Growing spider plant seeds is easy, and you can harvest new ones ever year.
In this post I’ll show you how to collect them and give you the step-by-step planting instructions, as well as seedling care tips.
You might be surprised to learn that spider plants can be grown from seed, and you can easily collect them yourself.
It’s a fun way to multiply your Chlorophytum comosum (aka airplane plants), and it’s also pretty simple to do once you know how to properly gather and sow them.
Below I’ll tell you everything you need to know about spider plant seeds, including where they come from, how to find them, and step by step instructions for how to plant them.
Do Spider Plants Have Seeds?
Yes, spider plants have seeds which you can easily collect and grow yourself. But before you get too excited, there are a few important things to understand.
Below I’ll discuss all you need to know about how they produce pods and seeds and where to find them.
How Do Spider Plants Produce Seeds?
In order for an airplane plant to produce seeds, the flowers must be pollinated. You can do this yourself, or put your plant outside during the summer and let the bees do the work for you.
Once pollinated, the flowers will dry up and fall off leaving behind the seed pods. Woohoo!
What Do Spider Plant Seed Pods Look Like?
Spider plant seed pods look like small green heart-shaped balls when they first appear.
There may be only a few or several, and they can form anywhere along the arching stems.
Once they are mature, the pods will turn brown and eventually open up to reveal the seeds inside.
What Do Spider Plant Seeds Look Like?
Spider plant seeds look kind of like the ones you’d find inside of a bell pepper. They are about the same size and shape, but black in color.
Each pod contains 3-4 seeds. In optimal conditions, a mature plant can produce several seeds every year.
How To Harvest Spider Plant Seeds
Before harvesting the seeds, you need to allow the pods to dry out on your Chlorophytum comosum, otherwise they may not be viable. Wait until they turn brown and start to split open.
Once that happens, simply clip or pinch them off and drop them into a paper bag or container. Then gently shake the container or break open the pods to collect the seeds.
If you don’t get to them before they open, the seeds may fall out on their own. So to make it easier, put your plant in a place where the seeds won’t get lost if the pods open.
What To Do With Spider Plant Seeds
Once you collect the seeds they are ready to plant right away, or you can store them for later.
But spider plant seeds don’t store well, and will start to lose their viability in as short as 6 months. So it’s best to sow them as soon as you can.
Related Post: How To Properly Water Spider Plants
How To Grow Spider Plant Seeds
Though it may sound like it would be difficult, spider plant seeds are surprisingly easy to grow.
While you could certainly try direct sowing them, the method I recommend using for the best chance of success is to start them indoors.
When To Plant Chlorophytum comosum Seeds
The best time of the year to plant your Chlorophytum comosum seeds is in the later winter or early spring.
The reason for this is that the seedlings are much easier to care for during the warmer months. But as long as you have the right equipment, you can start them anytime.
Related Post: How To Propagate Spider Plants (In 5 Easy Steps)
Spider Plant Germination Time
On average, spider plant seeds typically germinate somewhere between 12-16 days after sowing them.
However, it can take as long as month or more before they start to sprout, so don’t give up on them too early.
To speed things up, keep the soil evenly moist but never soggy, and place them on a heat mat to add extra warmth.
What Do Airplane Plant Seedlings Look Like?
When they first pop up, spider plant seedlings look like tiny versions of their normal leaves.
There will only be one leaf at first, but more will soon follow. As they get larger, they’ll look like the babies you’re probably already familiar with.
Related Post: Why Do Spider Plant Tips Turn Brown & How To Fix It
How To Care For Spider Plant Seedlings
Once you see the tiny airplane plant seedlings popping up, it’s important to give them the proper care in order for them to survive. You can read my basic seedling care guide, but here are some quick tips…
Light
Once thing that makes growing spider plants from seeds easier than most is the fact that they don’t need a ton of light.
Most of the time, a sunny window is all you’ll need. However, if your home is fairly dark, then I recommend hanging a grow light a few inches above them.
Water
For the best results, keep the soil evenly moist at all times. Never allow it to dry out completely, or become soggy or overly saturated.
Use a moisture meter to help you get it just right, the gauge should read somewhere in the middle.
Fertilizer
Once your spider plant seedlings have 4-5 leaves, you can begin to fertilize them. Start by giving them a weak ½ dose, then slowly increase it to full strength as they get larger.
I use (and highly recommend) organic indoor plant food, or a compost tea on my seedlings. Fish emulsion also works great, but it can get a little stinky when used indoors.
Learn all you need to know about growing them in my detailed spider plant care guide!
Potting Up
Spider plant seedlings are very delicate, so it’s extremely important to wait until they are mature enough before potting them up, or they may not survive.
It takes several weeks for them to get large enough to repot (the seedlings in my pictures are way too small).
Once they’re 3-4″ tall and have several leaves, pot them up into 4″ containers. You can just use general purpose soil for them.
Related Post: How To Choose The Best Spider Plant Soil
FAQs
In this section, I’ll answer the most frequently asked questions I get about growing spider plant seeds. If you can’t find yours here, ask it in the comments below.
Can spider plants grow from seeds?
Yes, spider plants can grow from seeds. For the best results you should plant them right after collecting them, because they don’t store very well.
Are spider plants easy to grow from seed?
Spider plants are easy to grow from seed as long as you follow the proper steps and don’t wait too long before sowing them.
How long do spider plant seeds take to grow?
Spider plant seeds can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to as long as a month or more to grow, so be patient. Keeping the soil evenly moist and providing plenty of warmth will help them germinate faster.
How long do spider plant seeds last?
Spider plant seeds don’t last very long, and will start to lose their viability within about 6 months. So it’s best to plant them as soon as you can, rather than trying to store them for an extended period of time.
Now that you know how simple it really is to grow spider plants from seed, you’ll be able to expand your collection as much as you want. It’s a great way to share your favorites with friends too!
Want to learn how to easily grow all of your own seeds so you can save tons of money on plants every year? My Online Seed Starting Course will teach you everything you need to know in order to be successful. Enroll in the course and get started today!
Otherwise, if you’re just looking for a quick refresher to get going fast, then my Staring Seeds Indoors eBook is what you need.
More About Growing Seeds
- How To Grow Castor Bean Plants From Seed
- How To Grow An Avocado Tree From Seed
- How To Grow Seeds: The Ultimate Seed Starting Guide
Have you ever grown spider plants from seed? Share you experiences in the comments below.
Step-By-Step Instructions
How To Plant Spider Plant Seeds
Planting spider plant seeds is easy. Gather your supplies and follow the steps below to make the process quick and straightforward.
Materials
- Spider plant seeds
- Covered trays
- Seed starting soil
- OR Starter pellets
- Water
Tools
Instructions
- Prepare the soil - If you’re using pellets, pre-moisten them before placing them in the trays. Otherwise, use your trowel to fill each cell in your tray with the soil medium.
- Decide how many seeds to plant - If you're using fresh seeds, you can plant one per cell/pellet. Spider plant seeds lose their viability fairly quickly, so if they're more than 6 months old, sow 2-3 per hole.
- Sow the seeds - Plant them about a ¼” - ½” deep. You can make a hole first and then drop them in, or lay them on top and press them down gently into the medium.
- Cover the seeds - Replace soil over the top and gently press it down so each seed has good contact. Take care not to push hard, compaction can slow or inhibit germination.
- Moisten the soil - Lightly water the soil until it's evenly moist, but avoid saturating it. It's best to pour it into the bottom tray rather than over the top to avoid displacing the medium.
- Cover the trays - Tent a plastic bag or dome lid over the top of your trays to trap moisture and heat during germination.
- Keep them warm - The optimal soil temperature for spider plant seed germination is around 70-75°F. Place them somewhere warm, like the top of your fridge or on a heat mat to speed things up. Use a soil thermometer to help you maintain an ideal temp.
Notes
- It can take a month or more for spider plant seeds to germinate, so be patient.
- Always keep the medium consistently moist. If it’s too wet or dry, the seeds may not germinate. Use a moisture gauge to monitor it.
- Once your spider plant seedlings have several sets of true leaves and outgrow the cells/pellets, you can pot them up into 4” containers.
Gabriella Thomas says
I was gifted a spider plant yesterday… So I am very excited on how “Lucy” will turn out.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Wonderful, enjoy your new baby spider plant!
Marti Bush says
Where can I buy spider plant seeds? I volunteer at a community garden and the kids want to grow some indoor plants. I can’t find seeds anywhere. Suggestions?
Amy Andrychowicz says
I have never found spider plant seeds for sale anywhere before. It would suggest asking around to see if any of your friends have spider plants that you can try pollinating to collect the seeds. Good luck!
Jedail says
I had no clue spider plants could have seeds, i know that sounds silly.
I was wondering how do you pollinate the flowers by hand ?
I have not put any of mine outside to be pollinated,and yet one of them has a seed pod.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes. To pollinate the spider plant flowers you can just use your finger to spread pollen around from flower to flower.
Emily says
So cool. My mom has these at her house, but I don’t know if she knows you can get seeds from spider plants.
Lisa says
No, I keep it inside. However, it did become infested with fungus gnats once. Is it possible that they did the pollinating? I finally got rid of them, thankfully. Thanks for the response. I will enjoy planting those seeds to see what happens.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Humm… I guess it’s possible that the soil gnats could have helped pollinate them. But that would have been completely by accident because soil gnats don’t care about flowers. Weirdness. 🙂 Glad to hear you have the soil gnats under control!
Lisa says
I noticed that my spider plant had produced seed pods. I didn’t realize they would do this. Mine has never produced the babies which are usually expected. I get lots of flowering “vines”, but no spider plant babies. Do you have any idea why? Anyway, thanks for your post. I will be planting my spider plant seeds soon. 🙂
Amy Andrychowicz says
Wow, interesting. I don’t know for sure why your spider plant doesn’t grow any babies. But my guess is that since the flowers are being pollinated, they are producing seed rather than babies. Do you keep your spider plant outside?
Aida F. says
Hi Amy and thank you so much for this great article!! I had a Spiderplant for 8+ years that finally had two babies and all three were doing great until they got affected by scale. I spent the last two years trying everything I could to rid the scale and they finally start coming back full circle but unfortunately I lost all three to last Winter cold temps and not enough heat in my apartment. So last week I received 4 tiny spider plant seedlings that my Mom grew from seed, imagine how HAPPY I was to get these babies after losing my three plants. So far the seedlings went from 1 leaf each to 3 in a week. I give them morning sun then switch to my Aerogarden for the rest of the afternoons until they get established, then Ill keep them in sun. I SO hope they live for years and that I can collect my own seeds from them!! 🙂
Amy Andrychowicz says
Awesome, love the happy ending to this story!! Good luck with your spider plant seedlings, and I hope they will grow great for you! P.S. Don’t keep them in the full sun tough, spider plants like bright light, but direct sunlight can be too intense for them. Keep them near a sunny window, but out of the hot sunlight. 🙂
Aida F. says
Thank you so much Amy. Btw, sorry for the typos and I hope they do too, fingers crossed! 🙂
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome! And no problem about the typos. 🙂
Kris says
I want to share my experience with my spider plant. It started out as my daughter’s work plant. It was very small & it looked hopeless, but she gave it to me. I leave it out in the summer, & it is so happy & healthy, & very very full. When I brought it in this fall, my spider plant started dropping seeds. I didn’t realize what they were at first, & I was just throwing them away, but after I read the above information I was very excited so I planted all of the spider plant seeds in a small pot. I’m hoping I will get more spider plants. Thank you so much for your help.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Very cool, I love that story! Thank you so much for sharing. So glad you found this post helpful, and I hope your spider plant seeds will grow great for you!
William Neiman says
I am 42 years old. I grew up with my mother always having spider plants. My plant had produced flowers!! Mom never saw spider seeds developed before on hers…but when their kept indoors all year long bees can’t access the plant!!!So I used my finger as Mr. bumblebee and just touch my finger from flower to flower back-and-forth several times and it pollinated just fine!!! I’ve heard of using a artists brush to do the same.
Amy Andrychowicz says
I grew up surrounded my spider plants too! My mom always kept them indoors as well, and they never got seeds. Very cool that you were able to pollinate the spider plant flowers yourself! Congrats!!
landra says
Do you know of any one that’s sells spider plant seeds?
Amy Andrychowicz says
I don’t. Sorry! I’ve never seen spider plant seeds for sale before.
Melissa says
Amazon
Amy Andrychowicz says
I’ve searched Amazon for them and didn’t find any (Chlorophytum comosum seeds). Please share a link if you found some. 🙂
Rob says
I got mine off ebay and all 50 have germinated
Marlene says
My spider plant has almost 100 babies and about 75 seeds. It is fall in my zone and I need to know how to store the seeds until spring.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Store them in a cool dry place. Spider plant seeds don’t really keep well, and will lose their viability quickly. So you should sow them as soon as you can. I wouldn’t keep them stored for more than 4-5 months, at the longest. I’ve never tested how long they will store and still remain viable. Here’s more details about how I store my seeds… Storing Seeds Spider plant seedlings are just as easy to grow through the winter as the mother plant is though, so even if you plant the seeds in the fall, you can grow the seedlings as you would any spider plant houseplant.
Brian horne says
The spider plant I have is not the one with long stem like leaves but five petal leaves on a tall stalk with lots of flowers on top,I am getting plenty of seed pods is there any way to store them till early spring or if planted now will they return next spring I live in myrtle beach and we do get a few weeks of temps below 32,looks like I’m gonna have hundreds of seeds,my flowers are of all different colors
Amy Andrychowicz says
I’m not familiar with the variety you have, but the one I have is hardy down to 25 degrees. Since you have so many seeds, it might be worth testing out a few to see if they will survive through the winter if you plant them now. Otherwise, here’s how you can store them until spring… How To Store Seeds
Dawn says
I have bulbs on the root system can I cut the bulbs and start new plants from them and how do I start them
Amy Andrychowicz says
No, unfortunately you can’t start new spider plants from the tuberous roots. If you want to divide your plant, this post will help you out… Tips For Repotting Houseplants
Jonathon Vaughan says
The tuberous roots are actually only water reservoir roots that is why its important to only water spider plants when the top soil appears to be majorly dry!
Anonymous says
The key to getting successful seeds its to not seperate the babys. leave them on the plant to encourage more shoots and then you should start getting flowers. dead head the ones that dry out daily as this encourages more flowers and makes pollination almost impossible not to happen. my spider has 11 plus stems currently and is flowering daily with 20/30 flowers.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Cool, thanks for the excellent tips!Amy
Modern Mia Gardening says
Great post! I didn't know spider plants had seeds. I've always taken cuttings to make more. I'll be on the lookout for seeds this year. Thanks for the tip!
Amy Andrychowicz says
Thank you, and you're welcome! 🙂 hope you get seeds this year! Good luck.Amy
El Gaucho says
Great post. I was given a very small spider plant last year and am hoping that it will set seeds this year so I can see if your experiment works for me too.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Thanks! Good luck, hope you get some spider plant seeds this year.