Scientific Name
Sansevieria canaliculata Carrière
Common Name(s)
Snake Plant
Scientific Classification
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Crassuloideae
Genus: Sansevieria
Origin
Sansevieria canaliculata is native to Madagascar.
Description
Sansevieria canaliculata (now Dracaena canaliculata) is a stemless succulent with cylindrical leaves that grow from underground rhizomes. The leaves grow solitary or sometimes in a group of two and can reach up to 3 feet (90 cm) in length and 0.8 inches (2 cm) in diameter. They are pale to dark green, erect or slightly curved, with 5 to 6 shallow longitudinal grooves and rounded rib-like spaces between them.
The inflorescence is simple, spike-like, and can grow up to 6.4 inches (16 cm) long. The flowers are long, tubular, and white with a faint green tinge.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones 10b to 11b: from 35 °F (+1.7 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
How to Grow and Care
Place Sansevierias in moderately bright or filtered light. Good locations include a spot in front of a north-facing window or front of a bright, sunny window covered by a sheer curtain. Although the plant tolerates low light, bright light brings out the colors in the leaves. However, intense light may cause the edges of the leaves to turn yellow.
Allow the soil to dry completely before watering, and then water deeply until water drips through the drainage hole. Allow the pot to drain, and discard the water in the saucer. Never let the soil become soggy, and never let the pot stand in water. Water sparingly throughout the winter. Like most succulent plants storing water in their leaves, Sansevieria rots quickly in excessively wet soil.
Place Sansevieria at average room temperature. Protect the plant from drafts and cold temperatures as it is damaged below 50 °F (10 °C).
Feed the plant once every three weeks throughout the summer. Use a general-purpose fertilizer for houseplants diluted to one-half of the strength suggested on the container. Sansevieria is a light feeder, and too much fertilizer makes the leaves fall over.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Sansevieria.
Links
- Back to genus Sansevieria
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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