St. Bernard's Lily Plant Care
Chlorophytum tuberosum (Roxb.) Baker
Updated · Sources · How we source care data
Chlorophytum tuberosum is a species of flowering plant in the Asparagaceae family. It is one of several species known by the common name musli.
Every 7–10 days
Bright indirect light
60–80°F
40–60%
At a glance
How do you care for St. Bernard's Lily?
Water St. Bernard's Lily every 7–10 days, letting the top layer of soil dry out between waterings, and give it bright indirect light. It prefers temperatures of 60–80°F (16–27°C) and 40–60% humidity. Fertilize it every 6 months during the growing season.
Where Is the St. Bernard's Lily Native To?
- Algeria
- Angola
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Djibouti
- DR Congo
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- India
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Republic of the Congo
- Rwanda
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- The Gambia
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
What Is the St. Bernard's Lily?
St. Bernard's Lily (Chlorophytum tuberosum) belongs to the Asparagaceae family within the Chlorophytum genus. St. Bernard's Lily is native to parts of Africa and India. St. Bernard's Lily is also known as Spider Plant, Veld Lily, Mousetail Plant.
St. Bernard's Lily displays a clumping, spreading perennial growth habit, reaching up to 1.5 ft tall with a spread of approximately 1.5 ft. St. Bernard's Lily produces small white flowers on arching stems.
Leaf size: approximately 12 inches.
How Often Should You Water a St. Bernard's Lily?
Chlorophytum tuberosum requires watering every 7–10 days. Allow the top layer of soil to dry between waterings to prevent root rot. Reduce watering frequency during winter when growth slows.
Watering Frequency
Every 7–10 days
Let soil partially dry between waterings
What Light Does the St. Bernard's Lily Need?
St. Bernard's Lily thrives in bright indirect light. Avoid placing St. Bernard's Lily in direct, harsh sunlight for extended periods, as this can scorch the foliage.
Light Requirement
Bright indirect light
What Temperature and Humidity Does the St. Bernard's Lily Prefer?
Chlorophytum tuberosum grows best at temperatures of 60–80°F. St. Bernard's Lily prefers humidity levels of 40–60%.
Temperature
60–80°F
Humidity
40–60%
What Soil Mix Works Best for a St. Bernard's Lily?
Well-draining potting mix with added perlite for aeration. Good drainage is essential for St. Bernard's Lily to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.
How Often Should You Fertilize a St. Bernard's Lily?
Feed St. Bernard's Lily every 6 months during the growing season (spring and summer) with a balanced fertilizer diluted to the strength on the label.
Pause feeding in autumn and winter, when growth slows, and never fertilize dry soil — water first.
Fertilizing
Every 6 months
During the growing season
The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.
How Do You Repot a St. Bernard's Lily?
Repot every 1-2 years in spring. Choose a pot one size larger than the current container, and ensure it has drainage holes to allow excess water to escape.
How Do You Propagate a St. Bernard's Lily?
St. Bernard's Lily can be propagated through division of offsets, seeds. Similar propagation techniques also apply to spider plant plant care, which shares the same genus.
Is the St. Bernard's Lily Toxic to Pets and Children?
Pet safety not verified
The ASPCA does not list St. Bernard's Lily, so we can't confirm whether it is safe for cats and dogs. Keep pets from chewing it as a precaution.
This is a general caution, not veterinary or medical advice. If your pet ate a plant, contact your vet or animal poison control.
See all plants toxic to cats and plants toxic to dogs.
What Pests and Diseases Affect the St. Bernard's Lily?
St. Bernard's Lily is susceptible to spider mites, aphids, mealybugs. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.
Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.
What USDA Hardiness Zone Does the St. Bernard's Lily Need?
St. Bernard's Lily grows outdoors in USDA Zone 13a. It survives winters down to planting zone 13a. St. Bernard's Lily is native to parts of Africa and India. In cooler regions, grow St. Bernard's Lily as a houseplant or bring it indoors before the first frost.
Hardiness Zone
Zone 13a
Keep exploring plants
St. Bernard's Lily is one of many species covered in the complete plant care and identification guide, which groups plants by genus, attribute, and popularity.
It belongs to the Chlorophytum genus — compare its care with other Chlorophytum species on PlantoScan.
Chlorophytum is part of the Asparagaceae plant family — browse all Asparagaceae genera and species.
St. Bernard's Lily thrives in bright light and direct sun — see other bright-light plants.
More Chlorophytum Species
Other Chlorophytum species in PlantoScan's care catalogue share similar watering, light, and soil preferences:
Sources
- Scientific name & taxonomy: Chlorophytum tuberosum (Roxb.) Baker, family Asparagaceae (first published in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 15: 332 (1876)) — World Flora Online record, IPNI name record.
- Pet toxicity: Pet safety not verified: the ASPCA does not list St. Bernard's Lily, so we can't confirm whether it is safe for cats and dogs. Checked against the ASPCA plant list; any other toxicity note on this page comes from PlantoScan's plant database.
- Hardiness zone: USDA Zone 13a, calculated from the plant's minimum temperature.
- Care values(watering, light, temperature, humidity, soil, fertilizing): PlantoScan's plant database, filtered by automatic plausibility checks — values that fail them are hidden. How we source and check plant data.
Spotted a mistake? Email info@upvision.media with the page link — we check and correct reported errors.
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