Snake Plant
Dracaena trifasciata
Good luck killing this one! Absorbs CO2 at night, handles low light, doesn't care about humidity, and will forgive you for forgetting it exists for a month.
Buy this plant $22 In Stock- Light
- Low Light
- Humidity
- 30-50%
- Temperature
- 65-88°F
Light Requirements
Low Light. Handles low light better than most plants, but it'll grow faster with more! A north-facing window works great. Just avoid rooms with zero natural light.
Watering
Every 2-4 weeks in spring and summer, once a month or less in winter. Let the soil dry out completely between waterings. Overwatering is the number one way people kill these. When in doubt, don't water it.
Humidity
Target humidity: 30-50%. Normal home humidity of 40-50% is usually fine! Just keep it away from heating vents, which dry the air out fast.
Temperature
Keep it between 65-88°F. Watch out for cold drafts from windows in winter and hot air blowing from vents. Most tropical houseplants start struggling below 55°F, and frost will kill them.
Soil and Potting
Cactus or succulent mix. Or mix regular potting soil with about a third coarse sand or perlite. As long as water drains through quickly, you're good.
Propagation
Want to keep the cool banded patterns? Divide it! Separate shoots at the rhizome in spring, make sure each has roots, and repot in fresh cactus mix. You can root leaf cuttings in water too, but heads up: the new plants come out solid green. The variegation doesn't carry over.
Common Problems
Mushy leaves at the base? That's rot, and by the time you notice it's usually pretty far gone. Almost always caused by too much water or cold damage. Brown tips are a different issue entirely. That's usually dry air, fluoride in your tap water, or you bumped it. Not a watering problem, despite what the internet says.
Worth Knowing
- NASA's 1989 Clean Air Study found snake plants are great at filtering formaldehyde, benzene, and xylene from indoor air. Per square foot of leaf, they're one of the best air-purifying houseplants out there!
- Snake plants do photosynthesis backwards. They absorb CO2 and release oxygen at night instead of during the day. That's why people recommend them for bedrooms!
- Want your snake plant to bloom? Let it get severely root-bound. The pot needs to be packed with rhizomes before it'll bother putting energy into flowers. When it does bloom, the white flowers on a tall spike are surprisingly fragrant!
Toxicity
Toxic to cats and dogs. Contains saponins that cause nausea, vomiting, and stomach upset. Rarely fatal, but keep it away from pets who like to chew on things.