This hardy low maintenance plant is one of the easiest house plants to have in your home. Its extremely low maintenance and sturdy-so that even absent or forgetful caretakers can still do well with this house plant. Known by the names- snake plant, sword plant or mother in laws tongue this is a popular house plant. This wonderful house plant rarely needs watering. Sansevierias doesn’t seem to mind being pot/root bound. This house plant thrives from neglect. Its easy maintenance aside-this plant is also a “clean air” plant. Useful and sturdy – what more can you ask for in a house plant?
Mother in laws tongue is a flat leaf variety of the Sansevierias plant family. It is a medium green house plant made of long spiky stalks that have a rough texture. Known by the Latin name Sansevieria trifasciata , this charmer adds greenery to a room without all the fuss of other plants.
Drought Resistant, Likes Bright Sunlight to Light Shade & Easy Propagation
Sansevieria is a drought resistant plant that needs a light amount of watering in the summer and sparse watering in the winter. Watering this house plant about once a month, in the summer, should be about right. Be sure to let it go dry between each watering. This house plant likes to go “extremely dry” in the winter before it needs to be watered. Actually this plant could probably go without water during the winter and do fine.
This house plant will do well in bright sunlight to light shade; however it is best to keep it out of direct sun light.
Propagate this house plant by cutting about 4 inches from another plant. Let the 4 inch cutting lay out for two or three days to form a “scab” over the cut end . Then plant- preferably in a clay pot- using poor soil, sand, and or perilite. Don’t water for about three weeks.
Moving Sansevieria to get the southern sun may encourage it to bloom. Sansevierias are rarely known to bloom. Some plants may go 10-20 years before blooming; however when they do bloom the blossoms will be spikey with a flower cluster that hangs down. Some owners report their blooms give off a strong scent at night.
Green and Useful
Sansevieria can grow up to about four foot in height. It is called a variety of names-snake plant. sword plant or mother in laws tongue are two common names. This is a “clean air ” house plant. It is used to purify indoor pollutants from the air in homes. Sansevieria usually does well with indoor pets. However, if ingested this house plant can be mildly toxic. A lot would have to ingested to be deadly but for the most part this plant is for looks- not eating. These plants are native to Africa. In Africa, some countries still use Sansevieria to produce fibers.
Chat room for sansevieria enthusiasts is [email protected]
Sources
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_plants_other/article/0,,hgtv_3609_1388849,00.html
