Why Your Spider Plant Is Turning Yellow—and the Simple Fixes to Make It Green Again

Spider plants have a reputation for being low maintenance, tolerating low light, periods of drought, and infrequent fertilizer applications. While they can survive in these conditions, too little care may affect the appearance of your spider plant over time, causing the leaves to droop and become yellow. Discolored leaves can point to a myriad of issues from overwatering to inadequate sunlight. To help you troubleshoot the issue, we spoke to gardening experts who shared the most common reasons a spider plant turns yellow—and how to fix each.

Overwatering

Watering a spider plant too often is the most common reason the leaves turn yellow. "Overwatering reduces oxygen in the root zone and can lead to root rot," says ornamental horticulture educator Ankit Singh. "When roots are damaged, they cannot take up water or nutrients properly, causing leaves to turn yellow and wilt."

To prevent overwatering, horticulturist Justin Hancock recommends checking the potting mix before watering again. "If you feel the potting mix with your finger and it’s already moist, don’t add more water until it starts to feel dry to the touch," he says.

Underwatering

On the other hand, underwatering can also cause issues. "When spider plants receive too little water, nutrient movement slows within the plant. Leaves may first brown at the tips and edges, then turn yellow as dehydration progresses," says Singh.

If you've been underwatering your spider plant, Singh recommends checking the soil more regularly and watering when the top 1 to 2 inches feels dry. Water thoroughly, waiting under you see water draining from the bottom of the pot.

Disease

Disease isn't a common issue you will encounter with spider plants, but in the off chance you do, it's usually because a pathogen is pulling energy from the plant. "The weaker the plant is, the harder it is to support its leaves," says Hancock.

Providing optimal growing conditions is the best defense against diseases from fungus or bacteria. Give your spider plant plenty of light, moderate moisture, and average household temperatures. "A spider plant with good growing conditions will have more strength to defend itself from disease," says Hancock.

Pests

Pests, such as spider mites, scale insects, and mealybugs, drain the energy from spider plants, causing discoloration on the leaves. "The first step in preventing pest issues is to avoid introducing pests into your home," says Hancock.

He recommends thoroughly inspecting any new plants before bringing them into the house and quarantining them for a month or so, if possible. "That way if there are pests on your new plant, you’ll have a better chance of spotting and stopping them before they spread," he says.

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Not Enough Sunlight

Spider plants can tolerate lower light, but they need bright, indirect sunlight to maintain healthy green leaves. "Low light reduces photosynthesis, resulting in pale or yellow leaves," says Singh. That said, spider plants don’t need natural sun to thrive. "They’ll do just as well under artificial light," says Hancock. "They’re not fussy about the source—they just need to get enough of it."

Overfertilizing

Too much fertilizer leads to salt buildup in the soil, which damages roots and prevents the plant from absorbing nutrients and moisture from the soil, leading to discolored leaves. "If you think you might have over-fertilized your plant, the best thing you can do is flush out the excess salts with lots of water," says Hancock. "Estimate how much water the pot your plant is growing in can hold, then run three to four times that amount of water through the pot, ensuring the water drains out. As it drains, it will pull out the excess salts."

Nutrient Deficiency

A lack of nutrients can also pose an issue for spider plants. "If you've had a spider plant for a few years and never fertilized it, it might have used up a lot of the nutrients in the potting mix," says Hancock. "If it doesn’t get all the nutrients it needs, leaves may start to go yellow." To prevent this, he recommends fertilizing your spider plant with a general-purpose houseplant fertilizer during spring and summer to keep it lush and healthy.

Incorrect Temperature

As a subtropical plant, spider plants don't like cold weather. "If it gets too cold, or if it’s suddenly exposed to a temperature change of 20 degrees or more, it can be stressed," Hancock says. "The stress can cause leaves to wilt, go yellow, or die off entirely."

To keep your plant healthy, aim to maintain a household temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit or above. "If you get a spider plant in the winter and you’re in a cold-weather area, wrap the plant in a plastic bag to give it insulation from the frosty freezing temperatures outside," Hancock adds.