Sansevieria

Sansevieria- Snake Plants and Mother in Law’s Tongue

Sansevieria are houseplants in much of the United States, very tough and long lived houseplants.  Sansevieria are esteemed houseplants in China and Asia because they are said to furnish all of the eight essential virtues, and that’s where they get another common name, Good Luck Plant.  They are often placed in doorways of homes and shops for good luck. With a host of common names from Mother in Law’s Tongue, Snake plant, Good Luck plant and Birds Nest, the Sansevieria suffers cheerfully through neglect and mistreatment.   No matter how brown your thumb is you can grow a Sansevieria.

Sansevieria are native to Africa and come in several forms.  They are related to Agaves. The most common Sansevieria seen in homes has long, narrow leaves banded with light and dark areas of green and a thin line of gold along the edges. These are the plants commonly known as Snake Plants, because of the mottled pattern, or Mother in Laws Tongue, because of the sharp point. 

The leaves of the upright form are thick, with a waxy covering, and may grow to three feet in length or longer. Some newer variegated forms exist with silvery leaves, larger golden edges and other coloration.  The leaves all originate from a basal rhizomous root in a clump that will eventually fill a pot.

There are varieties of Sansevieria whose leaves are broader and shorter and form a rosette of leaves with a central “cup”. They rarely get more than a foot high and are called Bird’s Nest Sansevieria. They too, come in some color variegations, the most common one being a golden leaved one.

There are also rare forms and species of Sansevieria for collectors, some with narrow, spike like leaves and some that have only one thick rounded spike as a leaf.

When Sansevieria is in a place it likes it sends up a stalk covered with tiny, white to greenish white flowers from its center. The flowers have a strong scent in the evening, somewhat like a hyacinth. The flowering occurs randomly and may not happen for years at a time.  If the flowers get pollinated, which is rare indoors, tiny red berries may form.

Sansevieria are extremely long lived plants and are often passed from family member to family member as an inheritance.  I have one in my home that is more than 50 years old.

They are good houseplants for beginners and children really enjoy having a plant called a Snake Plant.   They also function well as cleaners of indoor air, removing harmful pollutants.

How to Grow Sansevieria

In our homes Sansevieria are often placed in doorways and windows because they will tolerate almost any light conditions and even drafts.  They can also go long periods of time between watering and prefer to be root bound in their pots.

The preferred site for your Sansevieria will be in bright light.  In Florida the plants are grown outdoors in full sun.  However, the Snake Plant will be fine without direct sunlight indoors if the artificial light is bright. 

Sansevieria like loose, well drained soil.  A lightweight potting soil mix will do.  The pot should be allowed to dry between watering. Try not to get water on the leaves, especially in the rosette of the Birds Nest type as this tends to promote rot. A little houseplant fertilizer, mixed according to directions, can be added a few times a year. 

You will need a stout, deep pot to counter balance the height and heaviness of upright Sansevieria.  They will eventually burst the pot with their root systems if they are growing well.  You will want to transplant to a slightly larger pot when that is about to happen.

Sansevieria produce small plants at the edge of the clump; these are called pups and can be removed and rooted for new plants. The rooted pups should look like the parent. Sansevieria are also easy to start from leaf cuttings.  The leaf cuttings won’t always look like the parent plant however, as many Sansevieria are chimeras and do not reproduce true to type from cuttings.

One large long leaf can be cut into several sections about 2 inches wide.  It is very important to keep the bottom of the piece identified, notch the bottom as you cut each piece.  If you stick the cut pieces in rooting medium with the “up” side down, they will not root. Rooting medium can be sand or vermiculite.  The cuttings take some time to grow but may produce more than one plantlet from each piece.  Sansevieria can also be propagated by dividing the clump the plant makes.

Dust the leaves of your Mother-In –Law’s Tongue if they look dirty and trim off any brown edges or dead leaves.

Sansevieria can be grown outdoors in zone 8 and above but Sansevieria will survive and multiply to pest status in warmer zones of the country. In zones 8 and above it should be confined in metal or cement pots and watched for escapes. They will grow in well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade and are good plants for landscaping in dry areas.  Gardeners in the colder zones can use sansevieria in containers in place of the traditional “spike” or use them as patio plants. 

Some references list Sansevieria as poisonous, particularly to cats.