How to Care for a Sansevieria or Snake Plant

Sansevieria, also known as snake plant and mother-in-law’s tongue, is a hardy plant with long, broad leaves. Because of their adaptability and tolerance, they’re often used as houseplants. Their broad leaves soak up toxins and carbon dioxide and produce oxygen to help purify the air in the room.

Sansevierias (Snake Plants) are some of the toughest plants you can find. Whether indoors, in your garden or on your balcony, these spiky beauties can put up with almost anything. They’re easy to grow, but there are a few things you should know. Keep reading for Snake Plant care as a houseplant – you’ll see how low maintenance they really are.

SNAKE PLANT CARE TIPS

Water

Easy does it with the watering. You want to be careful not to overdo it because your plant will rot out.  Always make sure the soil is almost completely dry before thoroughly watering again.

Water your Snake Plants every 2-8 weeks. The watering schedule will vary for you depending on your home environment, type of soil mix, and pot size. You can read my guide to watering indoor plants to get a better idea.

I water my Snake Plants less often in the winter months (every 8 weeks for those in large pots) when the temps are cooler and the sun is less intense. This is the time of year when your houseplants like to rest.

Be sure not to let any water build up in the center of the leaves (where they form a cup) because this can lead to a mushy plant and ultimately rot.

So, if you travel or tend to ignore plants, this is the plant for you.

Light

Even though Sansevierias prefer medium light (which is about 10′ away from the west or south window), they’ll also tolerate low light and high light. How versatile they are!

Note: In lower light conditions, the darker leafed species and varieties ( like S. trifasciata & Sansevieria hanhnii jade) do better. Snake Plants with brighter variegations will become less intense and patterned.

Just be sure to keep them out of the direct, hot sun because they’ll burn in a heartbeat.

Air Circulation

These plants don’t mind the dry or stale air in our homes and offices. They’ll also do well in bathrooms where the humidity tends to be much higher.  This is another versatility factor that gives this houseplant the label: “diehard”.

Temperature

Sansevierias will tolerate a wide range of temperatures in our homes. I have 1 in a pot outdoors which does fine. We get very hot here in the desert in the summer and a handful of evenings can dip below freezing in the winter.

If yours is outdoors for the summer, just know they don’t tolerate frost or snow so get them indoors before the temperatures drop too low.

Pests

Snake Plants are highly pest-resistant but in poor conditions, they can get mealybugs and/or spider mites. If yours gets mealybugs, I’ve got you covered with this post on how to get rid of mealybugs and aphids. Here you can find spider mites control.

It’s best to take action as soon as you see any pest because they multiply like crazy. Pests can travel from houseplant to houseplant fast so make you get them under control as soon as you see them

Soil

Snake Plants are easy-going with their soil nutrients requirements. Because root rot is one of its main issues that kill these plants,  I’d recommend a fast and well-draining soil to help prevent this.

I use succulent and cactus mix combined with potting soil in a ratio of 1:1. If the mix seems too heavy, I add in a few handfuls of pumice or perlite to up the ante on the aeration and drainage factor. I’ll also do this if the pot only has 1 or 2 smaller sized drain holes.

Fertilizer

I’ve never fertilized my Snake Plants. I feed them every spring with a topping of worm compost and compost.

I give most of my houseplants a light application of worm compost with a light layer of compost over that every spring. Easy does it – 1/4 ” layer of each for a 6″ size houseplant. Read about my worm compost/compost feeding right here.

If you prefer fertilizing, then an organic all-purpose houseplant food would be fine. Just be sure to fertilize in the spring and/or summer, twice at the most.

Repotting

You don’t need to rush to repot your Snake Plants. They actually do better when pot-bound and I’ve seen quite a few which have broken their grow pots. Yes, the rhizomes and roots are that tough.

Generally, I repot mine every 2-5 years at the most. If yours is growing in low light, transplanting every 5-10 years will be fine.

REASONS TO LOVE SANSEVIERIAS

Sansevierias are one of the best plants when it comes to air purification because they take in toxins and give off oxygen. They’re great plants for the bedroom because they release it at night . Don’t expect 1 plant to purify your whole bedroom though – only the air around it.

They’re considered to be good luck plants, most likely because of their purifying nature.