Sansevieria (Snake Plant): The Friendliest Houseplant

By Tyson Curtis in Partnership with Flora Grubb Gardens

Pull up a window and search “What should be my first houseplant?” and the number one result is the snake plant, also known as “mother-in-law’s tongue.” So if you’re new to houseplants, this is a great place to start. But if you’re an expert collector, maybe we lost you at “snake plant” and you’re already moving on? Hold up! Even the most jaded houseplant collector can find new intrigue within the ever-so-common genus Sansevieria.

FOR THE BEGINNER

The common name “snake plant” generally refers to selections of Sansevieria trifasciata. This is one of the best low-light plants and thrives even better in bright indirect light. Don’t place it in direct sun (beams of light hitting the leaves) unless it’s deep into a room, as you may get yellowing or burning on the leaves. 

Snake plants are succulents, so they’ll need to be planted in a good draining cactus mix. This plant thrives on neglect; the only trouble they’ll give you is if they are watered too frequently or left standing in water. If in low light and watered before they are completely bone dry, they are prone to rot beneath the soil. Amazingly, this could mean watering as little as every month or two! If a sansevieria is really really neglected the leaves will start to shrivel, but once watered they should plump right back up again. Amazing!

You can expect your snake plant to grow slowly, sending up infrequent leaves from beneath the soil. Watching them spiral as they unfurl is a favorite plant pastime of many FGG staff. These leaves last for years, and so you’ll find the plant becoming more dense and beautiful over time with almost no maintenance. Since sansevierias grow from thick underground roots called rhizomes, they are super easy to divide and replant. This fun propagation trick will provide you with new plants for friends, making you look like a plant expert! Some great selections of Sansevieria trifasciata are laurentii, ‘Moonshine,’ and zeylanica.

FOR THE EXPERT

Okay, so you think you know everything about Sansevieria?  Did you know they are in fact no longer Sansevieria? The whole genus was recently reclassified as Dracaena. Yes, that Dracaena. Mind blown, right? So, what are some fun things we can learn about our new Dracaena friends?

First let's start with the main characteristic that divides the group: soft versus hard leaves. Some snake plants have soft leaves, such as the common Dracaena trifasciata cultivars. Another snake plant on this soft side is Dracaena masoniana, which is huge, growing up to six feet tall with very wide leaves. This we often see sold as a single fat leaf with a fun selection name such as ‘Shark Fin’ or ‘Whale Fin.’ The nice dark leaves of these varieties allow the plant to soak up as much light as possible in those dark corners. These are from tropical areas of Africa and Asia and generally grow in deep undergrowth, which is why they do so well in low light. This tropical heritage is also the reason they cannot be grown outdoors in our Bay Area climate.  

On the other side we have hard-leafed snake plants, such as Dracaena angolensis (Sansevieria cylindrica) selections. These plants have a harder skin and are usually lighter in color and cylindrical in shape. This group is from arid exposed habitat in Africa and Madagascar. That hard skin combined with their cylindrical shape locks in water. Many hard skinned snake plants also evolved spikes at their leaf tips. On some cultivars, such as Dracaena penguicula and Dracaena cylindrica ‘Padula’, their spikes are truly dangerous. This group often grows by stolons, which shoot out from the base of the mother plant and creep along the soil, rooting as they go in nature. In pot culture these stolons grow into beautiful cascades, prized by collectors. Hard-leaved Dracaena aren’t as durable in low light as their soft leaved counterparts, but do excel in bright light or direct sun. Some, such as Dracaena cylindrica ‘Padula,’ can be grown outdoors in the Bay Area. Other selections of these hard leaved Dracaeana are ‘Fernwood’, ‘Mohawk’, ‘Samurai’ and ‘Starfish.’ There are dozens of other selections along with even more species, just waiting to be found by the jaded houseplant enthusiast.

MORE FUN INFO FOR BEGINNERS AND EXPERTS ALIKE

  • The genus Sansevieria (alas no more!) is named for the Italian scientist and inventor Raimondo di Sangro, (1710-1771) prince of Sanseviero Castle in Italy. Maybe they had snake plants in their dark corners?

  • Snake plants are also one of the best air purifying houseplants, due to a strange quirk of evolution. In order to hold moisture back from hot midday sun, snake plants evolved to “breathe” at night. Thus at night, when you’re actually home, these plants are purifying the air while others take the night off! This makes them an ideal choice for bedrooms, where they can purify the air while you sleep.

  • Ever tried to cut a snake plant with your clippers, only to get tangled up in that tough internal fiber? In Africa they have long been used to make a durable rope, even strong enough for bowstrings, giving them one of their least known common names: “viper’s bowstring hemp.”

  • An even more impressive use for snake plants is as bandages, since they have a perfect shape for dressing wounds and the plant contains natural antiseptic qualities.

We hope this convinces you to get your very first houseplant, or to push deeper into the world of rare and collectible snake plants! See you there!

Tyson Curtis