Snake Plant
The tall one with the yellow edges. Stiff, upright leaves, green centres with light banding, and a gold edge down each side. This is the plant for the person who travels, forgets, and still wants something alive when they get home. (Sansevieria Laurentii)
Light
Almost anything. It lives in low light, but it grows best and holds its shape in bright indirect light, and it can take some direct sun once it is used to it. Low light does not kill it. Low light plus too much water does.
Water
Sparingly. Let the soil dry out fully between waterings, then water well and drain. In winter that can mean once a month or less. The leaves store water, so the plant carries its own supply.
Food
I use a balanced fertilizer, like a 10-10-10 or 20-20-20, at half strength or weaker. I feed once or twice in the whole growing season, in spring and summer, and a light slow release dose in spring also works. I give nothing in winter, these grow in poor ground in the wild and do not need much.
Soil
I mix about 1 part coir or peat, 1 part perlite or pumice, and 1 part coarse sand or fine bark. It should be gritty and drain fast, so the pot dries fully between waterings. I do not use heavy potting soil or mixes that hold a lot of water, a wet mix is a death sentence for this plant.
Growing in Water
Leaf cuttings root in water well and I do it myself. It is slow, often months, but it is reliable if the water stays clean. The whole plant should not live in water permanently, so I pot rooted cuttings in soil where they belong.
Don't
- Don't water it a little bit every week. That habit, in a cool room, rots the base of the leaves, and a rotted snake plant leaf pulls out with a soft, mushy bottom. Dry is safe. Damp forever is not.
- Don't leave it sitting in a saucer of water.
- Don't repot it into a huge pot. It likes being snug, and extra soil just holds extra water.
Good to Know
Toxic to pets if chewed, so a low light corner out of the pet run is a better home than beside the dog bed. It is also one of the slowest plants I sell. Buy the size you want to look at, because it will not rush to grow into it.