Companion plants for houseplants

[Shule]

A few months ago, or so, we had a golden pothos growing over the 14" pot of my umbrella tree. It rooted in the umbrella tree's pot, all on its own (the golden pothos was later pruned, and cut, so it's its own plant now). Anyway, the umbrella tree actually looked happier after that. So, we left it there, and they seem to like each other.

Anyway, so I have this huge 20" pot with a rubber fig in it. There was a lot of empty soil in the pot, and I had lots of spider plant pups. So, I planted five spider plants in it (Chlorophytum comosum). We'll see how it goes. I'm hoping the spider plants help to use up the basalt rockdust that my rubber fig didn't like some years ago (the umbrella tree didn't like it, either).

Previously, I tried getting a golden pothos to climb my grapefruit tree, but the golden pothos withered when it touched it (I'm thinking grapefruit trees have some kind of self-defense against vines). So, they're probably not the best companions.

So far so good with the spider plants and the rubber fig. One benefit I'm hoping for is that the spider plants will drink up the excess water faster, so the rubber plant doesn't suffer if I accidentally water it too much. Spider plants love water (but they don't strictly need lots of it). Also, the pot was pretty big (and probably could have used more roots). It's not a high light environment (so, I'm not expecting the spider plants to be aggressive). One thing I forgot to consider, though, is that spider plants like to lean toward the light (so, you might need to turn them), and turning my rubber fig isn't something I do a lot.

[Shule]

It looks like rubber figs must produce something toxic to spider plants (or else there's a disease in the soil), because the spider plants in that pot have been dying mysteriously for no apparent reason. There are two left. The rubber plant is fine.

The umbrella tree with the golden pothos is still doing well.

[Shule]

Spider plants and golden pothoses seem to be fine together. Some of my spider plant chicks rooted in a golden pothos's 13" pot (on their own), and they're doing fine.