Sansevierias are one of our favorite plants. They are super elegant and have some amazing features. We have some fun facts about sansevierias that we’d like to tell you so you can discover how fabulous they are and also start loving them. For a reason, they are one of the most popular plants to take home after visiting our garden center in Tenerife.
To begin with, we should say that sansevierias are plants native to Africa, Madagascar and South Asia and for those plant aficionados, they belong to the plant family Asparagaceae. As can be deduced from the name, the most famous member of this plant family is the delicious garden asparagus.
There are many varieties of sansevieria, but there are types that are more popular and common, such as, for example:
- Sansevieria cylindrica, spikey or spikey. From their names, you can already get an idea of what they look like. They also have more common names such as “snake plant,” “mother-in-law’s tongue,” “viper’s bowstring,” “African spear plant” and “sansevieria cylindrica.” As expected, the spikey version has long, slender, pointed cylindrical leaves that tend to grow more vertically. These plants are slow growing and architecturally dazzling. With proper care and light, they can reach heights of about 50 centimeters for the largest plant and 35 centimeters for the smallest.
- Sansevieria snake. Our “snakey” version has rounder, flatter leaves. They have a marbled pattern on their leaves, similar to snakeskin. Unlike their spiky sister plant, these grow a little faster. In a well-lit location, new shoots can grow to a height of about 60 centimeters or more. The leaves grow at a greater angle, giving extra bulk to the plant. If you’re looking for a sansevieria, then the snake plant is probably right up your alley. It is also known as “viper’s rope hemp” and “sansevieria zeylanica,” although “snake plant” seems to be the more common name. That’s understandable when its leaves look as impressive as snakeskin pattern and it’s also easier to pronounce and remember.
- Sansevieria Punk. Finally, we have our little punk sansevieria, which we love. She’s beautiful! It also grows perfectly. With proper care and light, new shoots can reach 25-30 centimeters. This variety is almost a mini-hybrid of spikey and snakey, with leaves that have a particular pattern, growing at an angle like snakey but are more slender and pointed like spikey.
Now that we have made clear the most popular types of sansevieria, we should mention that sansevierias are one of the 29 best air purifying plantsaccording to a NASA clean air study. This study, in fact, looked at how the air could be cleaned and filtered on space stations. It was found that there were a number of plants that can naturally remove toxins from the air…. And sansevieria was one of the best!
Well known for their air purifying qualities, sansevierias can remove benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene and toluene, AND it was even shown that one plant per 10 square meters was enough to efficiently clean the air on a space station! Sansevieria is a great example of how plants can improve the air around you and even help you sleep better.
Another particular fact about sansevieria is that, unlike most other plants, it can withstand drought because it exchanges oxygen and carbon dioxide during the night, which prevents water from escaping by evaporation.
What care is required for sansevieria?
These plants are survivors even if you are one of those people who have had or have had a bad experience in plant care. Sansevieria care is easy, as it only needs to be watered once every few weeks. An important tip from our expert team at ROOTS GARDEN, is that overwatering can be deadly for this plant.
In this sense, we suggest giving them approximately 300 milliliters of water every few weeks or once a month, so that they will last a long and healthy life in your home or office. After six months, you can also feed them with a specific generic food for indoor plants. houseplants every two months, which you can also get from ROOTS Macaronesia.
Generally, sansevieria is also quite resistant to pests. They are healthy plants that are unlikely to be affected by pests or diseases, making them perfect for a plant beginner.
Sansevierias are the perfect perfect houseplants, since they don’t require much water.They do not require a lot of water. They will grow best in bright, filtered light. They will also tolerate partial light conditions, so if they are in a darker corner of your home, you don’t have to worry too much.
Unfortunately, the sansevieria is one of the plants that are toxic to dogs and cats, so keep them away from your pet, especially if they are likely to try to bite them!so keep them away from your pet, especially if they are likely to try to bite them! For a complete list of plants that are safe for a pet-loving home, access our free guide.
We don’t want to overlook telling you that since sansevieria is quite a striking plant, it works well as a decorative piece on a table or shelf. We all love plant shelves, especially the ones we have for you at ROOTS. Try them in the kitchen for a more contemporary alternative to flowers or group them with other plants of different heights and shapes for a great contrast.
As you will see, the sansevieria is a plant that really thrives when left alone, so we invite you to visit us in our garden to keep a specimen of this beautiful plant.
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