Snake Plant Care
Snake plant is the common name for Dracaena trifasciata, formerly known as Sansevieria trifasciata. Both scientific names are still in wide use, and you might also simply call it a sansevieria plant.
In addition to snake plant, this plant has several other common names, including:
- Saint George’s sword
- Mother-in-law’s tongue
- Good luck plant
- Viper bowstring hemp
The stiff, upright leaves terminating in a point make snake plants easy to identify and the plant’s easy-care nature makes it a favorite houseplant.
Snake plants are members of the succulent family.
How to Care for a Snake Plant Indoors
While it’s comparatively easy to care for snake plants, you still need to pay attention to soil, light, water and proper placement to help them thrive.
All of the parts of a snake plant are toxic, so place it where children and pets can’t reach it. Wear latex or nitrile gloves when cutting the plant to protect your hands from irritation the sap might cause.
Snake Plant Soil Requirements
Snake plants need loose soil that drains well — the plant doesn’t do well in soil that’s continually moist. A 1:1 mixture of all-purpose potting soil and cactus/succulent potting mix makes a good soil for snake plants. Lots of open spaces in the soil don’t just help minimize the risk of overwatering by allowing drainage, they allow good root growth.
How Often Do You Water a Snake Plant?
As you might guess from the snake plant’s preferred soil type, this plant doesn’t like a lot of water. Like other succulents, a snake plant keeps water in its leaves, so you don’t need to water it often. Overwatering will kill this drought-tolerant plant.
A good way to know when a snake plant needs water is to check the soil. If the top inch or two of soil is dry, it’s ready for water. Water it deeply, so the water drains through the soil. Make sure your container has adequate drain holes and don’t let the container sit in a saucer full of water.
Snake Plant Light Needs and Placement
Snake plants do well in low light and only need partial sun. Plan to give them 2 to 6 hours of sunlight per day. While bright light can maintain the color variation in leaves that combine shades of green and yellow, too much direct sunlight can burn the leaves. It’s a good idea to keep the plant a few feet away from windows on the south or west side of your house. This placement gives it plenty of indirect light. Avoid locations near air-conditioning registers to keep the plant out of cool air.
How to Replant a Snake Plant
Snake plants don’t need repotting often since they like to be rootbound, with the roots tangled tightly together in the pot. You can typically wait at least 3 years before repotting them, though if the roots are beginning to crack the container, you’ll need to repot the plant sooner. When it’s time to replant a snake plant:
- Choose a pot a couple of inches larger than the current container and the root ball. The container should be heavy enough to give the top-heavy snake plant a stable base. Sterilize the pot and add a loose potting mix, like a 1:1 blend of potting soil and cactus/succulent mix.
- Give the snake plant a thorough watering an hour before removing it from the current pot.
- Tilt the pot on its side and carefully remove the root ball from the soil. Remove the existing soil from the root ball to reduce transmission of pests or disease.
- Replant the snake plant in the new container, with the root ball at about the same level it was in the original pot.
- Press the soil down enough to support the plant and water thoroughly. From that point, water only when the soil is dry, as we describe above.
Got more plants that are outgrowing their containers? See our guide, How to Repot Plants, for step-by-step repotting instructions as well as specific tips on popular houseplants like jade plants, spider plants and aloe plants.
Other Snake Plant Care Tips
- Snake plants don’t need much fertilizer. One spring and one summer application of a slow-release, half-strength 10-10-10 plant food should be sufficient.
- Prune as needed with sterilized shears during the plant’s growing season — March to November — to remove leaves that have grown too tall and allow for new growth. Cut at the soil level.
- Gently dust the leaves regularly.
- Clip away dead or damaged leaves as you find them.
- If you notice that the plant is turning yellow or brown, reduce watering.
- Soft stems are a sign of root rot. If the above-ground portion of the plant is soft, it’s probably beyond saving. If you remove the plant from the soil and find just a few soft roots, cut them away and repot to attempt to salvage the plant.
How to Propagate Snake Plants
As you’re repotting, you may notice a J-shaped extension or rhizome — known as a pup — growing at the base of the plant among the root ball. Using a sterilized knife or shears, cut the pup away and plant in a light potting mix as you would when repotting. Give the new plant enough water to moisten the soil and place it in indirect sunlight.
You can also try propagating snake plants from leaf cuttings. Place the cut edge in water and make sure it gets plenty of indirect light. Change the water regularly. Once roots begin to sprout transfer to a pot.
While snake plants are pretty easy to propagate, you’ll typically lose the variegated pattern of the leaves. The new snake plants will likely have basic, dark green leaves.