What Is Sansevieria?
Sansevieria is a genus of 20 species of plants within the family Asparagaceae. They are native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Australia. The plant has tall stems that grow upright into long narrow leaves that can range from dark green (variegated) to cream or white in color, with tips that taper to a point. Sansevieria is commonly called the snake plant or mother-in-law’s tongue for its distinctive leaf shape, which resembles a snake or an elephant’s trunk. The name Sansevieria was chosen by Joseph Gaertner since he thought it resembled Saint Sebastian and his arrows (Saint vitae in Latin).
Sansevieria Care & Maintenance:
Sansevieria is a tropical plant that can be grown indoors and out. Although called a perennial, it’s technically considered an annual or short-lived perennial because the plant will live just one to two years.
It grows best in USDA hardiness zones 10 and above, but can be kept as a houseplant anywhere inside.
Sansevieria is also known as “mother-in-law’s tongue” with its long, sometimes variegate leaves; “snake plant” due to its characteristic whip-like shape; and “Warnecke,” named after German botanist Heinrich Ernst Warnecke (1841–1926). Warnecke was the first to extensively document Sansevieria trifasciata.
Sansevieria is great for areas with low or no natural light, though it can handle some direct sunlight as long as it’s not intense.
It also grows well in moist soil and humid spaces. Plus, the plant requires little care beyond occasional watering and feeding once a month or so.
However, its stiff leaves may break if jostled too frequently in strong winds so you’ll need to plan accordingly when placing this plant outdoors.
Indoors, Sansevieria will do best if placed in a room that doesn’t get much foot traffic and receives direct sunlight only on occasion (such as a sunroom).
Sansevieria Light Requirements:
Sansevieria can handle low light levels, such as a shaded window sill or under the shade of taller plants.
If you place Sansevieria in lower light conditions it will grow more slowly but remain attractive and healthy-looking.
It should be placed away from direct sunlight to avoid sunburned leaves (which do occur). Leaving it in its natural habitat outdoors is one option; another is placing the plant by a sunny window that doesn’t get too hot with the midday sun.
If you place Sansevieria outdoors where there’s intense sunlight, leaves may scorch and wither, leading to their death.
The most ideal placement for Sansevieria is under fluorescent lights indoors – this will allow you to enjoy its fullness and its unique beauty. Sansevieria Watering Requirements:
Sansevieria requires moderate to low water levels—water the plant when the soil feels dry about an inch below the surface.
You’re likely to find that it will easily withstand drought a bit longer than other plants since it has a thick, succulent leaf base.
Take care not to overwater this plant or allow standing water in its saucer after watering because excess moisture can cause root rot.
The potting medium for Sansevieria should be well-draining so that there’s no standing water left in it after you’ve finished watering your plant. You may want to keep a tray underneath to catch any escaping drainage water from over-watering or heavy rain.
Water Requirements:
Water your Sansevieria sparingly. It can take a while for the thick, succulent taproot to absorb water so don’t be too fussy with the frequency of watering—it’ll eventually drain from the bottom and you won’t have wet leaves.
Sansevieria generally requires little water and performs best in low humidity conditions.
Once established, it tolerates drought well, watering about once every 2 weeks or when the soil feels dry about 1 inch below the surface. Waterlogged soil and wet leaves will cause root rot quickly.
Soil Requirements:
Sansevieria doesn’t require sterile soil. It can tolerate a wide range of conditions, including very sandy, gritty, or even clay soils as long as drainage is good.
Sansevieria will grow well in pots or containers filled with regular potting mix that contains a good proportion of organic material like peat moss, perlite, pine bark, vermiculite, and/or composted soil.
Sansevieria should be planted in rich soil with an optimal pH between 5.5 and 7.0 (neutral to slightly acidic).
This plant is not particular about its sunlight needs—it does well under low light as long as it isn’t burned by the direct sun every day.
If you have a location where it receives only dappled sun, this is the ideal area for Sansevieria because it won’t be exposed to full sun all day.
Temperature and Humidity Requirements:
Sansevieria will tolerate a wide range of temperatures.
It should be kept above 60° F and below 90° F (16-32 °C). It will survive both cold winters and warm summers, but it’s best to plant your Sansevieria outdoors in the summertime if you have a suitable spot for it.
Sansevieria prefers low humidity levels and high air circulation. If the air is too moist around your plant, you may notice leaves with brown tips or leaf streaking; this is due to the lower oxygen levels found in higher humidity conditions.
If you tend toward cool misting plants rather than hot, dry direct misting methods, that would work just fine on Sansevieria.
If you’re using a drip system, set it for slow drips so that the soil stays moist; avoid flooding or drenching your plant.
Air Circulation:
Plants, in general, need air circulation around them to prevent diseases and pests from attacking. If there’s no movement of fresh air near your Sansevieria, you may see leaves with brown spotting and wilting as well as fungal problems on the stems, flowers, and roots.
An example of this is when an environment has stagnant indoor air without adequate ventilation through open windows or doors—this is often the case with basement areas where windows are lacking or small vents don’t effectively bring in new outside air into otherwise enclosed rooms. Your plants will want to be exposed to fresh air at some point during the day in order to prevent diseases from attacking them.
When you grow your Sansevieria under lights, it’s best to provide a fan near the plant that switches on and off as needed so that leaves don’t get scorched by too much direct light over an extended period of time.
Fertilizing Requirements:
Sansevieria can tolerate an average amount of fertilizer, which is usually enough to keep it looking healthy and thriving. You’ll want to use a well-balanced houseplant fertilizer that contains all three primary nutrients (nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium).
The potting mix you’ve chosen should already contain some nutrients so don’t add extra fertilizers until the soil has been depleted or your plant looks unhealthy for a while after planting.
If you do need to add some fertilizer at a later date, dilute the recommended dose in half with water since Sansevieria isn’t extremely sensitive but also isn’t super-tough either.
As long as your plant hasn’t run into trouble from pests or disease, it shouldn’t need to be fed very often in order to maintain a healthy appearance.
Potting and repotting Requirements:
Your Sansevieria should be potted in a well-draining pot.
What you want is a pot that has good aeration as well as drainage channels for excess water to leave the root zone.
Using regular potting mix for your Sansevieria will do fine, but make sure it’s free from clumping and contains some organic material like composted soil.
Don’t use sphagnum moss (aka peat moss) since this type of medium doesn’t have any other nutrients besides mineral compounds once it dries out—your plant will need more than just minerals from the soil if it’s going to grow strong roots!
I highly suggest using real garden loam or another type of rich organic compost as the basis for your potting medium.
If you’re repotting, be careful when placing your plant in smaller pots since it can’t tolerate being root-bound.
In fact, it’s best to use a container that is only 1-2 inches wider or taller than the current pot; for example, if you are using a 5 inch (13 cm) diameter pot for your Sansevieria, choose a 6 inch (15cm)-wide or 7 inches (18cm)-tall planter next time around.
This will ensure that the roots have enough room to grow without becoming too crowded or constricted in the soil mixture over time.
Sansevieria Propagation info:
Sansevieria doesn’t really propagate from cuttings, and since it’s a slow-growing plant, to begin with, you’re unlikely to need any new plants for quite some time.
However, if you do want to grow several Sansevieria in one big container, the pot should be at least 6 inches (15cm) wide or tall. When doing this indoors, keep the soil evenly moist but not drenched; outside it can tolerate more sun so long as it’s well-watered.
If you choose to grow three or four individual stalks instead of one large clump, make sure each stalk has its own root system—if they are simply sharing the same root zone without their own separate spaces, they will compete with each other for nutrients from the soil.
If you accidentally knock over your plant or it falls over and its leaves turn up at an odd angle, don’t worry—it’s not dead yet! Just make sure to put it in a safe place where there is lots of light and keep the soil moist but not drenched, then wait for new growth to appear after a few weeks’ time.
Severely dehydrated plants can be revived by cutting back on water during their recovery period; this should produce healthy new leaves on top of old ones without disturbing the roots much since loosely-packed Sansevieria propagate mostly via tip branching instead of growing more roots.
Sansevieria Diseases and Pests:
Your Sansevieria plant is unlikely to fall victim to pests or diseases if you stick with good potting practices and keep your plants in healthy, well-draining soil with plenty of air circulation.
It’s very resistant to many problems that affect other houseplants. You’ll most likely only have problems if you’re overwatering it or leaving the soil too moist for too long (causing root rot). Since they grow so slowly, be patient when caring for this plant—it can take up to 2 years from germination to full maturity. By using proper watering practices, you can avoid root rot and enjoy a happy, thriving Sansevieria!
