The snake plant might be the unofficial plant of office cubicles and doctor’s waiting rooms (along with pothos).
You’ve probably seen these plants, with their rugged, tall, straight leaves.
These aren’t your typical ornamental plant. Their leaves are sharp and tough, but that’s part of what they’re so hardy.
Why you can’t go wrong with snake plants
Snake plants are gorgeous, resilient, easy to care for, and tolerant to various environments, which is why they do so well in offices!
Even if your space is dark and dry, a snake plant will do just fine.
How to care for your snake plant:
Snake plants are technically a succulent and like drier conditions. Their leaves hold a lot of moisture, so they can go a while in between waterings.
Water: The biggest challenge is not over watering your plant. Allow soil to dry out completely between waterings. This might be only every two or three weeks, maybe a little more if your home is warm or if your plant lives near a sunny window.
If your snake plant starts to droop, you’re probably watering too much.
If you do overwater and your plant starts to show signs of root rot, let it dry out and repot in fresh, sandy soil. Here are more tips for treating a snake plant with root rot.
Soil: Pot in a sandier soil and make sure your pot has drainage.
Fertilizer: Snake plants don’t NEED a lot of fertilizer, but they do appreciate some nutrients. I put a little Indoor Plant Food in my watering can each time I water my snake plants, and they look amazing!
Light: Snake plants can tolerate lower light conditions, but they do best near a window. Even a north facing window is fine.
They’ll grow faster with a little more light, and they tend to droop if they’re deprived of light for too long.
Snake plant grows slowly, so you don’t have to prune it, and they only require repotting every 2 or 3 years.
It doesn’t get much easier than that!
Finding a snake plant that fits your style
From the tall and thick leaves of “Black Gold” to the short and bright “Golden Hahnii,” there’s a snake plant for every taste and style.
Here are a few different varieties:
- Golden Hahnii has shorter leaves with yellow edges.
- Black Gold is pretty common, with dark green to almost black leaves with golden yellow edges.
- White Snake Plant can grow to 3 feet tall! Its leaves are more narrow and striped with white.
- Rhino Grass has reddish leaves and can grow up to about a foot.
- The Twisted Snake Plant has, you guessed it, twisted leaves. Neat, right?
Snake plants work for just about any person in any environment!
They’re great for cleaning the air, they’re beautiful, and they’re super hard to kill. Give one a try!