Snake Plant
Dracaena trifasciata · Mother-in-Law's Tongue
It grows on hot, dry, rocky ground in tropical West Africa, and survives almost anything. It is one of the very few houseplants that breathes out oxygen at night, not by day.
Family
Asparagaceae
Origin
West Africa
In the wild
Dry rocky ground
Indoors
0.7–1.2 m
Growth
Slow
With pets
Toxic
Where it's from
Tropical West Africa
Drought country
Nigeria east to the Congo, on hot rocky ground where little else holds on.
Outdoors: zones 9b–11
A summer patio plant at most; it must come inside before frost.
Invasive in Florida
A Category II invasive that spreads by rhizome and crowds out natives. Keep it potted.
It breathes at night
To survive drought, the snake plant runs CAM photosynthesis: it keeps its pores shut through the hot day and opens them at night, giving off oxygen while you sleep. That is the whole basis of its "bedroom plant" reputation.
Oxygen after dark
One of the very few houseplants that releases oxygen at night.
A fibre crop first
Its leaves yield 'bowstring hemp', once spun into rope, matting and bowstrings.
Built to be ignored
It stores water in its leaves and roots, and asks for almost nothing.
How to keep it
LightLow to bright indirect
Tolerates a dim corner; grows faster in brighter light. No harsh sun.
WaterOnly when bone dry
Overwatering is the one and only way to kill it. Far less in winter.
HumidityDry air is fineNo misting, no fuss. It came from the desert.
Temperature15–29°CNot frost-hardy; keep it above 10°C.
SoilCactus / succulent mixFree-draining and gritty, never water-retaining.
FeedingBarelyA light feed once or twice in summer is plenty.
DifficultyEasiest there isThe 'I kill everything' plant. It thrives on neglect.
With petsToxicSaponins. Nausea, vomiting and drooling if chewed.
PropagationDivisionSplit the rhizome. Leaf cuttings root, but lose the yellow edges.
RepottingRarelyIt likes to be snug, and can crack a pot when truly root-bound.
What the data says
What it costs
The exact opposite of the Monstera bubble: one of the cheapest, most mass-produced plants on earth.
$10–40
Variegation here is common and cheap. No collector market, no bidding wars.
IUCN · Not threatened
In the wild
In no danger anywhere. If anything, it is too good at surviving.
In Florida it is a Category II invasive, spreading by underground rhizome and crowding out native plants. The same toughness that makes it unkillable on your shelf makes it a problem in the ground.
When it sulks
Mushy, soft baseOverwatering and root rot, by far the most common cause.
Wrinkled, curling leavesThe rare opposite: too long without any water.
No new growthToo dark. Move it somewhere brighter.
PestsMealybugs and spider mites. Wipe the leaves, treat early.
Varieties & company
The varieties
LaurentiiMoonshineBantel's SensationBlack CoralCylindrica
Pairs with · keep apart from
CactiSucculentsZZ PlantMonsteraFernsCalathea
A new plant, every week.
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