Snake Plant Care: Light, Watering, Repotting, and Propagation

A snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata, long sold as Sansevieria) grows best in bright, indirect light but tolerates low light, and it needs very little water: let the potting mix dry all the way through, then water thoroughly and let the pot drain. Use a gritty, fast draining mix in a pot with a drainage hole, keep it in a room between about 60 and 85°F, and feed only a few times while it is growing. Soft, mushy, or yellow leaves almost always mean too much water. The ASPCA lists snake plant as toxic to dogs and cats, so keep it where pets cannot chew the leaves.

Why snake plants are so tough

Snake plants store water in their thick, upright leaves and in the underground stems, called rhizomes, that spread through the pot. That stored water lets them go weeks without a drink and cope with the dry air of heated homes and offices. Their leaves also have a waxy surface that slows water loss. The flip side is that the roots and rhizomes rot quickly in soggy mix, so far more snake plants are lost to overwatering than to neglect. Firm, upright leaves with crisp edges are the sign of a healthy plant.

Light

Snake plants are known for surviving low light, and they will hold on for years in a dim hallway or office. In low light they grow very slowly, and they need even less water than usual because the mix dries more slowly. In bright, indirect light, such as a few feet from an east, west, or south window, they grow faster, send up more new leaves, and keep stronger color and markings. Many snake plants also handle a few hours of direct morning sun.

Move a plant from a dark corner to a sunny window gradually over a week or two, because a sudden jump to strong sun can leave pale or scorched patches on the leaves. Leaves that lean toward the window, or new leaves that grow thin and floppy, mean the plant wants more light. In a room with no window, a grow light on a timer for 10 to 12 hours a day keeps it growing.

Watering

Water only when the mix is dry all the way down, not just on top. Push a finger or a wooden skewer deep into the pot, or use a moisture meter, before you water. When it is fully dry, water slowly around the base of the plant until water runs out of the drainage hole, then empty the saucer. Try not to pour water into the center of the leaf rosette, where it can sit and cause rot.

In a bright, warm room that is often every two to three weeks. In low light or a cool room it may be every four to six weeks, or even longer when growth slows during the short days of the year. When in doubt, wait a few more days. Slightly wrinkled or thin leaves on a plant in bone dry mix mean it is ready for a drink.

Soft, yellow, or drooping leaves

• Overwatering. By far the most common cause. Leaves that turn yellow and soft at the base, feel mushy, or flop over in wet mix point to rotting roots or rhizomes. Stop watering, slide the plant out of the pot, and look at the roots. Firm, pale roots are healthy. Brown, soft, or smelly ones should be cut away before repotting in fresh, dry mix. Our guide to root rot in houseplants covers the rescue steps.
• Cold damage. Temperatures below about 50°F, or leaves touching frosty window glass, can leave soft, translucent, or scarred patches.
• Too little light. Pale, stretched, or floppy new leaves on a plant far from a window.
• Underwatering for a long time. Wrinkled, curling, or thin leaves on a plant whose mix has been bone dry for weeks.
• Old leaves aging out. One outer leaf yellowing now and then while new leaves come up is normal.

A damaged leaf will not turn green or firm again. Cut a badly damaged leaf off at the soil line, or trim just the damaged part with clean scissors. Our guide to yellow leaves on houseplants explains how to tell the causes apart.

Soil, pots, and repotting

Use a fast draining mix, such as a cactus and succulent mix, or a general indoor potting mix with a generous amount of perlite or fine bark added. Pick a pot with a drainage hole. A heavy clay pot helps the mix dry out between waterings and keeps tall leaves from tipping the plant over.

Snake plants like to be snug and only need repotting every two to three years. Repot when roots or rhizomes crowd the pot, push out of the drainage hole, or the pot starts to crack or bulge. Move up only one size, plant at the same depth as before, and wait about a week before watering so any roots broken during repotting can heal. Repot when the plant is actively growing rather than during the short, dim days of the year. Our guide on when to repot houseplants explains timing in more detail.

Dividing and propagating

The easiest way to get more snake plants is division. When you repot, cut or pull the clump apart so that each piece has at least one healthy leaf cluster and a section of rhizome with roots. Let cut surfaces dry for a day, then pot each piece in its own small pot of fast draining mix.

Snake plants also grow from leaf cuttings. Cut a healthy leaf into pieces about 3 to 4 inches long, keep track of which end was the bottom, and let the cuts dry for a few days. Set the bottom ends about an inch deep in damp, fast draining mix, or stand them in a jar of water, and keep them in bright, indirect light. Roots can take a month or more, and new shoots appear after that. Plants grown from leaf cuttings of yellow edged types often come back plain green, so divide those types instead if you want to keep the edge. Our guide to propagating houseplants from cuttings covers both water and soil rooting.

Temperature, humidity, and feeding

Normal room temperatures suit snake plants. Keep them above about 50°F and away from cold drafts and frosty glass. Average household humidity is fine, and they do not need misting. Feed with a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer at half strength once a month while the plant is growing, and skip feeding when growth slows in cool, dim months. Too much fertilizer can cause brown tips and weak growth.

Pests and cleaning

Snake plants have few pest problems. Check the leaf bases now and then for mealybugs, which look like bits of white cotton, and for the fine webbing of spider mites in very dry rooms. Wipe dust off the leaves with a damp cloth every few weeks so they can take in as much light as possible. Fungus gnats show up when the mix stays wet too long, and our guide to fungus gnats in houseplants explains how to get rid of them.

Pet and child safety

The ASPCA lists snake plant, also called mother in law's tongue, as toxic to dogs and cats. The leaves contain saponins that can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea if chewed. Place snake plants where pets cannot reach them. If a pet chews a plant, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. If a child eats part of a houseplant, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

Bottom line

Give a snake plant bright, indirect light if you can, a gritty mix in a pot with drainage, and water only when the mix is dry all the way down. Look to watering first when leaves turn soft or yellow, look to light first when new leaves come in thin and floppy, and divide the clump when it fills the pot.

Related reading

• ZZ plant care: light, watering, and repotting
• Snake plant and ZZ plant for low light rooms
• Jade plant care: light, watering, and pruning
• Brown leaf tips on houseplants

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