Spider plant, the houseplant that makes copies of itself

The spider plant is one of the most forgiving houseplants there is: a fountain of narrow, arching leaves, often striped cream and green, that tolerates low light, erratic watering and general neglect. It earned its name from the plantlets — "spiderettes" — it sends out on long, wiry stems, each a ready-made new plant.

Grow it in ordinary compost in bright, indirect light, though it copes with shade. Water when the top of the compost dries; it stores reserves in thick white roots and shrugs off the odd missed week. Brown leaf tips usually mean dry air, fluoride in tap water, or a build-up of feed rather than anything serious.

Propagating it is almost too easy: peg a plantlet onto a pot of compost while it is still attached to the parent, or stand it in water until roots form, then cut it free. It is also non-toxic to cats and dogs, which is part of why it is so widely kept.