Goin’ bonkers in the garden in late August is the hardy South African spider plant, Chlorophytum bowkeri. Chlorophytum bowkeri is an African native (Mozambique, Swaziland, South Africa, and Zimbawae), non-running spider plant that can be found in damp grasslands and forest margins to 6,000′ elevation. In the garden, it has been an outstanding performer for us since 2014. It forms dense 1′ tall x 2′ wide clumps of manfreda-like evergreen foliage, topped for us, starting in July with 3′ tall stalks of tiny white flowers. We grow ours in full sun, in average moisture garden soil. Chlorophytum bowkeri is named after the late South African botanist J.H. Bowker (1822-1900).
