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How Do You Care For Snake Plants?

Sansevieria grows best in bright indirect igniter . Snake plant will grow outdoors in full sun or indoors in low - light areas .

Sansevierias do not demand quite a little of water . Overwatering can make base rot . industrial plant in well - drain soil . Allow dirt to dry out between lacrimation .

Related : More onsnake industrial plant soil .

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The Viper’s bowstring hemp plant makes an excellent potted low-light plant indoors as a houseplant or outdoors.

Snake Plant Quick Care Tips

What Is A Snake Plant?

TheSansevieriapronounced ( san - se - vi - ee’-ri - ah ) or snake works – is a genus of recurrent herb with stiff , very thick leaves , often mottle with white , and clustered bloom on slender stalks .

A penis of theAsparagaceaeFamily , popularly goes by other common names .   The very “ politically right ” female parent - in - Law ’s tongue , snake tongue , mother ’s plant , and Viper ’s Bowstring - hemp .

On the off - fortune that some of you may have just lately recall from a prolonged stay in Tibet , and thus may not be introduce with bowstring hemp , let ’s bug out at the beginning .

snake plant Sansevieria mother in laws tongue in pots

The Viper’s bowstring hemp plant makes an excellent potted low-light plant indoors as a houseplant or outdoors.

The Viper’s Bowstring Hemp: A Well-Known Stranger

Sansevieria is undoubtedly one of the most well greet plants in the universe .

aboveboard ,   “ Who , does n’t know about snake plants ? ” I soon name , astonishingly enough , except for a few academic paper , very little has been publish about this group of low light plants .

The genus was name after the Prince of San Severo , who was born in Naples in 1710 .

Indoor plants in stylish pots by a fireplace.

The primary plant of the genusSansevieria trifasciata , originates from tropical Africa , Madagascar , and Asia . The plant was originally prized for the useful vulcanized fiber get from its leaves .

This is where the uncouth name “ bowstring hemp ” came from . Where the coarse name mother - in - jurisprudence ’s tongue plant come from , I have no idea .

The plants are often call , perhaps only colloquially , “ snake plant ” , although most citizenry know it by that name , this name is more by rights applied to a totally dissimilar genus .

Indoor snake plant in gray pot.

The confusion that results from one common name being applied to several , unlike works , is one understanding why many shy aside from using common name .

The Sansevieria has been in culture for over 250 years but   has turn in the US foliage trade since the 1920s .

A tender evergreen repeated with stiff , upright , thick , spearlike leaves with a sheeny texture about 2′ foot long . Distinctly marked white - and - green or sensationalistic - and - greenish foliage .

Upright growing snake plant showing the bloom, rhizomes and roots

Sansevieria laurentiiis always at the top of any leaning as being one of the most resistant ( like zz plant care ) of all cosmetic plant . They live on the most unsuitable growing conditions , vilification , and neglect a works could incur .

It ’s recommended that those interested in feng shui better the indoor melodic line caliber of structures with “ brainsick building syndrome . ”

Although   this houseplant will fend more neglect than almost any other plant , overwatering a Sansevieria is harmful . The snake plant is easy to wish for , and you have to work really hard to kill a bowstring hemp .

bird nest Sansevieria golden Hahnii planted in a bowl in Cuba

Related : What Are The Snake Plant ’s Light Requirements ?

Types Of Sansevieria

The genus tout about 70 miscellany , but about 15 mixed bag get hold themselves grown commercially .

snake in the grass flora come in two character : Tall , upright grower and bird nest type

The Upright Snake Plants

The well - jazz tall , upright snake works variety show include :

… of which you ’ll receive several forms .

The Bird Nest Trifasciata ‘Hahnii’

Many enjoy the tough , cast - iron qualities of sansevierias but not the stiff upright appearing . To the deliverance is the ‘ Bird ’s Nest Sansevieria Hahnii . ”

This appealing little dwarf bowstring hemp issued a plant patent of invention in 1941 , has steel - mold go away 6″ inch long , haphazardly mottled in fleeceable and grey . The leaves grow upwards from a   rootstalk , or underground fore , in a funnel shape - forge rosette .

These smaller “ rosette ” varieties carry a more refined pattern . These “ squashed - down ” shuttlecock nest varieties hold the same “ tough qualities ” as the upright types .

Potted snake plants on a shelf.

Sansevieria golden Hahnii , has two or three broad band of yellow and several longitudinal yellow bar .

The bird nest type industrial plant make splendid “ dish - garden ” and terrarium plants . it ’s also compact in shape and durable .

For more check out our article on theBird ’s Nest Sansevieria Hahniiincluding it ’s “ find ” in a   New Orleans baby’s room . Another is thedwarf Sansevieria samurai .

sansevieria plants displayed as houseplants in containers in a sunny window. Allow plants to completely dry before watering again.

How Often Should You Water In Sansevieria Care?

Be cautious when watering snake plant , peculiarly during the winter . The wintertime is when most people experience root decompose from too much water system .

TIPS : Better to slip on the teetotal side . tearing is usually a matter of personal judgement . I water my serpent plants whenever they seem to need it , about every 2 - 3 week . I always let the plant root country and soil to dry between tearing , before water again .

Few plant should be kept constantly smashed , fewer should ever be allowed to meet from lack of moisture . repress watering when plants are in low - illumination areas .

Sansevieria hahnii super marginata

Moreover , they thrive at around 40 pct humidity levels .

tie in : What Houseplants Do Well In Cold Rooms ?

Potting & Repotting The Mother In Law Plant

Dividing snake works at any time during the year ; however , spring is the best .

The plants are easily increase by division ; since most sansevierias sucker freely from the root word of the plant , this is unremarkably the preferred method acting of generation .

They may also be increased by cut the leaves into three - in length and inserting the low third of these in moist George Sand .

sansevieria moonshine 6" - inch pot

With this method acting , however , the yellow banding or borderline stripes may be lost , with the newfangled plants revert to type .

How to repot Hydra plants and what ’s thebest potting soil ?

Remove the plant from of the pot . Using a tongue orsharp clipperscut it up as   much as you want . imbed each piece along with their roots in a container with a well - drain soillike this at Amazon .

snake plant propagation cutting rooting in bowl of water.

Note : When repotting flora such as Sansevieria , it is not always necessary to transfer them to a bombastic pot unless you want to increase the sizing of the plant .

The rise season for Sansevieria is during the summer . Dividing in spring will produce the nimble results .   Each naval division will shortly farm and grow an attractive plant .

Snake plants do well in sound potting dirt as they are not very demanding . Sansevierias are very “ succulent “ ; “ lumbering plants ” which hold bunch of piddle in their leaves . It is often recommended to create a “ heavy soil ” by amending the potting premix with some sand .

sansevieria cylindrical the snake plant with cigar like leaves.

The Snake – One Tough Indoor Plant

Plants , as with fashion , seem to get along and go and number back again . Over the last few years , Sansevieria started to make fairly of a comeback .

This well - known genus has many friends and some enemies .

The critic call attention to the snake plant ’s stiff , upright growth substance abuse , and they are apposite to name it mother - in - legal philosophy ’s spit or snake plant . Devoted friends , on the other manus , praise its hardy constitution and power to expand under exceedingly unmanageable conditions .

Cigar Sansevieria growing in bright light and planted in a bowl

Others approve of the modernistic form of the plant and select it for ground call for erect lines .

The viper ’s bowstring hemp get a large houseplant due to their versatility in both size , use and rise conditions .

You ’ll find Sansevieria used in modest dish gardens all the way up into 14″ containers 42″ in in height . They manage full Lord’s Day , search great on a patio during the give and summertime , but also can go inside into very low Christ Within .

Braided cylindrica at Whole Food, Winter Park Florida 2014

In fact , the huskiness of low - luminance snake plants makes themone of the Best Bathroom Plantsfor abject or no - illumination field .

This plant can give ear with thebest of all humbled low-cal plant . However , the works will do well in bright light .

The Mother ’s Tongue plant , the spider plant , and others were theTop flora NASAtested and institute for plunge carbon dioxide and releasing O at night .

Sansevieria - snake plant - planted in large decorative planter Volusia Mall, Daytona Beach, Florida May 2018

Sansevieriadoes this through thecrassulacean acid metabolismprocess .

This plant life grow good in warm temperatures between 70 and 90 degree Fahrenheit .

frigid temperature below 45 ° degrees Fahrenheit for elongated geological period are one climatic condition it will not tolerate . When the plant life become damaged , they can show up lento over a 1- 4 calendar week period .

snake plants displayed in rustic planters

One Downside To Mother-in-Law’s Tongue

Everything seems to have a downside , and the Sansevieria is no unlike . Their downside – weighting .

Because of their family relationship to the succulent menage , they hold a lot of urine .

As plants reach 10″ and larger in weed sizing the weighting survive up dramatically . I ’ve seen 10″ plant that weight 25 pounds or more .

3 Sansevieria Hahnii house plants displayed in attractive decorative planters

If You Want A Houseplant That:

Take a looking at at the Sansevieria .

Propagation – Dividing & Leaf Cutting

In south Florida , gillyflower plants grow in beds out in full sun .   One very unusual yield method acting of this crop ; raiser actually mop down the tops of the industrial plant push them to produce new growing .

Details onSnake Plant Propagation

Sansevierias circulate well by division ; since most varieties sucker freely produce rootstalk , this is ordinarily the favorite method of generation . Snake plants disseminate from leaf cuttings , clumps , or rootstalk slip .

Propagate by cutting the parting by cutting leaves into three - inch lengths , and tuck the lower third of these in damp sand . With this method , however , the lily-livered banding or bare stripe may be lost , with the newfangled plants reverting to type .

This television from Nell offer fate of details on repotting snake plant life .

One odd variety you may discover when searching for a “ different ” or rare sansevieria coinage isSansevieria“cigar ” cylindrica . The plant has dark green   leaves grade with faint sluttish green bands . It remind me of the “ garden Asparagus officinales . ”

A native to Angola , sometimes called the African gig , Cylindrical Snake Plant , Spear Sansevieria , used as an ornamental plant because of its unique features .

The departure ? The leaves are cylindrical instead of flat or concave . This somewhat fan form plant is also found inSansevieria Ehrenbergi , a much more colourful plant with red and clean pencil grade insignia on the upper margins of its bluish leaf .

Another unusual type I ’ve become gently affectionate of isSansevieria arborescens , a sort of tree - alike plant totally unlike the customary acaulescent salmagundi . This , by the room , has white edge on dull green leaves .

It is a fan shape plant but some gardeners and growers have experimented with gold braid .

Sansevieriacylindricais a low - maintenance houseplant , various and   drought - tolerant . In fact , it seems to thrive well with piffling water . Also check out the compactStarfish Snake Plant .

Almost like theZZ plantor casting - iron industrial plant   andother of the best indoor houseplantsthey do alright when watered once or twice a calendar month or less when if used indoors as a houseplant .

Uses For The “Snake”

The durability of Sansevieria make it an splendid pick forapartment dwellerswho often have determine achiever with houseplants due to low - lightness upshot . They should take a good look at the bowstring hemp works .

Sansevierias conform to almost any temperature wavering and light conditions . True , the plants will suspend if it gets too cold and sunburn if it is too live , and no industrial plant will grow in sheer darkness .

They will tolerate very dim low brightness level for long period and can be used in many shoes where other houseplant would barely survive a week .

Display Them Attractively

Too many masses fall behind half the beauty of their houseplants ( not only sansevierias , but others , too ) by not display them properly .

Some varieties of sansevieria , notably those whose silhouettes are strange , merit to be grown as individual specimens ; others calculate better when used in group plantings .

Anattractive pottery containergreatly enhances the appearance of these industrial plant .

true Sansevierias plants are not the most very refined industrial plant . The compact boo ’s nest speciesSansevieria Hahniare more interesting in their smaller size and also tolerant of dry hot rooms and poor light .

The bird nest varieties are perhaps of the greatest value to the windowpane gardener , with their genial temperament , which allows them to hang in under the most adverse conditions .

Keep leaves white and free from junk and grease . Other aid consists of keep the filth premix moist but not sozzled and feed occasionally .

Sansevieria Hahniwith short leaves arranged in a rosette . Hahni make and fantabulous lowplant for use on a deep brown tablewhere small light may be available .

Q&A: How To Care For Snake Plants

Does Sansevieria Bloom or Flower?

mainly used as foliation flora   but when conditions fit them   Sansevierias will burst suddenly and unexpectedly into brilliant bloom . The psychological chemical reaction for most sansevieria owners   is like to finding a peacock butterfly on their front lawn !

A friend describes the works as “ inelegant ” either never saw one in flower or else need new glasses .

Granted , individuallysnake plant flowersdo not look like much , but borne in racemes on tall , foot long , sturdy scape , making a adorable presentation . The blossoms unremarkably white or ointment , sometimes greenish ( those ofSansevieria cylindricahave a pinkish people of color ) , are often fragrant .

By now you plausibly get it on how bad and undestroyable qualities of the “ Mother - in - law plant . ” If you ’re await for other knotty and easy care houseplant to keep indoors also consider the :

When Is The Best Time To Repot or Transplant?

I have a skunk of bowstring hemp that has so many young 1 coming up the plants are very crowded . When is the best fourth dimension to transplant some of these into another container?Kaleigh , Memphis , Tenn.

split Sansevierias at any time during the twelvemonth , and each division will shortly grow into a nice works . transfer the works out of the pot , break it up as much as you desire and embed each part . The plants grow actively during the summer , so leaping isthe better time to separate a serpent plantto obtain quick results .

Is The Mother In Law’s Tongue Plant Poisonous?

The Mother In Law ’s Tongue plant life is depressed in toxicity to masses but accord to the ASPCA – all part of the snake plant are poisonous or toxic to cat and click .

For more chip out these clause on its vicious or toxic properties .

Why Do Snake Plants Leaves Fall Over?

leaf falling or fall flat over are usually due to several conditions :

Read our article for details on theCauses and PreventionofSnake Plant leaves fall over

Can You Root Mother In Law’s Tongue Plants In Water?

Can you tell me how to pop out another viper ’s bowstring hemp sansevieria plant ? I ’ve tried rooting foliage in water , but this method does n’t seem to work . Nina , Michigan State UniversityNina , the common variety ofSansevieriaroots readily from cuttings .

How Often to Water a Snake Plant Cutting ?

TheSansevieriawith the yellow margin on the leaf propagates only by division , each slice with roots will soon give rise a new one . If the leaves with yellowed margins are used as a leaf cutting off , the plant , if it does grow , will revert back to the unripe folio and turn a loss its yellow-bellied margins .

Generally , Sansevieria cuttings in the water get too much moisture and decay .

More onpropagatingSansevieria

Where Can You Buy Types of Mother In Law’s Tongue Plant?

The “ Mothers Plant ” is available at most home improvement computer storage and garden centers .

The small birdnest types of viper ’s bowstring hemp are often found in dish gardens , the large varieties are usually available in 4″ in and 6″ in sizes .

Below is a list of 50 species and Sansevieria sort discern by The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families atKewas of August 23 , 2017 .

Image : Topsource