Demystifying the Uncommon All-Green Spider Plant Variety

The spider plant is one of the most popular and recognizable houseplants around. With its long arching leaves and trailing spiderette babies, it adds a dash of effortless style to any indoor space. While most spider plants sport variegated foliage streaked with white solid green varieties also exist. But what causes these rare all-green spider plants to lack the usual white markings?

In this article, we’ll unravel the mysteries behind the elusive all-green spider plant We’ll explore what makes them different, why they occur, and how to find these uncommon green beauties for your own collection.

Typical Spider Plant Varieties are Variegated

Spider plants are scientifically known as Chlorophytum comosum. The vast majority of spider plants have leaves decorated with white stripes or margins. This variegation arises due to a lack of chlorophyll in those areas, allowing the white or yellow underlying tissue to show through.

Some popular variegated spider plant varieties include:

• Vittatum – White stripe down the leaf center

• Variegatum – White margins along leaf edges

• Bonnie – Curls and yellow stripes

• Hawaiian – Cream, yellow and green stripes

• Zebra – White edges on green leaves

This variegation is considered a mutation, as most plants have solid green leaves. The vibrant contrast of white against green makes these varieties stand out as houseplants.

What Causes All-Green Spider Plants?

So what explains the occurrence of hard-to-find all-green spider plants? These solid green varieties arise due to a genetic reverting back to the plant’s ancestral state.

In nature, a mutation results in variegation appearing on some individual plants within a population. When breeders select these as desirable varieties to propagate, the variegation gets carried forward.

But the original wildtype genes are still present in the plants. On rare occasions, they spontaneously resurface as a genetic throwback, and plants revert to having plain green leaves.

Essentially, all-green spider plants represent the ancestral form of the species before variegation appeared. They lack the genetic mutation that blocks chlorophyll production in their leaves.

Availability of All-Green Spider Plants

Due to their rarity, all-green spider plants can be extremely difficult to find. They are usually only available from specialist collectors and boutique growers focused on rare plant varieties.

A few potential sources include:

• Local nurseries – Check with independent nurseries in your area to see if they have any in stock or can special order them.

• Online specialty vendors – Companies like Steve’s Leaves, Gabriella Plants, and Glasshouse Works occasionally offer them.

• Rarity lists – Sign up for waiting lists at vendors like Gabriella Plants and Darth Plantus to get notified when available.

• Swap meets – Keep an eye out for collectors swapping these uncommon green spider plants at plant exchanges.

• Private sellers – Connect with houseplant enthusiasts via social media groups and houseplant Reddit boards to find private sellers offering clippings or full plants.

Patience and persistence is key to getting your hands on an all-green spider plant. But connecting with the collector community can help you acquire this unusual variant.

Caring for All-Green Spider Plants

Cultivating an all-green spider plant is easy since their care is identical to the regular variegated varieties. Here are some growing tips:

• Light – Provide bright, indirect light to encourage lush growth. Rotate the plant periodically.

• Water – Allow soil to dry out between waterings. Increase frequency in summer and reduce in winter.

• Soil – Use a well-draining potting mix amended with perlite or sand.

• Fertilizer – Feed monthly with a balanced houseplant fertilizer in spring and summer.

• Temperature – Average home temperatures between 60°F to 80°F are ideal. Avoid cold drafts.

• Humidity – Average humidity is fine, but mist occasionally for added moisture.

• Propagation – Remove spiderette babies when they have small roots to create new plants.

With proper care, an all-green spider plant will grow vigorously and produce plenty of offshoots you can propagate. Share them with fellow plant enthusiasts!

Characteristics of All-Green Spider Plants

Aside from the lack of variegation, solid green spider plants look nearly identical to their striped cousins. Here are some of their key features:

• Leaf color – Deep green leaves without stripes, margins, or variegation. The stems match the green color.

• Leaf shape – Long, pointed, narrow leaves that arch and drape over the pot.

• Size – Typically grows 12 to 24 inches tall and wide as a houseplant.

• Growth habit – Produces trailing shoots and offshoots along arching stems.

• Flowers – Small white flowers may appear on inflorescences in summer.

• Fragrance – Leaves may emit a mild grassy or herbaceous scent when bruised.

The all-over green color gives this variety a simple elegance. But otherwise, the growth pattern and structural form essentially remains the same as a variegated spider plant.

Final Thoughts

For spider plant lovers who want a clean, monochromatic look, tracking down an uncommon all-green variety is worth the effort. Their rarity makes these coveted collector’s items. Yet beyond the novelty lies a basically unchanged plant that’s just as easy to grow as its striped counterparts.

If you have the opportunity to own one of these exclusive green spider plants, be sure to care for it properly and propagate it to share with others. In time, hopefully it will become less obscure and more widely grown by houseplant enthusiasts.