Is this a spider plant or something else?

11 years ago

I got excited today when I read that my local bees are very attracted to the common "spider plant" house plant.

It's because I work at a restaurant that keeps live indoor plants that thrive in low light conditions; however, if the plants appear distressed in any way, management is much more inclined to give them away and buy new plants instead of nursing the bad-looking ones back to health. Thus, I manage to snatch up quite a few free house plants from time to time and bring them back up to optimal health.

From my restaurant, I acquired what I thought was a common spider plant, which is why I was excited when I read about the bees being attracted to them. I don't really want to keep bees myself, but I do want them thrive as much as possible in my garden.

After looking at many different pictures on the internet, though, I am not so sure this is a spider plant after all. I am hoping more knowledgeable members could identify this house plant. Hopefully, I am wrong and it is just another variety of spider plant that looks different but I would like to know for sure.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Comments (13)

tripleione
Original Author
11 years ago
Another angle...
tripleione
Original Author
11 years ago
One more
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elkay_gw
11 years ago
That looks like a dracaena warneckii to me.
tripleione
Original Author
11 years ago
I thought it might be a dracaena also, but I have two dracaena plants (one dracaena marginata and another just labeled dracaena) right next to this one and the leaves are much thinner and longer than this plant's leaves. The colors are also different, but I expect that is just a trait that varies from plant to plant.
tripleione
Original Author
11 years ago
Just looked it up... it does indeed look like dracaena warneckii to me also. Thanks for the tip,
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
11 years ago
I'd like you to look up Dracaena deremensis "lemon lime ", just for fun.
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
11 years ago
I'd agree with one of those striped Dracs. None of them like soggy soil or the fluoride in tap water.

To attract bees, you just need some of the most ordinary and inexpensive long-blooming flowers (from seeds,) like sunflowers, Basil, Zinnias...

Spider plants make a very small amount of flowers for a very short time, so not very reliable in regard to attracting bees or any pollinators.
houseplantlover86
11 years ago
That is definitely a lemon-lime Dracaena!
tripleione
Original Author
11 years ago
purpleinopp, I read about the spider plant being beneficial for bees in the link below. Not to argue, though, as I have almost no experience with attracting bees (yet)... just listing my sources.

Here is a link that might be useful: An Herb Garden for the Bees
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
11 years ago
Aha, this is a perfect example of the difficulty encountered with using only common names. In the context of your source, they must mean Cleome (likely C. hassleriana) although I don't know what other plant might be popularly referred to in NC in 1970 regarding annuals grown from seed. Whatever it is, I'm 100% sure the table at that link is not referring to Chlorophytum.
tripleione
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks for the clarification. Your explanation makes much more sense. I'll keep an eye out for those "Cleome" flowers.
teengardener1888
11 years ago
Here is a list of annuals that attract bees. I have encountered bees feeding on my spider plants though.The flowers only occasionally had bees. these will do a lot better

Sunflower( Helianthus annus )
Zinnia
French Marigold(Tagetes patula)
Cleomie( Cleomie hasselierna) (Ive googled spider plants to have spider flower come up)
Garden Balsam( Impatients balsamina)
Annual salvia(Salvia spp.)
Basil(Ocicum bascilium)

*These are plants ive grown to find bees like. There are much more
flora_uk
11 years ago
A bit late to the party but Purple is absolutely right. It's those wretched common names at fault again. Your link is referring to Cleome. Other clues that it is not Chlorophytum are its height and that it is an annual. For future reference, It is really useful to find the correct scientific name for a plant. This is not a snobby affectation, as some seem to believe, but will avoid lots of misunderstanding and wild goose chases. In fact the LESS you know about plants the MORE important the correct name is.