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How to Care for Snake Plants (Sansevieria or Mother-in-Law's Tongue) | The Old Farmer's Almanac

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Snake Plants

Photo Credit
Myroslava Bozhko/Shutterstock
Botanical Name
Dracaena spp. (formerly: Sansevieria spp.)
Plant Type
Houseplant
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Part Sun
Shade
Soil pH
Neutral
Flower Color
White
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How to Care for Snake Plants

Catherine Boeckmann
April 23, 2023
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Snake plants, also known as “Mother-in-Law’s Tongue” and Sansevieria, are one of the easiest houseplants to care for. This succulent plant is very forgiving and perfect for beginners. Here’s how to care for a snake plant in your home! 

About Snake Plants

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 almost all 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.

Too much water and freezing temperatures are two of the very few things that can really affect this plant in a significant way. Soggy soil will cause root rot, and extended exposure to cold temperatures can damage the foliage.

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Planting

How to Plant Snake Plants

  • Choose a pot with a drainage hole in the bottom. Terracotta 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.
    • Tip: Try to avoid moving your plant from a low-light area to direct sunlight too quickly, as this can shock the plant. Whenever you move plants from a darker to a lighter spot, gradually expose them to brighter and brighter light over a week or so. Also be sure to adjust watering habits accordingly; plants will use more water in warmer, brighter areas.
  • 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
Growing

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 of 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 encourages 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 a well-draining potting mix.
  • If a snake plant is pot-bound, it may flower occasionally. Fragrant, greenish-white flower clusters appear on tall spikes.
Recommended Varieties
  • Dracaena trifasciata (a.k.a. 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.
  • D. 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.
  • D. 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.
  • D. masoniana: 
    • ‘Whale Fin’ — These interesting snake plants have large, wide leaves that resemble the fin of a whale breaching the water’s surface.
Wit and 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!
  • Dracaena 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.” 
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 any rotted roots and leaves, and repot in fresh soil.
  • Scale insects
Flowers
Annuals

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Comments

Samantha (not verified)

3 months ago

55 years ago when my daughter was born, my husbands buddies from college sent me a snake plant. I cannot tell youhaw many people have received "pups" from this plant and it goes on and on. I can also be propagated by cutting a leaf and sticking that in damp vermiculite or even just water and placing in indirect light where it will root and also go on and on if cared for properly.

Marizon (not verified)

3 months ago

Snake plants
Please check, the name of this plant was changed to Dracaena Trifasciata.

Please update your article.
Thank you, M

Who Changed the name to Dracaena. It has never been a Dracaena. It is considered a Succulent and a member of the Lilly Family, hence the low watering needs. People make up names. But all my books and research do not say it is a Dracaena. Sansevierias are a native of Africa more particularly, laurentii is native of the N.E. Congo in Africa. "Variegated snake plant" or "Goldband Sansevieria" It can grow to 1/2 to 1-1/2 meters high.

Well I did some more research and according to the The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, they are using DNA to reidentify plants. ARGGG! "The Genus FKA Sansevieria was reclassified in 2014 by scientists Pei-Luen Lu and Clifford Morden after a phylogenetic analysis of the genera (plural of genus) Dracaena, Sansevieria, They found that Sansevieria is a unique group, but that it is descended from Dracaena." So all you growers out there, change your plant tags! LOL

Kitty (not verified)

3 months ago

The variety shown in the photos with the yellow stripes on the sides of the plant are: Sansevieria trifasciata laurentii. I don't know why FA doesn't label their photos of variety, and zones if applicable. Having a Horticulture Degree and I am finding plants in nursery's with less and less information and it is frustrating. I need to know, Zone, Hight, Width, sun and watering, and full variety of plants. Growers aren't supplying this information and it is wrong to assume people know how to plant and were to plant.

Sheilah Perry-… (not verified)

3 months ago

My snake pkant grows in a full bucket of water!

Amina Dauda (not verified)

1 year 2 months ago

It will help the beginers to understand more easily as a result of this guide.But i have an issue with planting a German seeds , i plants more than 5 times the seeds will spoiled instead of germination .pls i need your guide.

Arslan Ali (not verified)

1 year 2 months ago

I recently shifted to my new house I was adjusting my plants from one place to other but somehow my snake plant start getting dull, then I found out I was messing its diurnal cycle. I also own many Calathea and they have the same issue but I was aware of Snake plant. You haven't shared any reason or scientific value why it happens please add it when you get time. Be a part of green revolution and do your best.

Samantha Gray (not verified)

1 year 2 months ago

I was given my first snake plant in a dish of tiny houseplants when my daughter was born. It survived but never grew no matter what I did and then one day the dish broke, I put it in it's own pot and you could almost hear the huge sigh of relief and "Thank you!" It grew huge, and i still have the great-grandchildren of that original plant. I've given away many shoots to friends and colleagues. I water mine weekly and it does fine. It blooms in the summer heat and sends up stalks of tiny whiteish flowers which smell (yo me at least!) like crayons. I love this plant best out of all I have.

The first one I watered from the top and I killed it. The second it was ok as I watered it from the bottom but now the leafs are droopy and some are drying out at the bottom and drying out and cutting off the water supply to the leaf can some one help. I water it approximately every 3 weeks ( when there is no water in the bottom of the container )