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Purple Spider Plant ID Table
| Feature | True Spider Plant | Purple Heart / Purple Queen | Tradescantia Zebrina |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chlorophytum comosum | Tradescantia pallida | Tradescantia zebrina |
| Leaf Color | White + green or solid green | Deep purple | Purple + silver + green stripes |
| Leaf Shape | Long, strap-like, arching | Pointed oval, fleshy | Oval, pointed tip |
| Growth Habit | Clumping rosette | Trailing/vining | Trailing/vining |
| Produces Babies | Yes — on arching stems | No | No |
| Pet Safety | Non-toxic | Mildly toxic | Mildly toxic |
The Honest Answer: No True Purple Spider Plant Exists
The plants most commonly mislabeled as purple spider plants are:
- Purple Heart (Tradescantia pallida): The most common culprit. Deep purple fleshy leaves, trailing growth, small pink flowers. Native to the Gulf Coast region and Mexico.
- Purple Queen (Tradescantia pallida ‘Purpurea’): A named cultivar of Purple Heart with especially intense purple coloring. Very popular as a groundcover in warm climates.
- Tradescantia zebrina: Purple and silver striped leaves, slightly more delicate than Purple Heart. Very fast-growing and trails aggressively.
If you are seeing purple leaves on a plant labeled “spider plant,” you almost certainly have a Tradescantia — not a spider plant.
True Spider Plant vs Purple Heart: Side by Side
True Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
The true spider plant is one of the most forgiving and useful houseplants available. Its defining characteristics:
- Long, arching leaves that fan out from a central rosette
- Produces long arching stems with baby plantlets at the ends — the most distinctive feature
- Extremely pet-safe (non-toxic to cats and dogs per ASPCA)
- One of the best plants for improving indoor air quality per NASA research
- Virtually indestructible — tolerates low light, drought, and neglect
- Variegated forms have white-edged leaves; solid green forms are more shade-tolerant
Purple Heart (Tradescantia pallida)
Purple Heart is a beautiful plant in its own right — it just is not a spider plant:
- Fleshy, deep purple leaves on trailing stems
- Does not produce plantlets on arching stems
- Produces small three-petaled pink flowers
- Mildly toxic to pets — causes gastrointestinal upset if chewed
- Needs more light than spider plants to maintain purple color
- Grows much faster than spider plants
- Propagates from stem cuttings in water or soil
Why Is Your Purple Plant Turning Green?
This is one of the most common questions about “purple spider plants.” The answer is straightforward: your plant needs more light. The purple color in Tradescantia pallida (Purple Heart, Purple Queen) is an anthocyanin pigment that the plant produces in response to bright light. In low light, the plant deprioritizes anthocyanin production and puts energy into chlorophyll instead — which makes the leaves green.
How to restore purple color:
- Move the plant to a bright spot with at least 4–6 hours of indirect light daily
- Some direct morning sun is fine; avoid harsh afternoon direct sun
- In low-light conditions, purple plants will always revert toward green over time — this is normal and not a sign of disease
- New growth in bright light will emerge purple
For true spider plants, green leaves turning greener (or losing variegation) in low light is also normal — the plant is prioritizing chlorophyll production over pigmented leaf edges.
Propagation Differences
Spider Plant Propagation
Spider plants are the easiest propagation project in houseplant care. Wait until the baby plantlets develop small nubs or aerial roots at their base, then:
- Cut the baby plantlet from the mother plant’s stem with clean scissors
- Place in a glass of water, roots facing down, for 1–2 weeks until roots are 1–2 inches long
- Pot in well-draining aroid mix or standard potting mix with perlite
- Keep soil lightly moist for the first 2 weeks
You can also pin the baby to the soil of a nearby pot while still attached to the mother plant — once rooted, cut the stem. This “layering” method has the highest success rate.
Purple Heart / Tradescantia Propagation
Tradescantia propagation is similarly easy but uses stem cuttings:
- Cut a 4–6 inch stem section with at least 2–3 leaf nodes
- Remove leaves from the bottom 1–2 nodes (these are where roots will emerge)
- Place in water or directly into moist soil
- Roots appear within 1–2 weeks in water, or within 2–3 weeks in soil
Tradescantia cuttings are so vigorous they will root in plain water without any rooting hormone.
Pet Safety and Handling
Spider plant: Pet-safe. True spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) are non-toxic to cats and dogs per the ASPCA. Your cat may chew on spider plants — they contain compounds mildly similar to catnip that cats find appealing — but this causes no harm beyond possible cosmetic damage to the plant.
Purple Heart and Tradescantia zebrina: Mildly toxic to pets. Tradescantia species are listed as mildly toxic by the ASPCA due to their sap content, which can cause gastrointestinal upset if chewed. For pet-safe purple plants, look for non-toxic options like Hypoestes (polka dot plant), which has purple-spotted foliage and is non-toxic to cats and dogs.
FAQ
Is purple spider plant a real spider plant cultivar?
No. There is no naturally occurring spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) with purple leaves. Plants labeled “purple spider plant” in garden centers and online shops are almost always Purple Heart (Tradescantia pallida) or Tradescantia zebrina — completely different genera. The confusion arises because Tradescantia species have a trailing growth habit similar to spider plants and some have purple-tinged foliage.
Is Purple Heart the same as spider plant?
No. Purple Heart (Tradescantia pallida) and spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) are in completely different botanical genera, different families, and have different care needs. Spider plants grow in a clumping rosette and produce babies on arching stems; Purple Heart grows as a trailing vine with no plantlets. Both are popular houseplants, but they are not interchangeable or related.
Why does my purple spider plant not make babies?
Because you likely have Purple Heart or another Tradescantia, not a true spider plant. Only Chlorophytum comosum (spider plant) produces characteristic baby plantlets on arching stems. Tradescantia species do not produce plantlets — they propagate from stem cuttings. If your plant has trailing stems with no babies and purple leaves, it is definitely a Tradescantia.
Why is my purple plant turning green?
Your plant is not getting enough light. The purple anthocyanin pigment in Tradescantia pallida (Purple Heart) and Tradescantia zebrina is produced in response to bright light. In low-light conditions, the plant prioritizes chlorophyll production, which causes leaves to turn green. Move to a brighter location and new growth will emerge purple. Spider plant variegation can also fade in low light — move to brighter indirect light for best white coloring.
Can I propagate purple spider plant from cuttings?
If you mean a true spider plant, yes — root baby plantlets in water. If you mean a Purple Heart or Tradescantia, also yes — cut a 4–6 inch stem with 2–3 nodes, remove the bottom leaves, and place in water or moist soil. Both methods root within 1–2 weeks.
Spider Plant and Purple Plant Care Supplies
- Hanging basket — Spider plants look magnificent in hanging baskets where their arching leaves and babies can cascade freely
- All-purpose well-draining potting mix — Spider plants and Tradescantia both need good drainage
- Sharp pruning snips — Clean cuts for taking spider plant babies or Tradescantia cuttings
- Full-spectrum grow light — Restores purple color to Tradescantia plants in low-light spaces
- Terra cotta hanging pot — Breathable pots help both spider plants and Purple Heart dry appropriately
Sources
- ASPCA — Spider Plant (Non-Toxic to Pets)
- Missouri Botanical Garden — Tradescantia pallida — Purple Heart
- Royal Horticultural Society — Spider Plant — RHS Growing Advice
- Kew Gardens — Chlorophytum comosum — Spider Plant
- NASA — Interior Landscape Plants for Indoor Air Pollution Abatement