HouseplantsDiscover the right indoor plants for your home.
Sansevieria trifasciata‘Laurentii ’ . Photo by : Aquarius Studio / Shutterstock
In recent yr , succulent have become one of the hottest trends in home décor because they expect exotic , yet are super - easy to grow . One older - school day succulent enjoying a revitalization in popularity isSansevieria , more usually call snake plant because of its recollective , wiggly foliage . Not only is it one of the few succulents that does n’t take a cheery windowsill to thrive , it ’s also one of the best houseplant for improving indoor air caliber .
“ When sansevieria started their unfaltering climb in the popularity pate , fresh varieties started emerge . As for care , they are all unshakable . ” says Tovah Martin , author ofThe Indestructible Houseplant .
Today , there are more potpourri than ever before , from light and cylindrical to improbable and elegant , with variegated farewell displaying streaks of silver , grey , yellow , or white . Once you ’re introduced to the versatility of these tough and forgiving houseplant , you ’ll need to include at least one in nearly every room of your home .
On this page : Basics|Planting Tips|Care and Maintenance|Snake Plant Pictures|Display idea
BASICS
Botanical name:
Sansevieriaspp .
Common names:
Snake works , mother - in - practice of law ’s tongue , viper ’s bowstring hemp
Origin:
West Africa
Care Level:
Nearly effortless . Can brook long periods of neglect without complaint .
Size:
6 column inch to 4 foot
Light requirements:
Will thrive in everything from bright light to murkily fire up corners . Do n’t locate in direct sunlight , which can sear the leave-taking . An east- or west - face window is optimal .
Growth rate:
Slow to moderate .
Foliage:
The only visible parcel of a snake plant are its leathery , acutely pointed leaves , which often have a vary pattern resemble the coloring of an exotic serpent . commonly the foliage is tall and unsloped , but there are also overshadow “ bird ’s nest ” potpourri that mold squat rosette of leaves . The foliage is typically flat or slimly concave , but you could also encounter interesting cultivars with twisted and vasiform leaves .
Flowers:
When grow indoors , they will rarely flower , but a ripe industrial plant may storm you by sending up a sylphlike spike of small lily - like flowers . The blooms are usually snowy or pale pinkish and very fragrant . Most plants will go many years between bloom hertz .
Longevity:
Twenty years or more ; indefinitely , if disperse by division every five years or so .
Toxicity:
The leaf can have gastrointestinal upset if ingested , so keep out of range of children and favourite . See moreCommon venomous Plants for Dogs and Cats .
PLANTING TIPS
Photo by : alenysk / Shutterstock
Where to plant:
Almost anywhere that has some sorting of light source . The room temperature should be between 65 ° to 80 ° F , since bowstring hemp are raw to cold temperature . They can also be grown outdoors as pot plants or planted straight in the ground in warm clime ( Zones 9 to 11 ) .
Humidity:
Usually not an issue . Can put up a wide range of humidity levels .
Soil type:
Thrives well in a well - drain potting intermixture that admit perlite .
Pot requirements:
Because snake plants spread by rootstock , they can muscle their way of life out of tenuous plastic container . A heavy corpse pot is a sound dwelling house because they do n’t snap as easy and is less probable to tumble over under the weight of the tall leafage . Whatever type of potful you use , verify it has holes in the bottom for drainage .
Propagation:
One of the sluttish house flora to divide and part . Simply fracture away young shoot from the parent industrial plant , using a sharp knife to cut through the thick roots and rhizomes . Replant the individual shoots in novel pots , pretend certain each ball has some roots sequester . you may also distribute by folio cutting allowed to settle down in moist potting soil . However , cuttings from variegate cultivars will not necessarily raise variegations true to typewrite .
SNAKE PLANT CARE AND MAINTENANCE
Watering:
BecauseSansevieriais a succulent , its leaf are thick in edict to store water system , much like a cactus . works only ask watering once every week or two , or whenever the filth feels dry . It ’s always better to err on the dry side , since overwatering can lead to root rotting . passably much the only matter you could do to kill a snake flora is to give it too much piss . If the leaves begin to flex yellowed or get balmy and schmalzy at the foundation , that ’s ordinarily a signboard of overwatering and miserable soil drainage .
Fertilizing:
Although they ’re all right with little or no fertilizer , they will be more rich if given an all - design houseplant fertilizer diluted to half the recommended charge per unit . Do not fertilise in winter .
Cleaning:
debris the leaves occasionally with a damp fabric to maintain their glossy lustre .
Repotting:
Snake flora does n’t mind being snug in its pot , but it ’s still a good idea to repot it every two or three old age to freshen up the soil and meliorate drain . If the pot sizing is adequate , simply place your flora back into the same pot fill with tonic dirt .
Pests and problems:
seldom will you run into any serious pest or disease problems , but be on the lookout for whitemealybugs , which can easy be removed with cotton swab dipped in 70 % fray alcohol . ( See more oncommon houseplant pests . )
Removing dead or damaged foliage:
Although it ’s hard to kill one by underwatering , chronic neglect can result in brown , crispy leaf tips . If the scathe is unsightly or the leafage give out completely , only cut the entire foliage off at the grunge aerofoil . If you clip off only part of a folio , it will not rectify from the cut point .
SNAKE PLANT PICTURES
Sansevieria trifasciata’Laurentii '
Although there are many trendy fresh cultivars , this old - fashioned variegated variety remains the most popular and most recognizable . It have the authoritative upright growth habit and snakeskin - like foliage , but the leaves are outlined by broad , showy brush strokes of favorable yellow . If you love the look of ‘ Laurentii ’ but do n’t have outer space for a 4 - foot plant , you’re able to also find a little - scale variation ( S. trifasciata’Laurentii Dwarf ' ) that has the same color profile but grows to a stature of only 10 inch .
Height:4 feet
Width:30 inches
Photo by : Alina Kuptsova / Shutterstock
S. trifasciata‘Hahnii '
Also called fowl ’s nest snake plant , this dwarf multifariousness form perfect rosettes of low - grow leaves , creating a conformation similar to a nest . Typically , the leaves are moody green mottled with grey - K crossing bands , but you may also find varieties with green parting and favorable - yellow vertical stripes ( ‘ Golden Hahnii ’ ) and silvery gray leafage with dark green cross banding ( ‘ Silver Hahnii ’ ) . Growing to a height of only 6 inches , these compact plants conform to in confine space that the tall upright bowstring hemp ca n’t , such as on windowsills and desktops .
Height:4 to 6 inch
Width:6 to 8 inches
Photo courtesy Wikimedia
S. trifasciata’Moonshine '
‘ Moonshine ’ , also sold as ` Moonglow ' , is one of the newer cultivar and is distinguished by broad silvery gray foliage and a lissom vase - alike form . The leaf often change colour from silver to gray-haired - unripe to dreary green as they ripen , adding to the shimmering effect . “ The overall look is several pass above the standard transportation , if not downright head turning , ” says Martin . “ It ’s an first-class sentinel for a location that is not really capable of supporting most industrial plant animation . No matter how hot , wry , or dark the conditions , ' Moonglow ' can take it . ”
Height:10 to 12 inches
S. trifasciata’Twisted Sister '
As the name imply , this delightfully quirky cultivar has leaves that wind and turn in all directions as they emerge from the grease , looking like a Hydra industrial plant with a sick permanent wave . It grows to a meridian of about one invertebrate foot and to approximately the same breadth , so it ’s not as linear in shape as the typical ophidian plant . The low - growing habit and vivid green and yellow variegated foliage make it a great specimen for brightening up a tabletop or bookshelf .
Height and width:12 to 15 inches
photograph by : WindAwake / Shutterstock.com
Cylindrical Snake Plant ( S. cylindrica )
Unlike the typically flat or more or less misrepresented foliage of snake flora , this unusual variety has thickheaded , tubular leaves sometimes reach out several feet in distance . Other apt names given to this Angolan native are dragon ’s finger and African spear plant . The cylindrical leave , which have the characteristic light green cross - banding , arch outward from a primal jacket crown . To give the plant a Zen - similar vibe , growers will often betray it with the leaves braided and secured with a rope or band at the top . Or count for the less plebeian starfish bowstring hemp ( S. cylindrica‘Boncel ’ ) , a compendious hybrid with leaves that fan out from the center like the electron beam of a starfish .
Height : Up to 5 feet
