There is a trick to growing a spider plant from seed because spider plant seeds don’t store well. Use off-shoots instead.
In other words, don’t go looking for a packet of spider plant seeds for a Chlorophytum Comosum at your local nursery. You probably won’t find any.
Plus, propagating spider plants from the offshoots is extremely easy and cheap (not to mention fast). Therefore, most people don’t have any reason to look for or harvest their own seeds.
Having said that, I’ll show you how to harvest these seeds from your own plant if you want to.
Where to Get Spider Plant Seeds…
Seeds are best planted right away after you take them off of the mother plant, according to Gardening Know How.
Therefore, instead of buying seeds, you will want to harvest the seeds off of an established plant.
How to Harvest Spider Plant Seeds
Wait for your spider plant to bloom. You will see small flowers growing on the off-shoots of the mother plant.
Once the flowers have faded, you will see bumpy green seed pods.
Keep in mind that you can easily overlook them due to their small size. I mean, check out the picture on the right.
Next, wait for these pods to dry while still attached to the stem.
After they dry, they should split open naturally and drop their seeds (Source). Then you want to immediately plant them in moist rich soil. Germinate can take up to few weeks.
As you can see from the photo on the left, the seeds look black in color and are very small. In fact, they actually look a little like poppy seeds.
Planting Spiderettes…
Of course, you could cut and plant the “spider plant babies” that grow off of the mother plant. They can usually grow into a full-grown plant in just a few months (depending on the climate/season).
Plus, these off-shoots are virtually fool-proof. In my experience, even the babies who have not grown roots yet can grow into new plants successfully.
The trick is to place the newly cut off-shoots into a container of filtered water for a couple of weeks (sometimes less).
Do you want to grow a spider plant? Unless you are looking for the Cleome Hassleriana species, you may be better off growing a spider plant from a live off-shoot.
Pros & Cons of Growing Spider Plants from Seed VS Plantlets:
| Aspect | Spider Plants from Seeds | Spider Plants from Plantlets |
|---|---|---|
| Growth Timeline | Longer, typically 2 to 5 years to reach maturity | Faster growth and maturity compared to seeds |
| Germination Success | Variable success rates; may experience delays in germination | High success rates as plantlets are clones of parent plant |
| Genetic Variation | Potential for genetic variation and unique traits | Identical to parent plant; limited genetic diversity |
| Variety | Opportunity to explore different varieties | Limited to varieties of parent plant |
| Availability | Seeds may be readily available but require patience | Dependent on availability of mature parent plants |
| Consistency | Germination may result in varied characteristics | Consistent characteristics with parent plant |
| Experimentation Opportunities | Allows for experimentation with different traits | Limited opportunity for genetic exploration |
| Satisfaction | Satisfaction from nurturing a plant from seed stage | Immediate gratification from faster growth |
| Dependence on Parent Plants | Not dependent on availability of mature parent plants | Requires mature parent plants for propagation |
