Growing Snake Plants

How to Care for Snake Plants

Myroslava Bozhko/Shutterstock

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.

Native to southern Africa, snake plants are well adapted to conditions similar to those in southern regions of the United States. Because of this, they may be grown outdoors for part of all of the year in USDA zones 8 and warmer. However, they spread by sending out underground runners and may become invasive, so treat snake plants like you would bamboo; plant it only in contained areas or pots.

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 tall, dark-green leaves with light grayish-green horizontal stripes.
- ‘Bantel’s Sensation’ — Narrow leaves have white vertical stripes and grow to about 3 feet long. This variety can be hard to find.
Sansevieria hahnii:
- ‘Bird’s Nest’ — Short, wide leaves of dark and light green form a tight nest shape, like that of a bromeliad. Leaves only grow 6 to 8 inches long. This variety does need much light to grow well.
- ‘Golden Hahnii’ — Like the standard ‘Bird’s Nest’, but with leaves variegated along the edge in yellow.
Sansevieria cylindrica:
- ‘Cylindrical Snake Plant’ — As its name suggests, this species of snake plant has cylindrical leaves that end in a fierce point.
- ‘Starfish Snake Plant’ — The starfish snake plant has cylindrical leaves that fan out from its base, giving it a starfish-like shape.
Sansevieria masoniana:
- ‘Whale Fin’ — These interesting snake plants have large, wide leaves that resemble the fin of a whale breaching the water’s surface.

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.”

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Reader Comments

sansevieria

Why are the leaves of my snake plant curling?

Snake Plant Propogation

I tried propagating Snake Plant cuttings through the water method. The cuttings, each 2 inches long, were allowed to callus for a day & then the cut ends were placed in water. It is over 40 days and I see no root formation. But the cuttings are fine and have not rotted. Do I have to wait longer for roots to form? How long does it normally take to root using this method? I live in the south of India & it's summer time now. Pls suggest.

snake plant

My leaves are about 2.5 to 3 feet. Why are they starting to droop?

Drooping Leaves

Sometimes older leaves that get tall just happen to start leaning—the snake plant’s dense leaves aren’t necessarily the most structurally sound past a certain height! That said, if the leaves are soft or are starting to really bend in half, then that points to an issue, potentially.

Assess your watering habits. If you’re watering too much and not letting the plant dry out a bit between waterings, then the leaves could start to rot; they’ll get soft and start to droop. On the flip side, if you’re watering too little, this can weaken leaves as well. Make sure that you’re watering deeply (meaning that the water reaches the roots of the plant) and letting the soil dry out a bit between these deep waterings.
Another cause could be lighting. Too little light can weaken the plant over time. However, it sounds like the plant has large leaves, which suggests that it has had sufficient light to grow.
Finally, it could have to do with nutrients in the soil. Plants need nutrients to maintain and grow their leaves, roots, and so on, so consider purchasing and using a cacti and succulent fertilizer or a diluted 10-10-10 general purpose liquid fertilizer. Follow instructions on the packaging.

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?