Growing Snake Plants

How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Snake Plants

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Age-Old Wisdom meets Modern Tools

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Snake plants, also known as Mother-in-Law’s Tongue and Sansevieria, are one of the easiest houseplants to take care of. This succulent plant is very forgiving and perfect for beginners. Here’s how to care for a snake plant in your home!

Too much water and freezing temperatures are two of the few things that can really affect this plant. Soggy soil will cause root rot. In southern regions of the United States, it can be grown outdoors, but may become invasive, so plant only in contained areas.

Planting

How to Plant Snake Plants

Choose a pot with a drainage hole in the bottom. Terra cotta pots work well for snake plants, since they allow the soil to dry out more easily than plastic pots.
Use a well-draining potting mix. A potting mix designed for “cacti and succulents” is ideal, as it will be more resistant to becoming oversaturated with water.
When repotting snake plants, don’t bury them too deep. The plant should be planted as deep as it had been in its prior container.

Choosing a Location in the Home

Snake plants prefer bright, indirect light and can even tolerate some direct sunlight. However, they also grow well (albeit more slowly) in shady corners and other low-light areas of the home.
Keep the plant in a warm spot with temperatures above 50°F (10°C). In the winter, be sure to protect it from drafty windows.

Snake plant. Photo by Mokkie/Wikimedia Commons.
Photo by Mokkie/Wikimedia Commons

Care

How to Care for Snake Plants

Watering Snake Plants

One of the most common problems encountered with snake plants (and other succulents) is overwatering. These plants do not tolerate soggy soil well; they tend to develop root rot. To avoid this, follow these watering practices:

Do not water too frequently. Let the soil mostly dry out between waterings.
- Tip: To know when it’s time to water, don’t just rely on how the surface of the soil looks. Instead, carefully stick your finger or a wooden chopstick a couple inches into the soil. If you feel any moisture or see soil stick to the chopstick, hold off on watering.
Water from the bottom of the pot, if possible. This encourage the roots to grow downward and deep, helping to stabilize the thick, tall leaves.
During the winter, while the plant isn’t actively growing, water less often than you would in spring and summer.

Caring for Snake Plants

The large, flat leaves tend to collect dust; wipe them down with a damp cloth as needed.
In good conditions, snake plants are rapid growers and may need to be divided annually.
Divide and repot in the spring. Cut out a section containing both leaves and roots and place in a pot with well-draining potting mix.
If a snake plant is pot bound, it may flower occasionally. Fragrant, greenish-white flower clusters appear on tall spikes.

Pests/Diseases

Root rot due to overwatering is the most common issue.
- If this occurs, remove any dying leaves and allow the plant to dry out more than usual. Snake plants are resilient and typically recover. However, if the plant continues to die, remove it from its pot, discard of any rotted roots and leaves, and repot in fresh soil.

Recommended Varieties

Sansevieria trifasciata is the most common species of snake plant. It has dark green leaves with light grayish-green horizontal stripes.
‘Golden Hahnii’– Leaves are variegated along the edge in yellow. Leaves only grow 6 to 8 inches long. This variety does need bright light to grow well.
‘Bantel’s Sensation’ – Narrow leaves have white vertical stripes and grow to about 3 feet long.

Wit & Wisdom

Snake plants, along with spider plants and peace lilies, are reportedly very effective at cleaning the air, removing toxins such as formaldehyde. However, further studies are needed to determine the true extent of these plants’ air-purifying capabilities!
Sansevieria trifasciata, a type of snake plant native of tropical Africa, yields a strong plant fiber and was once used to make bow strings for hunting. For this reason, it also goes by the name “Bowstring Hemp.”

Reader Comments

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safe for pets?

I wish it would add in the description if these plants are safe to have around your dog and cats. I only buy, both for outdoor and indoor, plants that are safe for my fur babies. Does anyone know if this one is ok to have with animals around?

40+ years and getting stronger

I've always heard it called mother-in-law's tongue, and I bought a pot of it for my husband shortly after we got married :-)
There were 3 or 4 plants in the pot, and they've always done just OK; once in a long while a new crown erupts. I've always kept it in moderate light, not too near windows. We moved a couple of years ago, and I installed it in a niche in the master bath near a western window. After about a year it suddenly took off. I guess it likes this particular indoor environment!
I didn't even know the plant could bloom, but a few months ago it surprised me. I didn't notice much fragrance, but FYI, the blooms were extremely sticky, which spread to all the nearby leaves. One of these days I'll set it in the bathtub and give it a shower.
I mistakenly thought it was a Bromeliad, so I've always watered into the center of the crowns. Doesn't seem to have hurt it!

care questions

I have a plant that I received at my fathers funeral in 1996 which I have transplanted into larger pots and it is now about five tall. Every spring I set it outside in a semi sunny area and every fall I bring in back into the house. I water it about once every ten days and do nothing more to it - should I be feeding it? Since I have never seen it flower does that mean it is not root bound?

Snake Plants

I have three from one plant that I divided a while ago. When I repotted them, the organic potting soil supposedly kept them fed for a few months. I've now bought a liquid fertilizer, but I'm unsure whether to start that now, in the winter, or wait until spring. The spring seems a more natural time to do so, but maybe indoor plants acclimate to an artificial (indoor) environment such that normal rules don't apply. Any thoughts?