Snake Plant

Other common names: Mother-in-law's Tongue, African Bowstring-Hemp, Spear Plant, Bowstring-Hemp, 虎尾兰

Snake plants have leathery, succulent leaves that are variegated with green, silver and yellow hues that grow in a rosette. It has white- and cream-coloured flowers that grow on a very long flower stalk.

A perennial plant, snake plants are versatile and can grow indoors, outdoors and even on rooftop gardens due to its ability to tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. Its attractive, white-yellow variegated leaves provide texture and colours to landscape designs.

Sun and soil needs:

This plant thrives in at least 2 hours of direct sunlight or with a minimum of 4 hours of indirect sunlight. Plants do best in loamy or sandy soil at least 10cm deep, or in true ground.

Growing:

Due to its ability to withstand drought, it is better to underwater the plant to prevent potential root rot. As it is slow growing, it does not require frequent fertilising. A balanced liquid fertiliser once every two months is sufficient.

As with all potted plants, regular repotting once a year will prevent it from becoming root bound.

Propagation:

Snake plants can be propagated by leaf cuttings or division.

Common problems & solutions:

This plant is relatively resistant to pests and disease if kept healthy.

This plant is susceptible to root rot if grown in waterlogged soil. To prevent rot, grow the plant in sandy soil with plenty of inorganic soil amendments. Plants can also be bottom watered once a week or less to keep the soil airy.

Mealy bugs often infest the plant if it has underlying problems like waterlogging. Mechanical pest control methods like pruning the infested parts are the best methods for managing these pests in the short term, but resolving the underlying problem will prevent them in the long term.

This plant will need regular division of offshoots to prevent the plant from getting root bound too rapidly. These plants can also quickly taker over a garden if not contained within a planter bed.