-fertilize this plant as that will cut back on plantlet formation. It can also be grown outdoors in a shady location as an annual. The plantlets that form on the hanging stems will form aerial roots as they mature and can be removed to plant in a growing medium to form new plants The fleshy tuberous roots will eventually fill the pot to bursting and the plant will need to be divided. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Susceptible to root rot if waterlogged, whiteflies, spider mites, scales and aphids. Too little water or humidity will cause browning of the leaf tips. Direct sun will scald the leaves. VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee. More information on Chlorophytum comosum .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 41 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Begonia Begonia 'Argenteo-guttata' Heptapleurum arboricola

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Herbaceous Perennial; Houseplant
Life cycle
Perennial
Light
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Cascading
Texture
Fine
Leaf color
Green; Variegated; White
Leaf arrangement
Rosulate
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf value
Long-lasting; Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Varigated green strap-like leaves are 8-15 inches long and .2- 1 inch wide with white margins.
Flower color
White
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Star-shaped whitish flowers with six petals are initially in clusters but many die off leaving 1 or 2 flowers on short stalks.
Bloom time
Fall
Fruit type
Capsule
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
South Africa
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Capsule
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Houseplants; Patio; Woodland
Design feature
Border
Garden tags
#showy leaves #houseplant #patio #hanging baskets #offsets plantlets #landscape plant sleuths course #partial shade tolerant #variegated #container plant
Problems & Resistance
Propagation
Division; Stem Cutting

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.