Looking for the comparison of Snake Plant vs. Spider Plant?
Well, you have landed on the right page.
Both these indoor plants are hugely popular among home gardeners.
The plants look quite stunning in living rooms and are easy to grow as well.
So, if you are looking for more information on these two plants, check out the following guide.
In this guide, I have tried to share as much information available on this topic.
Hopefully, it will make your decision a lot easier in the end.
Contents:
What Is Snake Plant?
The Snake plant, also known as Dracaena trifasciata, is a typical desert plant.
Sometimes, it is also referred to as the mother-in-law’s tongue plant due to its peculiar leaves shape.
It is typically found in West African regions and grows perennially in such tough weather conditions.
It comes under the category of succulent plants that blooms once in a while.
Like many desert plants, the Snake plant also grows in rosette formation.
As per the Nasa Clean Air Study, the plant is considered one of the best air-purifying plants in the world.
What Is Spider Plant?
Spider plant, also known as Chlorophytum comosum, is a flowering plant and belongs to the perennial category of plants.
It is native to the African region as well, though it is generally found in Southern Africa.
The plant has a tuberous root system, which is a typical phenomenon in plants that grow in harsh weather conditions.
This type of root system allows the plant to store enough water for difficult times.
The Spider plant can also be kept indoors, though it doesn’t tolerate a lot of heat and humid weather.
The plant is among the list of air-purifying plants, too.
Snake Plant vs. Spider Plant – The Similarities
| Snake Plant | Spider Plant | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Perennial | Perennial |
| Produces Pups | Yes | Yes |
| Grows Indoor | Yes | Yes |
| Flowering Plant | Yes | Yes |
| Leaf Variegation | Yes, in some species | Yes, in some species |
| Root System | Rhizomes | Rhizomes |
| Air Purifying Properties | Yes | Yes |
| Availability | Across the world | Across the world |
Let’s learn more about some of these similarities below.
1. They Grow Well In Indoor Conditions
The Snake plant and Spider plant can be grown indoors, as they do just fine with the limited resources.
However, both of them do require a good amount of sunlight.
Without sunlight, you can’t expect these plants to do well at your home.
2. Both The Plants Produce Pups
Yes, that’s the most fun part of growing these plants at home.
When the Snake plant and Spider plant reach a certain age and turn mature, they produce new offsprings as a part of their growth phase.
The Snake plant produces small pups around the plant if there is enough space in the pot.
The Spider plant also produces similar pups, and it sends out aerial runners through which the new plants are born.
For both the plants, you can remove their pups from the mother plant and move them to a new pot.
This is also the reason why these plants are so popular among new gardeners.
You can also gift these tiny cute-looking pups to your friends, as they generally do well with a little bit of care.
3. Both Are Perennials
Yes, these are perennial plants, which means you can grow them for many seasons.
The best thing about the perennials is you can even propagate them many times in their lifecycles.
These plants also produce new pups if they get the right conditions.
So, with these types of plants, you don’t have to buy a new plant every year or so.
Just use any of the propagation techniques, and you will never have to go back to your local nursery for the same plant.
4. Both Of Them Produce Flowers
Yes, both the Snake plant and Spider plant produce flowers.
These are not the typical flowering plants in your outdoor garden, but their flowers look absolutely stunning when they grow in indoor settings.
However, the flowering process depends on a lot of different factors, and the environmental conditions do play a significant role in whether the plant will bloom in a particular season or not.
Note: You won’t see these plants flowering when they are young.
5. Leaf Variegation
Leaf variegation is another commonality between the Snake plant vs. Spider plant comparison.
Both these plants have different varieties of variegated plants, and these plants look quite stunning in indoor gardens.
For those who don’t know, leaf variegation is something that happens naturally in plants.
When the plant doesn’t produce enough chlorophyll, the part of the leaf remains discolored.
It happens because of mutation in cells, and it’s pretty much an organic process in plants.
The type of variegation, though, might depend on the genetic (inherited from earlier generation) as well as the chimeric process (random).
Snake Plant vs. Spider Plant – The Differences
| Snake Plant | Spider Plant | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | West Africa | South Africa |
| Leaf Structure | Wide | Narrow |
| Height | Can grow up to 2 m | Grows up to 30 cm |
| Aerial Pups Production | No | Yes |
| Easy To Care | Yes | Slightly Difficult |
Now, let’s have a look at some of the main differences between these two plants.
1. Snake Plant Is A Succulent
Even though it seems like a regular plant, the Snake plant belongs to succulents.
On the other hand, the Spider plant is a typical flowering plant that can be grown indoors.
2. Aerial Pups In Spider Plants
The Spider plants often produce aerial pups with the help of runners.
These aerial pups grow a complete plant structure of their own, which can be used for transplant purposes.
As for the Snake plant, it doesn’t produce any such aerial offsprings.
It generally sends out new shoots from the soil, which can also be divided and potted into a new plant container.
3. The Leaf Structure
Both these indoor plants have different leaf structures.
The Snake plant leaves are quite wide as compared to the narrow leaves of the Spider plant.
The leaves of the Snake plant will also hold their shape for a long period.
However, the Spider plant leaves tend to lean down when they grow bigger in size.
FAQs
In my opinion, the Snake plant is much better than the Spider plant.
It doesn’t require a lot of attention and can withstand much harsher conditions than most indoor plants.
So, even if you ignore this plant for a while, the plant won’t mind at all.
It may show signs of underwatering, but it will be easier to rejuvenate the plant again.
However, this won’t be the case for Spider plants.
Yes, it is definitely one of the hardy plants in the gardening world.
It can cope with different environmental conditions and will still continue to do well.
So, if you are a newbie and thinking of getting this plant at home, go ahead and get one for yourself.
You will find it much easier to grow this indoor plant than many other sensitive plants.
Yes, the Snake plants are known to filter some of the harmful compounds in the air.
It won’t clean the entire air in the room, but it will surely be an excellent addition to your home garden.
Yes, the Spider plants do well in indoor conditions.
However, they are a bit difficult to grow, especially if you live in a place where the temperature fluctuates a lot on either side of the range.
You will also need to provide enough water and sunlight to this plant regularly.
Otherwise, the leaves may start turning brown fairly quickly.
No, these plants don’t attract spiders.
The name Spider plant is derived from the plant’s offsprings on aerial runners, as they look pretty similar to the spiders.
But yes, you don’t have to worry about any such issue in this type of plant.
Over To You
Snake plants and Spider plants are quite different from each other.
So, if you are looking to get one of these plants for your home garden, you will need to look at their growing condition requirements.
Once you understand these requirements, you can choose any of these plants for yourself.
In case you have any queries or doubts, feel free to ask them in the comments.
If you found this comparison guide useful, please share it with your friends and family.
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