Ultimate Snake Plant Care Guide: Discover the Key to Stunning Snake Plants That Thrive Year-Round

If there was a prize for the easiest plant to grow, snake plant would certainly be one of the frontrunners. Snake plant care is very straightforward. These plants can be neglected for weeks at a time, but with their strappy leaves and architectural shape they still look fresh.

Additionally, they can survive in low light and drought and they have few insect problems. NASA research has even shown that snake plants are able to remove toxins such as formaldehyde and benzene from the air. In short, they are the perfect houseplants.

The snake plant is an appealing houseplant with many sizes from which to choose. This species is primarily known for its rosette or upright foliar form, often with variegation and enticing colors. While the plant has traditionally been categorized as Sansevieria, it is now recognized as belonging to Dracaena. But no matter the name, these gorgeous plants offer vertical appeal and foliar excitement. Let’s take a look at how to care for these low-maintenance houseplants in your home.

Quick Snake Plant Facts

Snake Plant Benefits

There are a few benefits of growing a snake plant in your home. It is a striking and attractive foliage plant with tall, striped, sword-shaped leaves. Snake plant care indoors is very easy, making this hard-to-kill houseplant a great choice for beginners. These are reasons enough to get one, but as a bonus, snake plants have also been found to purify indoor air.

Snake Plant Care Essentials

Snake Plant Care

Despite the snake plant’s easy-going nature, there are still some basics you need to know to keep yours looking its best. Here’s how to care for snake plants, including light, water, and soil requirements, popular varieties, and answers to some of the most common questions.

Soil Requirements

Since the snake plant is a succulent, a succulent potting mix, like this one from Miracle-Gro, is the ideal growing medium. You can also use any good potting soil, like Miracle-Gro's regular indoor plant mix, provided there are plenty of drainage holes in your container. Also, be sure to choose a pot that is wide enough to be stable. As a snake plant grows taller, it can become top heavy.

A snake plant grown in potting soil will not need watering as frequently as one in a succulent mix. Make sure the potting soil has perlite and some other organic elements.

Light Requirements

Dracaena trifasciata is one of the most common snake plant varieties. Also known as mother-in-law’s tongue, this is a variegated form which needs a bit more light than solid green snake plants. In low light, the leaves may begin to revert to green.

For most other varieties, the best light for a snake plant is dappled or filtered light. It should receive two to four hours per day of bright light, such as the morning sun or indirect afternoon light. The rest of the day, it will do fine in shade or low, indirect light.

If you’re growing a snake plant outdoors in summer, provide shade during the hottest part of the day.

Transplanting

Snake plants thrive in confined spaces. In the wild they are snuggled up in rocky crevasses for their whole life. As you learn how to care for your plant, you will discover repotting snake plants is only necessary every two to three years. And this is only to freshen the soil.

Most of the time your snake plant will not need a larger container, as they like to be root bound. When it has produced enough leaves that are crammed around the edge of the pot, it is time for either a larger vessel or time to divide the plant.

Watering

Although it may not look like it, the snake plant is a succulent. This means it is drought tolerant once established. In the home, it needs to receive moderate moisture.

Water regularly during the growing season from spring to fall, but take care to avoid overwatering snake plants. These plants will not tolerate standing water or soggy soil, which can lead to root rot. It’s best to let the soil dry out between waterings.

During winter it is only necessary to water the plant once every month or two. This is because the plant is dormant and not actively growing. Resume regular watering when outdoor temperatures begin to warm in March.

Temperature & Humidity

The optimum temperature range for snake plants is between 60-75°F (16-24°C). Do not situate your plants near drafty windows or doors.

Unlike many houseplants that need high humidity because they come from jungle-type environments, snake plants can tolerate less humid air because they evolved in a drier climate. This is part of what makes caring for snake plants so simple.

Snake plants prefer humidity levels between 30 and 50 percent. This is quite easy to do in the winter home where heating systems tend to dry the air.

Fertilizing

In their native range, snake plants grow in poor soil. So they don’t need much fertilizer. During the growing season use a balanced fertilizer, diluted by half, once per month. An indoor plant fertilizer, like this one from Miracle-Gro, is a good choice.

Do not fertilize snake plants in the fall and winter months. You might also use a granular time release food, like this organic option from Burpee, in early spring that will gently feed your plant during the warmer months as it begins to grow again.

Pruning

Old leaves will die over time and can be snipped out near the base of the plant to make room for new foliage. When pruning snake plants, always use sharp, clean pruning shears to avoid any injury to the plant. Pro gardeners swear by these Felco pruners for precise cuts.

Outdoor Snake Plant Care

When grown outdoors in its native range, a snake plant can reach up to 4 feet (1.2 m) and produce flowers and berries. As a houseplant, though, it won’t grow much taller than 2 feet (0.6 m), and you will likely never see any snake plant flowers.

To grow a snake plant outdoors year-round, they require a tropical climate. If you live in USDA zones 9-11, it's possible. But for everyone else who lives in a cooler climate, you can move snake plants outdoors in spring and summer. Place them in a location with some dappled light much of the day.

Then when temperatures begin to drop in fall, bring your houseplants back indoors for the winter.

Snake Plant Varieties

There are around 70 different species of snake plant, however, not all are available for household cultivation. All are native to tropical and sub-tropical regions of Europe, Africa, and Asia. They are all evergreen and there are mini snake plant varieties that can grow anywhere from 8 inches (20 cm) tall all the way up to giant ones that can reach 12 feet (3.5 m) high.

One of the most common snake plant varieties grown as a houseplant or in the landscape is Dracaena trifasciata, often known as mother-in-law’s tongue. There are a few completely green snake plants but most bear striking markings. Plants also come in hues of grayish green, gold, cream, and variations of these tones.

If you’d like something a little different, the following species and cultivars are worth looking out for:

• ‘Laurentii’ – This cultivar has attractive yellow bands at the edges of its green leaves.
• ‘Moonglow’ – This variety has a silvery green color and lacks the stripes of other varieties.
• ‘Golden Hahnii’ – The Hahnii snake plant, also known as the bird's nest snake plant, has short leaves with yellow borders.
• ‘Twist’ – As the name suggests, this cultivar has twisted leaves. It is also striped horizontally, has yellow variegated edges, and grows to about 14 inches (35.5 cm) tall.
• ‘Bantel’s Sensation’ – This white snake plant cultivar grows to around 3 feet (91 cm) tall and has narrow leaves with white vertical stripes.
• Cylindrical Snake Plant (Dracaena angloensis) – The cylindrical snake plant has tube-like, dark green striped leaves and can grow to 2 to 3 feet (61 to 91 cm).
• Rhino Grass (Dracaena desertii) – This one grows to around 12 inches (30 cm) with succulent, red-tinted leaves.

Other species of snake plant you might find include Dracaena bacularis, which grows more densely than other species and has narrow, dark green leaves. Dracaena masoniana has wider leaves, more like paddles than spikes. They are green with white and purple variegation.

There are tons of other unique and stunning snake plants available at Lively Root and local garden centers to enhance your collection.

Propagation

The easiest way to propagate snake plants is by dividing. Large, established plants may be divided during repotting. The roots produce fleshy rhizomes, which can simply be removed with a sharp knife and potted up.

To divide a snake plant, tip the plant on its side and gently untangle the roots. Divide the plants into clumps bearing at least three leaves and pot them up. These need to go into a free draining soil. You should divide plants as needed and repot a snake plant every three to five years.

You can also propagate a snake plant in water with a leaf cutting. Cut off a healthy leaf and slice it into three to four inch (7.6-10 cm) sections. Cut the top end into a triangular shape and insert the flat bottom end into a glass of water.

Change the water frequently. When the cuttings have a dense root cluster, pot them up. The most important thing to remember is that they can easily rot, so you need to use a free draining soil.

You can also propagate snake plants from seeds. Soak seeds overnight to soften the hard outer coating. Plant the seeds in cactus potting mix, which you can find on Amazon, in flats and place these in a moderately light area and water regularly until they sprout.

Common Problems

Snake plants have very few issues when grown indoors as houseplants. One of the most common snake plant problems is root rot, which can lead to droopy snake plant leaves. You can avoid mushy snake plants that are plagued by root rot by ensuring good drainage and not overwatering. Let the soil dry out completely between waterings and don’t overwater in winter.

If you grow snake plants outdoors, mealybugs and scale may be an issue. Wipe off these common dracaena pests with a soft cloth sprayed with neem oil, which you can get from Amazon. Snake plants have few disease issues.

Frequently Asked Questions