The ribbon, spider plant or malamadre, scientifically known as Chlorophytum comosumit is an indoor plant versatile and resistant that can thrive in very different conditions.

This air purifying plant It’s perfect for beginners and seasoned enthusiasts alike, making it a great choice for any home or office. It looks especially good in hanging baskets or plant columns.

Why is it called malamadre, ties of love or spider plant?

The tape has awakened the creativity of gardeners, who have baptized it with very surprising names.

• The name ties of love is due to its growth pattern, which seems to connect the main plant with its offshoots in a maternal way. This connection evokes affection, which is reflected in the plant’s cascading growth. It is also due to the ease with which it spreadsoffering new shoots that seem linked to the main plant.

• The nickname of bad mother alludes to the careless production of shoots or little plants that I couldn’t feed. However, the truth is that the mother plant nourishes its «babies» through the stems.
• The name of spider plant It obeys its appearance, with its arched leaves that resemble legs and also, again, its abundant offspring.

A lushly growing tropical plant

They may not seem like it to you, because of how well they adapt to our climate, but ribbons are tropical plants. They belong to the liliaceae family (Liliaceae) and is originally from South Africa. About one hundred species are known to grow in tropical areas.

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Ribbons are low herbaceous plants that form a dense tuft of leaves from which long hanging floral shoots emerge. In the tropics, they spread over wide areas in a short time.

Very striking dense leaves

The leaves of Chlorophytum comosumelongated and lanceolate, develop from a basal rosette and can reach up to 40 centimeters long and approximately 2.5 centimeters wide. Depending on the variety, they are green, green-white or striped green-yellow.

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The variety of white and green leaves (Variegatum) is especially popular. Vittatum stands out for having the center of the leaves almost white; while the compact Bonnie variety has beautiful twisting leaves.

White and abundant flowers

The white star-shaped flowers are small, elegant and appear all year round. They present themselves in dense or loose groups on a simple or branched stem.

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As the flowering period progresses, the inflorescence reaches a length of up to one meter and hangs in an arch. In the inflorescence, shoots also develop that give rise to young rooted plants, the so-called shoots.

It is not a light-demanding plant.

The tape prefers bright places where not exposed to direct sunlight. Varieties with green leaves tolerate shady environments, while those with variegated leaves tend to turn completely green in these conditions.

In summer, ribbons thrive ambient temperatures of around 20 ºC. In winter, it is advisable to place them in a cooler place. However, the indoor plant should not be kept at temperatures below 10°C, otherwise its growth will stagnate.

Nutrient-rich substrate

As a houseplant, the ribbon prefers a substrate rich in nutrients and humus, which is cool to moist, loose and pleasant.

The ideal is to use a slightly clayey indoor plant soil, which can be purchased at a specialized store.

Care to keep the tapes healthy

The robust tape should be watered regularly during the growing phase, from spring to late summer.

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It can survive dry periods thanks to its thick, fleshy roots, which store water, but waterlogging should be avoided.

During the rest period in winter, watering should only be done in moderation.

It is recommended a weekly application of fertilizer for green plants from March to August; It is best to use a liquid fertilizer and add it to the irrigation water.

Is a transplant necessary?

You should repot the tape in spring and only when the root ball can be easily removed from the pot.

Place the plant in a pot that is approximately two fingers wider. It doesn’t have to be very deep.

Optional pruning

The tape does not require regular pruning. However, you can cut the flower stems and shoots at any time if they grow excessively.

Very simple PROPAGATION

Ribbons are easy to propagate by separating the stems (also called “suckers”) on the long flower shoots. You just have to place them in pots for roots to develop.

For better rooting, too You can initially place the sprouts in a glass of water.

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If you separate them immediately, it is important to keep the soil in the new pot moist until the roots become established. This can be seen when plants suddenly show accelerated growth.

You can also propagate the tape by dividing it at the roots.

DISEASES AND PESTS

Although the tapes are very robust, they are occasionally attacked by aphids or mealybugs.

The edges of the leaves turn brown when the air in the room is too dry or when waterlogging occurs.

Curled leaves are due to fertilization during the heat of winter and lack of air.

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