Follow the Tricks to Grow a Spilling Spider Plant with long, arching leaves. Learn how to get a full, cascading look for your indoor space.
Want your spider plant to grow long, flowing leaves that spill beautifully over the pot’s edge? With a few simple tricks, you can make it happen! From choosing the right pot to giving proper light and care, these tips will help your spider plant look full and graceful.
Tricks to Grow a Spilling Spider Plant
1. Grow Baby Plants in the Same Pot
When your spider plant sends out baby spiderettes, don’t cut all of them off. Instead, let a few rest on the soil of the pot of the mother plant and take root. This creates multiple layers of growth and makes the pot look lush and overflowing. It will look like one big, happy family of spider plants spilling together.
2. Rotate and Elevate
Every two weeks, rotate the pot slightly so all sides get light evenly. But don’t just rotate, tilt the pot slightly (using a small wedge or a piece of wood) in different directions every few weeks. This playful movement encourages multi-directional spilling instead of one-sided growth.
3. Hang High for the Perfect Flow
The best spilling spider plants are the ones that have space to fall freely. Hang your basket at least 5–6 feet high or place it on a tall stand. The extra height allows the leaves and plantlets to stretch fully downward and create a dramatic, natural drape.
4. Double-Plant for Volume
If you want that lush, overflowing look quickly, then plant two or three spider plants in the same pot. They will fill out faster and produce more offshoots. Just make sure the pot is wide and not too deep so the roots have room to spread horizontally; that’s how spider plants naturally grow in the wild.
5. Train the Leaves for a Fuller Cascade
Just like trailing vines, spider plants can be “trained. Once the leaves grow long, gently guide and position them to hang over the edge of the pot. You can loosely tie a few outer leaves with soft twine for a week or two to encourage the downward curve. Once they have taken shape, remove the ties, and they will continue spilling on their own.
6. Choose a Pot with a Narrow Opening
A simple way to make your spider plant spill beautifully is to use a pot with a narrow top. This shape encourages the long, arching leaves to fall naturally over the sides.
Make sure the pot is deep enough and the base is a bit wider than the root ball so the roots have room to grow. As the plant settles in, it will start to produce more leaves that fountain outward and give it that lush, cascading style.
