Snake Plant
Dracaena trifasciata (formerly Sansevieria trifasciata)
Through the year 🗓️
☀️ Summer now
Shrugs off heat; water only when the soil is bone-dry.
🍂 Fall
Stretch waterings even further as the light drops.
❄️ Winter
Practically hibernates: water every 4–6 weeks and never leave it cold and wet.
🌱 Spring
Division and repotting season, plus the first light feed of the year.
The details
Light & placement
- Light
- Low to bright indirect; extremely tolerant
- Ideal PPFD
- 100–300 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ (thrives toward the higher end)
- Grow-light distance
- 18–24 in below LED
Water & feed
- Watering method
- Soak-and-dry: water the soil (avoid the central rosette) and let it dry out fully. Water sparingly, and far less in winter.
- Fertilizer
- Balanced or cactus feed at ½ strength, ~1–2× in spring–summer; none in winter.
Home & habit
- Soil
- Free-draining cactus/succulent mix; pH 5.5–7.5
- Humidity
- Low; tolerates dry air (30–50%)
- Temperature
- 60–85 °F
- Mature size
- 1–4 ft depending on variety
- Repotting
- Every 2–4 yrs; tolerates being root-bound
- Propagation
- Rhizome division (keeps variegation); leaf cuttings in water or soil (variegated types revert to plain green).
When something looks wrong
- Overwatering signs
- Soft, mushy, yellowing leaves; foul-smelling base; root rot
- Underwatering signs
- Wrinkled, curling, or creasing leaves
- Common pests
- Mealybugs, spider mites, fungus gnats (in wet soil)
Common problems 🩺
The usual suspects when Snake Plant looks unhappy. Most houseplant trouble is watering or light, not disease — see all plant problems if you are not sure which plant is the culprit.
Mushy, soft, or foul-smelling base
Likely cause
Root rot from overwatering. This is the one thing that kills snake plants.
What to do
Unpot, cut away any mushy roots or leaves, let it dry, and repot in fresh dry mix. Water far less.
Wrinkled or curling leaves
Likely cause
Underwatering — rare, but it does happen if neglected for months.
What to do
Give it a thorough drink; the leaves plump back up in a few days.
Leaves falling over from the center
Likely cause
Too little light, or overwatering weakening the base.
What to do
Move it to brighter light and let the soil dry out fully between waterings.
More like this 🌿
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