Plants Similar to Spider Plant (And Popular Spider Plant Varieties You Should Know About)

Last Updated on April 15, 2022 by Admin

Spider plants are amazing because not only are they beautiful to look at, they’re tough and can take a lot of neglect.

This makes them a popular houseplant. And they are perfect for beginners as well.

If you love the appearance of your spider plant, then here area some plant similar to the spider plant. These plants look like the spider plant but are different plants.

And for even more options, I’ve likewise included popular spider plant varieties for good measure. You’ll be surprised at how similar these varieties look to the spider plant. But they have minor differences.

This will let you collect the many different spider plant varieties and grow them together.

What are the plants similar to the spider plant? There are actually a few glass-like perennials that look like the spider plant. Some are grasses as well. Of course, many different spider plant varieties look like the common spider plant as well but they are all different plants.

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Plants that Look Like Spider Plants

Below are a few plants that look similar to the spider plant. These are great options of complements if you enjoys the how the popular spider plant looks in your home.

All in all, there were surprisingly only a few plants that actually look like the spider plant.

I guess this is in large part due to its very unique appearance.

In any case, here are other plants that look similar to spider plants.

Japanese Sedge

The Japanese sedge is one of the more well-known look-alikes of the spider plant.

This is actually an evergreen grass. And just so you know, it also goes by the names Morrow’s sedge and evergold carex.

Therefore, if you see either of these names, you know that they’re referring to the same plant, the Japanese sedge.

And it case you were wondering, its scientific name is Carex morrowii.

The plant is native to the Central and Southern parts of Japan. And what makes it look like the spider plant are its long, slender blades that are variegated as well.

These leaves will grow to about a foot in length and between ¼ to ½ and inch wide.

They can grow dense and the leaves bend outwards just like the spider plant does. This makes it very similar as it gets fuller.

The Japanese Sedge is best planted during spring or fall.

It is a fast grower that you’ll find outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9 as it prefers this kind of cool to moderate weather.

The plant does not like full sun. Instead, give it partial or full shade. Also be careful with overwatering or letting the soil get too wet.

Instead, water only until the soil is moist. Use well-draining soil as well.

Liriope

The Liriope is another grass-like perennial that looks like the spider plant. Liriope is actually a genus. So, you’ll find a few varieties under it.

In the U.S. there are two more common species,

Liriope muscari (which is also known as the lilyturf)
Liriope spicata (which is often called the creeping liriope or monkey grass)

Both are beautiful plants that you’ve probably seen in landscapes be in in front yard or backyards. There amazing to look as because they have a growth habit that looks like a spider plant.

The leaves come out from the middle and bend outwards towards the sides.

Interesting, while liriope will pass for grass and are often used as such for borders of lawns and yards, they are actually flowering perennials.

But because of how they grow, they’re commonly used as ground cover to add character, texture and some color to landscape.

Ophiopogon

The Ophiopogon is another grass-like plant that looks like the spider plant. Again, it is a tropical perennial that has quite a few varieties.

And people will often call it lilyturf which makes it confusing with some Liriope varieties. In many cases people refer to the Ophiopogon as Mondo grass.

The Ophiopogon comes from Southeast Asia.

As such, the plant enjoys warm, humid weather and does well in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 12 if you want to keep it outdoors.

Again, it is not a grass although it looks like one thanks to its long, narrow, curving blade-like leaves.

Indoors, the Ophiopogon grows well in a pot and if you keep it pruned, it will easily fit on shelves, tabletops or countertops.

The plant’s leaves will grow to between 10-12 inches long if you let it.

As it gets dense and curves outwards, it will look more like the spider plant. However, the main difference is that is that the Ophiopogon does not have variegations.

Variegated Buffalo Grass

The Variegated Buffalo Grass is actually a grass. So, unlike a few of the other spider plant look-alikes above, it is not a perennial or flowering plant.

Instead, the Variegated Buffalo Grass is commonly used a turf grass.

That’s because it is tough, rugged and low maintenance.

It is native to the Great Plains covering many of the states in that region.

That said, common Buffalo Grass is the more common variety. However, if you want a plant that looks similar to the spider plant, then go for the Variegated Buffalo Grass.

Note that this grass looks a little but more messy that the spider plant. That’s because the blades don’t all come from the same direction.

And neither do they follow as similar growth pattern.

So, if you want it to look more like a spider plant, you’ll need to trim and manicure it a bit more than some of the others on the list.

Pandanus Plant

The Pandanus is also called the screw pine. If you’ve traveled to Southeast Asia particularly Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand, you’ve probably heard of pandan which is a green, fragrant delicacy that’s used in different food flavoring.

Pandan comes from the leaves the Pandanus plant.

That said, in its native habitat the Pandanus will grow into a tree with a large trunk.

But there are some varieties that work well as indoor plants.

And keeping in a pot and letting it stay a certain size will allow it to look like the spider plant.

Here, you want to be careful as you don’t want to get one of the larger Pandanus plants. Otherwise, you end up a small tree in your home.

Dracaena

The Dracaena is a popular houseplant that grows more like a small tree in most cases. But they way their leaves grow has some similarities to spider plants.

That said, the taller trunk that comes out from the pot makes most Dracaena plants look very different from spider plants.

As such, this is more of a stretch.

However, there are two Dracaena varieties that can look like spider plants especially if you keep them small. These are the:

Dracaena Deremensis
Dracaena Reflexia

Both have similar looking variegated leaves to the spider plant. Although, Dracaenas tend to have longer, wider foliage.

Their growth habit also looks different.

Nevertheless, this is a very popular plant that grows very well in homes because it is tropical in nature. Therefore, if you keep it outdoors, it is best suited for USDA Hardiness Zones 10 through 12.

Popular Spider Plant Varieties

Now that you’ve seen some of the closest looking plants to the spider plant, I want to show you a few other options.

These are actually the different spider plant varieties.

Therefore, you have a choice whether you want to pick up a spider plant variety or a plant that looks like the spider plant but isn’t.

Either way, the plants chosen in our list all look amazing.

Hawaiian Spider Plant

The Hawaiian spider plant has the scientific name of Chlorophytum viridescens ‘Hawaiian’. This is a beautiful spider plant variety that looks very similar to the spider plant itself.

However, it has slightly thicker leaves and a much darker green hue.

Therefore, you can easily tell the difference between the two once you see them side by side.

That said, they grow almost exactly alike in terms of the leaves coming from the center of the plant coming up and then bending outwards.

The best part is you take care of them like you would the Spider plant. So, there’s nothing new to learn or change from your plant care routine.

Of course, the Hawaiian spider plant is best grown indoors in a pot or hanging basket. But many people grow it as groundcover in the yard as well.

To propagate the Hawaiian spider plant, you can separate the offsets or divide the plant.

Bonnie Spider Plant

The Bonnie Spider Plant is better known as the Curly spider plant. This is probably the most popular type of Spider Plant outside of the common one.

In case you were wondering, its scientific name is Chlorophytum Comosum Bonnie.

If you’re interested in a plant, always try to take note of its scientific or botanical name along with how it looks.

That’s because many plants have similar or repeating common names.

As such, when you look for them in the store, you might be wondering why they give or show you a different plant. This is when the photo and the scientific name comes in handy.

The latter will quickly clear things up since this is distinct for each plant.

That said, the Curly Spider Plant is a beautiful houseplant that’s often placed in a hanging basket so you can show off its curling leaves.

It does not look exactly like the common spider plant since the leaves make it look a bit more frizzy.

And as the plant gets denser if will look fuller faster than common spider plant.

Nevertheless, its long, narrow, variegated leaves look amazing as they curl down from a hanging pot or basket.

This makes it a popular spider plant variety.

Zebra Spider Plant

The Zebra Spider Plant is also called the Spider Plant Zebra Grass. Its scientific name is Chlorophytum laxum Zebra.

This is a fast growing plant that usually has shorter leaves compared to the other spider plant varieties.

When you see it, the Zebra Spider Plant will likely have white borders or edges on its green leaves. However, these will begin as yellow at least initially.

As the plant matures, they will turn whits.

Variegated Spider Plant

The Variegated Spider Plant is a beautiful houseplant that’s actually one of the most common spider plant varieties you’ll see in homes around the world.

Its scientific name is Chlorophytum Comosum Vittatum.

And the plant will grow to between 1 and 2 feet high and extend about 1 to 2 feet from side to side.

This is a lovely plant with long, narrow green leaves that slightly curl outward as they get longer.

Its main distinction is its white variegation that’s in the middle of each leaf. And if you look closely, you’ll see that the outer most color of the leaves are a darker green.

And as you go in, the green hue gradually gets lighter until it becomes white in the middle of each foliage.

Reverse Spider Plant

The Reverse Spider Plant is best known as the Reverse Variegatum.

The reason it has this name is because its colors are the complete reverse of the Variegated Spider Plant (Chlorophytum Comosum Vittatum) above.

As such, the white stripes are on the outside of the leaves while the centers of each foliage is green in color.

Its scientific name is Chlorophytum Comosum Variegatum.

And this is another stunning plant that does not grow too big. It can reach about 2 feet high and about 2-3 feet wide depending on whether you let the leaves get longer or not.

One difference between the Reverse Spider Plant and Variegated Spider Plant is that there is almost no transition from green to white in the former.

That is, you get a solid green in the middle and solid white edges.

Ocean Spider Plant

The Ocean Spider Plant looks very much like the Reverse Variegated Spider Plant. Honestly, I have a very hard time telling the two apart from one another.

The Ocean Spider Plant has leaves with similar white edges and beautiful green middles.

This is a compact plant that’s perfect for growing in pots indoors or in hanging baskets. It does not grow too big reaching about 1.5 feet high and about a foot from side to side.

As such, it is smaller than many of the other spider plant varieties on the list.

And in case you were wondering, its scientific name is Chlorophytum comosum Ocean.

Fire Flash Spider Plant

I’ve left the Fire Flash Spider Plant last in this list of spider plant varieties because it looks different from the rest.

But the plant is stunning to say the least.

My daughter loves the Fire Flash Spider Plant because of its beautiful color combination. The gorgeous color varieties and transition from the base of the stems until they reach the green leaves.

These are beautiful because of the green, yellow, pink, red and light orange hues. More importantly, they blend well together.

The Fire Flash Spider Plant’s scientific name is Chlorophytum Orchidastrum.

Unlike the other spider plant varieties, this also has wider leaves with wavy edges.