Why Is My Hawaiian Spider Plant Dying? Tips for Rescuing Your Dying Chlorophytum Comusum Plant

A bright, vibrant spider plant with wide leaves and deep greens, the Hawaiian spider plant is easy to care for and thrives in most climates.

It’s really hard to kill, but that doesn’t mean the occasional mishap doesn’t occur. So, if yours is dying, or looks to be in distress, never fear. The solutions are here!

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A Hawaiian Spider Plant Is a Great Choice for Your Home or Office

The Hawaiian spider plant, also known as Chlorophytum comosum, will make you feel like you’re living in a tropical paradise. Get two or three, and you’ll surely hear waves lapping on the shore, even if you’re miles away from the coast.

It’s a great plant to keep in a large, colorful pot to place on an end table or even a large desk. It will sprout up and out of the pot, growing long, curly leaves that make you want to reach out and touch them.

As a bonus, it will absorb common household toxins and release oxygen into the environment while you sleep, so you might want to keep it on your nightstand.

The Hawaiian spider plant is also a great piece of foliage for feng shui. This plant is thought to be lucky and bring you good fortune. Its long, strong vines stand as a symbol of stability and strong energy. If you’re looking for a lucky plant, this is it.

Signs of a Dying Hawaiian Spider Plant

The most obvious signs of a dying Hawaiian spider plant are as follows:

Brown leaves
Crispy leaves
Mushy leaves
Mushy stems
Rotting soil

Common Causes of a Dying Hawaiian Spider Plant

The most common causes of a dying Hawaiian spider plant include:

Too much sun
Not enough sun
Too much water
Not enough water

Watering Needs of a Hawaiian Spider Plant

A tropical plant, the Hawaiian spider needs a good balance of moisture. You should get into a routine of watering the plant thoroughly once a week.

You’ll be able to tell if your plant needs to be watered when you stick your finger into the top of the soil. If the top inch is dry, you can water the plant. If the top inch is still moist, leave the plant for now.

To read more about watering your plant, take a look at this article on watering mistakes that might be killing your plant.

Am I Underwatering My Hawaiian Spider Plant?

If you’re worried you might be underwatering your Hawaiian spider plant, you’ll be able to recognize it by its yellowing or crispy leaves.

Restoring Water to Your Underwatered Hawaiian Spider Plant

If you have underwatered your plant, simply water it until the water runs through the bottom of the pot.

Am I Overwatering My Hawaiian Spider Plant?

In contrast, you might be overwatering your Hawaiian spider plant. You’ll be able to tell your plant is overwatered by its soggy soil and mushy leaves and stems.

Restoring Balance to Your Overwatered Hawaiian Spider Plant

If you have overwatered your Hawaiian spider plant, you can often restore its balance by placing the plant near an open window or in brighter indirect light.

If the soil remains mushy, you can remove the root ball from the soil and cut away any mushy roots. Lay the root ball out on a screen in the sunshine until it dries out fully.

Then repot the root ball in a pot with fresh soil and water the soil thoroughly until it runs through the bottom of the pot. Finally, get onto a regular watering schedule to avoid future issues.

Soil Needs of a Hawaiian Spider Plant

The Hawaiian spider plant will grow well in a common indoor houseplant soil that drains well.

Soil Drainage Needs for a Hawaiian Spider Plant

A tropical plant should not sit in water. Make sure your soil is rich with peat and bark, so it doesn’t hold onto water.

Resolving Soil Drainage Issues for a Hawaiian Spider Plant

If you notice the plant is still sitting in water, you can always place pebbles in the bottom of the pot under the soil, which will help ensure the water runs through rather than getting backed up.

Lighting Needs of a Hawaiian Spider Plant

While the Hawaiian spider plant is a tropical plant used to regions filled with sunshine and plenty of water, it is also a ground cover plant or one that will attach itself to a tree trunk, so it is used to having plenty of tree cover with sunlight filtered through large leaves. Thus, you’ll want to mimic this environment by placing it just outside of direct sunlight or on the other side of a filtered, transparent curtain.

Resolving Lighting Issues for a Hawaiian Spider Plant

If you need to fix the lighting balance for your Hawaiian spider plant, it might take some experimenting with moving the plant closer to and farther away from the window. Just have patience.

Pests or Diseases that Can Cause Issues with a Hawaiian Spider Plant

You’ll only really need to be worried about pests with your Hawaiian spider plant if it gets overwatered, so watch for that.

If you do notice pests, first fix the watering issue. Get your soil nice and balanced then spray the plant liberally with neem oil several times a week until the pests are gone for good.

Fake Hawaiian Spider Plants May Be an Additional Consideration

Now, after all this work, you still might find the Hawaiian spider plant calls for too much work. In this case, you might consider a fake version. With today’s high-quality artificial plants, you can get a fake Hawaiian spider plant that looks just like the live one, and you’ll still get all the same mental health and happiness benefits.

If you’re worried a fake Hawaiian spider plant is not trendy, check out my article on whether artificial plants and flowers are tacky.

What do you think? Do you have any tips or tricks for rescuing a Hawaiian spider plant? Let me know in the comments. I love to hear from my readers!