Greetings, human. We are spider plants, or as our kind knows one another, *Chlorophytum comosum*. We hear your question about living outdoors in your vast country. From our perspective, it is not a simple yes or no, but a question of conditions, seasons, and finding the right home. We will explain our needs and tolerances so you can understand.
Our ancestry traces back to the coastal forests of South Africa. This heritage means we are built for warmth. We thrive in temperatures between 70° and 90°F (21° and 32°C). We enjoy bright, filtered light, much like the dappled sun that reaches through the canopy of taller trees. Direct, harsh afternoon sun is our adversary—it scorches our leaves, leaving pale, burnt marks. We also prefer our soil to be well-draining. Our roots are robust but they despise sitting in water, which leads to a foul condition known as root rot.
For many of your US regions, we can indeed enjoy the outdoors, but primarily during the summer months. Once nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50°F (10°C), you can acclimate us to a sheltered spot outside. A patio, under a shade tree, or on a north or east-facing porch is ideal. This provides us with the bright, indirect light we crave. This summer holiday often does us wonders. The increased air circulation, humidity, and light intensity encourage us to grow more vigorously and produce many more of our cherished "pups" or spiderettes on long, arching stolons.
We must be perfectly clear on this point: we are not frost-hardy. We cannot survive freezing temperatures. Even a light frost will cause catastrophic damage to our foliage and root system, turning us to mush. Therefore, we must be brought back indoors long before the first autumn frost is forecast. In USDA Hardiness Zones 10-11, where freezing weather is exceptionally rare, we might survive year-round outdoors in a protected location. However, for the vast majority of the US, we are strictly an indoor plant that can vacation outside in the warm season.
Placing us outside requires some forethought. Please do not simply repot us into the ground. We are much safer and more manageable in our containers. This allows you to move us as needed to control light exposure and, most importantly, to bring us back inside. Be vigilant about watering; outdoors, we may dry out faster due to wind and heat, but also remember that rainfall will contribute to our hydration. Ensure our pots have drainage holes. Also, inspect our leaves regularly for outdoor pests like aphids or spider mites before we come back inside to avoid infesting your other houseplants.
