Scientific Name
Dracaena angolensis (Welw. ex Carrière) Byng & Christenh.
Common Name(s)
African Bowstring Hemp, African Spear, Bowstring Hemp, Cylindrical Snake Plant, Skyline Spear Sansevieria, Spear Orchid, Spear Sansevieria
Synonym(s)
Acyntha cylindrica, Cordyline cylindrica, Sansevieria angolensis, Sansevieria cylindrica, Sansevieria cylindrica var. patula, Sansevieria livingstoniae
Scientific Classification
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Nolinoideae
Genus: Dracaena
Origin
Dracaena angolensis is native to Angola, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Description
Dracaena angolensis, formerly known as Sansevieria cylindrica, is a rhizomatous succulent with stiff, subcylindrical, green-gray leaves that alternate to form a fan-like shape. The leaves can grow up to 5 feet (1.5 m) tall and 1.2 inches (3 cm) in diameter, tapering to a sharp point. They are grey-green with horizontal dark green stripes.
The fragrant flowers are white, tinged with pink, tubular with five linear lobes curled backward, and appear arranged in a whorled pattern along an upright, spike-like inflorescence up to 3 feet (90 cm), usually in spring. They rarely appear indoors and open only at night.
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 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 or the pot stands 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 half 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.
Varieties and Cultivars
Links
- Back to genus Dracaena
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
Photo Gallery
Click on a photo to see a larger version.
