bracketplant
Chlorophytum capense (L.) Voss
Cape spider plant combines long, arching leaves with a much more delicate flowering stem. The leaves emerge around the base in a rosette, sometimes curving until their tips approach the ground. Beneath them, fleshy roots and a spreading rhizome support a clump-forming perennial. Its botanical identity is Chlorophytum capense, also known as bracket plant. SANBI PlantZAfrica: Chlorophytum capense
Botanical name
Kew accepts Chlorophytum capense (L.) Voss. It is distinct from the frequently confused Chlorophytum comosum. Kew POWO: Chlorophytum capense
Recognizing the plant
The foliage is narrow and strap-like, usually green, with striped cultivated forms also recorded. White, star-shaped flowers stand on a branched flowering stem that can rise above the leaves. Each flower has six stamens, with white filaments and yellow anthers, and the fruit becomes a capsule containing black seeds. Unlike the commonly grown Chlorophytum comosum, this species generally lacks the conspicuous hanging plantlets along its flowering stems, an important distinction between the two similar-looking plants. SANBI PlantZAfrica: Chlorophytum capense
Bloom window
South Africa
SANBI records flowering during the South African warm season, from October to April. SANBI PlantZAfrica: Chlorophytum capense
Native range
Its native home is South Africa’s Eastern Cape. SANBI records it in dry, shaded riverbank vegetation in the Humansdorp and Albany districts, often near the coast. Kew POWO: Chlorophytum capenseSANBI PlantZAfrica: Chlorophytum capense
Botanical sources
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.