As of 2021, we've decided to continue the use of "Sansevieria" on our website. If this is what you're looking for you can simply remove the very tops of the growing leaf when its reached your ideal height. If you take leaf cuttings of Trifasciata laurentii it will normally revert to this all green Trifasciata, i.e. One drawback. Sansevieria or the Mother-in-Law's Tongue / Snake Plant as it's commonly known is a truly remarkable and striking easy care houseplant. So when it comes to feeding a standard cactus or all-purpose fertiliser during the Summer months is perfect. Sansevieria laurentii De Wild. Sansevieria plants prefer a loose, well-drained potting mix. These plants are also drought resistant. The reason for this lack of popularity is down to the fact that it doesn't grow very high or wide and is simply dwarfed by it's more vibrant and bigger cousins. When repotting, always use fresh potting soil. ... Robusta Sanseveria Live 15-20” Tall Plant, Snake Plant, Mother-In-Law Tongue. All varieties of Snake Plants grow slowly compared to other houseplants. The ones they know that will perform and not create too much fuss, the one you know that whilst perhaps a bit expensive initially, will be well worth the investment in the end. It lost many leaves and a huge amount of its attraction in the process. If it's eaten, the Snake Plant will bite back. In its native habitat, plant foliage may rise to as much … Sansevieria trifasciata have succulent leaves, so they do not need much water. It also comes in a Trifasciata form (so all the marbled greens but none of the yellow edges). However this plant is also desired for its upright and erect leaf habit which fits into almost all locations in the home from both traditional to modern decor. As the plant has grown, the leaves have been plaited together. In general we've not found these plants to be overly big feeders. The good news is you can propagate and create more plants quite easily when you repot by dividing the plants. The Mother In Law's Tongue tolerates salt, too, so they are ideal for planting along the coast. Additionally, due to their upright growth habit, the plants normally look best in a smaller narrow pot. The leaves on the Fernwood are normally concave shaped and form in dense clumps, often with many leaves per stem that create an arching and full looking appearance. According to joint studies run by the Department of Horticulture at the University of Georgia and the Institute for Environmental Research at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea, Sansevieria has a demonstrated ability to remove formaldehyde and benzene from the air. They thrive best with plenty of bright light. A temperature range between 70 and 90 degrees is best. Do not fertilize in the winter. If they ingest the plant, humans may suffer short-term symptoms including mouth pain, salivation, and some nausea. Just pull the clumps apart and pot up into their own individual containers. If you definitely know you've not overwatered your plant then the rotting has likely been caused by cold damage. Bantels Sensation is similar to the Trifasciata laurentii as it has all the same colours, but it's different as the stripes are vertical instead of going across the plant. Several cultivars are available, with the same hardiness as the species. So eventually your beautifully sculptured plait will look out of place surrounded by untrained natural growth. Another fairly new variety in the shops, the Moonshine brings us full circle and back to the more traditional looking Snake Plants with the upright, long and broad leaves, growing in packed clusters. You also need to nick the top off some of the leaves which prevents it from growing upwards. Snake plants (or mother-in-law's tongue) are one of the most popular and hardy houseplants. The key here is to avoid the roots being surrounded by too much water which can trigger rotting. Of the two the Mikado is usually the smaller and takes up less space. He is the main content writer for the Ourhouseplants Team. Mother-in-law's tongue's spear-shaped leaves are 2 to 3 inches wide and grow up to 3 feet tall. Less in Winter when it's cooler. Don't write it off though, because it's brilliant if you don't have a great deal of space but enjoy the cacti like appearance with the unusual variegation found on the Laurentii. The leaves can get pretty tall and at times they become top heavy and will bend or fall sideways. These plants are known to cause problems in animals. If a big plant is what you're looking for, go large at the time of purchase time. We've told you the ideal growing conditions, and also highlighted where you can get away with things. see all. This also seems more common in larger wide clusters for some reason, almost like the plant wants to spread out. You may also have luck with leaf cuttings: Cut 2 - 3 inches from a mature leaf and after waiting a day for the edges to dry, push the cuttings about 1 inch into a compost mix (you must plant it the right way up i.e. Bear in mind if you do cut off the growing tips, that particular leaf will never grow taller. They're attempting to attract moths for pollination, so during the evening and over night they smell strongly of something similar to Ylang Ylang. Plant division can happen when you can see the root rhizome off-sets. Pick a potting media low in peat, which eventually packs and refuses to re-hydrate or drain properly. Houseplant Display Wall using Snake Plants (Fernwood Mikado) in white pots. It's a funky and stylish twist on the traditional take. The majority of plants have a hormone that is produced in the top of the main stem, this hormone encourages upward growth through that particular individual leaf. Sansevieria Trifasciata ‘Black Gold’ —growing to 3 ft. (1 m), this snake plant has stiff fibrous dark … The sansevieria trifasciata picked up the name mother in laws tongue from the sharpness of the evergreen sword like leaves that grow in an upward fashion. While all Sansevieria are accommodating with wherever you put it, the Laurentii yellow will fade somewhat if you put it in heavy darkness. This gives incredible strength to the plant and resists damage so it could make for a great plant in an area with a lot of footfall. If you've read this far you already know that this is a fantastic hardy houseplant that will cope with masses of different conditions and treatment without fuss or major complaining on the way. So be sure to mark which way is up when creating the cuttings). Snake Plants usually have green banded leaves, while the variety commonly known as Mother-In-Law's Tongue typically features a yellow border. Then a small accident happened with some overwatering and cold temperatures. Not growing anywhere near as large as their more famous cousins, they maintain a dainty and slender appearance. Indoor/Outdoor. If I had to create an award for the best houseplant for beginners, the humble snake plant or “Mother-In-Law’s Tongue” would win it. When a plant reaches maturity and starts to flower it's common to see it happening each year. But they can't survive a long term drought. Debra LaGattuta is a certified master gardener with decades of experience with perennial and flowering plants, container gardening, and raised bed vegetable gardening. My second longest owned houseplant is a Trifasciata Laurentii, it started small, grew big, really big actually and filled many a pot over the years. After all the attention grabbing and elegance of the previous three Sansevieria varieties, Hahnii is perhaps quite basic looking. The mother-in-law’s tongue is very slow at growth. Jon VanZile is a Master Gardener and the author of "Houseplants for a Healthy Home.". An architectural species, it features stiff leaves that range from six inches to eight feet tall, depending on the variety. The names generally come from the shape of the long, slick leaves. Although they are very forgiving, Sansevieria plants prefer indirect but steady light with some direct sun. A mother-in-law plant is also commonly known as mother-in-law’s tongue, or snake plant. see all. high. If you can pull out entire leaves with very little effort and the bottoms are basically mush, this is what you're dealing with. For best results aim for the middle ground with bright indirect light. A small collection of the different varieties you can buy It belongs to the family Asparagaceae, native to the tropics of West Africa. You can grow just one offset by itself to create a living piece of art or have several growing in the same pot as shown above to create a cluster of activity. 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