Did You Know Spider Plants Can Flower? 3 Things that Will Help them Bloom This Spring

If there's one houseplant I recommend to all beginner houseplant collectors, it's the spider plant. Not only is it a staple for luscious indoor garden foliage, it's also one of the easiest to care for. But, there is one common thing many struggle to achieve: getting a spider plant to flower.

In the spring and summer months, spider plants often put out long flower spikes, or runners, with tiny white flowers along them. But, even when providing optimal spider plant care, you may not see any of these charming white blooms. It doesn't mean your spider plant isn't happy, however. Rather, a lack of blooms can simply indicate your plant isn't yet mature enough or it hasn't got quite enough sunlight.

Essentially, there are very specific requirements for a spider plant to flower. But, the good news is it's easy to achieve – with nearly all types of spider plants. Here, I outline the three most common reasons a spider plant isn't blooming and how to go about getting a spider plant to flower.

3 Reasons your Spider Plant isn't Blooming

There are many benefits of spider plants, including the fact they adorn interiors with charming, dainty white blooms.

Bear in mind they only come out in the warmest months, so don't be surprised to find they don't have any flowers in fall and winter.

1. Your Spider Plant isn't Old Enough

One of the biggest reasons a spider plant isn't flowering is the fact it isn't yet mature enough.

Typically, a spider plant needs to be one-three years old before it starts flower production.

Younger spider plants (like this spider plant from Amazon) rather focus on foliage growth and establishing a strong foundation.

It's the same reason you don't see younger spider plants producing 'spiderettes,' or offshoots used to propagate a spider plant. In fact, these offshoots are produced at the end of the runners the plants produce for flowering, so the two often happen together.

So, if this is the case, you can get a spider plant to flower by simply waiting another year or so. As it enters maturity, it will start blooming and growing spiderettes to multiply.

2. Your Spider Plant Needs Brighter Light

Besides the plant being established enough to bloom, the number one thing needed to get a spider plant to flower is bright light.

Spider plants are native to tropical regions of Africa where they soak up dappled bright light, beneath the canopy of trees in forest environments.

In the home, it should receive around six-eight hours of bright sun a day. You should, however, avoid direct sun which can cause leaf scorch on its sensitive foliage.

While spider plants can adapt to be indoor low-light plants (to a certain extent), they will have much slower growth in this environment. While the plant conserves energy in this more challenging environment, it won't focus on flowering but rather surviving.

If you don't have a brighter spot to move your spider plant to, consider the help of a grow light for houseplants.

This grow light on Amazon provides full spectrum light and has an automatic timer, for convenient, low-effort use.

3. Your Spider Plant Needs Warmer Temperatures

Alongside bright light, warmth encourages spider plant flowers.

Being native to tropical regions, these houseplants thrive best in temperatures between 65–75°F, and you're less likely to get spider plant flowers if you're growing it somewhere cooler.

At the same time, cooler nights (around 50–60°F) in spring can help trigger spider plant flowers. It acts as an environment cue for the changing season, kickstarting flower production.

Likewise, a boost to of humidity can encourage flowering, such as sitting a spider plant on a pebble tray (from Amazon). This will also help prevent spider plant turning brown at the tips of its leaves.

In general, you may spot a spider plant turning yellow if growing in the path of a draft or by a cold window, so it's best to avoid a chillier position altogether.

You can use this Amazon room thermostat to monitor temperatures for your spider plant and move it accordingly.

FAQs

How Long Do Spider Plants Flower For?

Spider plant flowers make a fleeting appearance. They tend to only last a day or two, but a spider plant will continue flowering on long stems (known as runners) for several weeks at a time in the spring and summer months.

You can use a spider plant's flower spikes to grow a hanging spider plant and create a living spectacle for your home.

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