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Sansevierias

© Diana Pederson

Hundreds of households and offices have pots of "Mother-in-law's tongue" or "Snake plant" sitting in a dark corner gathering dust. For many of us, this is the only exposure to the wonderful Sansevieria plant family. After reading this article, I can almost guarantee you that you will want to begin collecting these plants for the wonderful variety in their leaf color patterns. What more could we ask? A plant that thrives on benign neglect and provides interesting color patterns.

If you are very fortunate, a plant may flower for you indoors. I had one species surprise me after five years by sending up a flower (which is night pollinated by moths) while it sat in the corner of my dining room receiving no direct light. What a thrill to watch the flower stem poke its head into the air and daily inspect it to see what happened next. I was disappointed that my week long observation resulted in a flower that only lasted 2 days. This experience was enough to send me searching for nurseries carrying Sansevierias.

Sansevieria Culture

Most people have no idea what this plant really is or how to take care of it. This is my favorite group of house plants. They are very tolerant of poor growing conditions and low light. If you water them once a week or every two weeks, they will be happy. I grow them in a north-facing window or under cool white shoplights. They thrive in either location. The only mistake you can make with them is over-watering. Growing them in a peat-based professional mix is best. I find that regular potting soils cause my plants to rot. Ask your local florist shop or garden store for the professional mixes available in your area. I use Fison's Sunshine mix in Michigan.

Sansevierias grow from rhizomes. When potting them up, make sure the rhizomes are covered but don't bury the base of the leaves. Use gravel to cover the soil. This helps to keep water from collecting at the base of the plant and provides support while the plant is settling into its new home. They may be top heavy until they are firmly rooted. Since this plant prefers to be potbound, plan on leaving it in the pot for several years. Most of mine are growing in 8-12" pots depending on the size of the plants. The tall varieties have deep pots while the dwarf varieties are grown in shallow pots. I add Osmocote fertilizer in the summer which feeds them for several months. These plants are summered outside by placing the pots on my porch or in my perennial beds. I do not plant them directly into the ground.