蜜桃恋人

How to Care for 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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Growing Snake Plants: Watering, Lighting, Propagation, and Pests

Catherine Boeckmann

We love snake plants! Also known as 鈥淢other-in-Law’s Tongue鈥 and Sansevieria, these are one of the easiest houseplants to care for. This striking succulent plant is very forgiving and perfect for beginners, but they are beloved by experienced plant parents, too. Here’s how to care for a snake plant in your home! 

About Snake Plants

, 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 Zone 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 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 quickly 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鈥檛 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: 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掳F (10掳C). In the winter, protect it from drafty windows.
Potted Snake plant in the nursery. Photo by Mokkie/Wikimedia Commons.
Photo by Mokkie/Wikimedia Commons

Growing

How to Water Snake Plants

One of the most common problems encountered with snake plants (and other succulents) is overwatering. These plants do not tolerate soggy soil; 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. Hold off watering if you feel any moisture or see soil sticking to the chopstick. 
  • 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.
  • Snake plants are rapid growers in good conditions and may need to be divided annually.
  • Divide and repot in the spring. Cut out a section containing leaves and roots and place it 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.

Types

  • 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.
    • 鈥楤antel鈥檚 Sensation’ 鈥 Narrow leaves have white vertical stripes and grow to about 3 feet long. This variety can be hard to find.
  • D. hahnii:
    • 鈥楤ird’s Nest’ 鈥 Short, wide leaves of dark and light green form a tight nest shape like a bromeliad. Leaves only grow 6 to 8 inches long. This variety does need much light to grow well.
    • 鈥楪olden Hahnii鈥 鈥 Like the standard 鈥楤ird’s Nest鈥 but with leaves variegated along the edge in yellow.
  • D. cylindrica:
    • 鈥楥ylindrical Snake Plant’ 鈥 As its name suggests, this species of snake plant has cylindrical leaves that end in a fierce point. 
    • 鈥楽tarfish Snake Plant鈥 鈥 The starfish snake plant has cylindrical leaves that fan out from its base, giving it a starfish-like shape.
  • D. masoniana: 
    • 鈥榃hale Fin’ 鈥 These interesting snake plants have large, wide leaves that resemble the fin of a whale breaching the water’s surface.
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Wit and Wisdom

  • According to , snake plants, 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鈥 air-purifying capabilities!
  • , a type of snake plant native to 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
Houseplant Guides
About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it鈥檚 not surprising that she and The Old Farmer鈥檚 蜜桃恋人 found each other. She leads digital content for the 蜜桃恋人 website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana. Read More from Catherine Boeckmann
 

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Comments

Samantha Gray (not verified)

2 years 8 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 )

Leslie (not verified)

2 years 8 months ago

Mine has been growing outside my North-Central Florida home for years. In a pot under filtered light for years. It bloomed last year (2021) and I've maybe watered it 2 or 3 times over the year but it gets some misting from the rains. This plant originally came from the inside front windows of my Grandma's bar in Michigan! It was easily 3 to 3 1/2 feet tall. The "stories" it could tell!

ane (not verified)

2 years 8 months ago

Snake plants are one of the easiest to grow in zone 7b...put it outdoors (in a pot) on the north side during the summer when the weather stays above 60 degrees. Place in a wide, sturdy clay pot cause it will get huge and top heavy. Water until you see it come out the bottom then don't water until it is bone dry. Ignore it most of the time. I have never fertilized. Re-pot when the plant has no more room to grow or when you see the plantlings start to hang off the sides. Bring it in when the temp gets around 50 and place in a corner of a room. Don't water too much in winter cause the roots will rot. It will continue to grow where ever you put it, regardless of sunlight. I have a 20 year old plant that I have had to re-pot and give lots of plantlings away several times in the last two years. Right now I have plantlings from the summer that grew about 3 feet high during this winter. They are one of the least problematic plants as pets, kids and pests don't bother them, they can handle being knocked over, abused, and ignored most of the time.

Debbie (not verified)

2 years 8 months ago

Have you ever seen a snake plant flower. I had a snake plant 20 years ago and it blossomed. It grew a stalk in the middle of the blades and at the end grew a bulb and bulb opened up and tiny white flowers bloomed. A co-worker grew up in Trinidad and snake plants were by the rivers and he never saw one bloom. I brought a flower for him to see; was astonished. Gave a part of plant to friend and 20 years later she gave it back to me. Son or daughter of the original plant, still have it today but hasn't bloomed yet.

Boateng (not verified)

2 years 8 months ago

Does "snake plants" repels snake?

Goodness, no. It's called that due to it's long, tapering shape.

Katie (not verified)

2 years 8 months ago

I used Miracle Gro All Purpose fertilizer on my snake plants, and now they are all turning very light in color. How do I correct this? Thank you

Repot with "fresh" soil...fertilizer burn馃ゲ

Have you changed anything else in the plant’s environment鈥攕uch as lighting or watering? These are the things that are most likely to cause a snake plant to start to turn yellow. However, if the leaves are getting bleached, that means it has been getting too much light; try moving it out of direct sunlight (if that’s where it is) and into bright, indirect light. Also be sure not too overwater snake plants; they prefer to dry out a bit between waterings.