Top 10 Snake Plant Varieties To Grow At Home
Nature has offered us a spectrum of plants ranging from several species and genera, so we have a myriad of options to choose from! This is a piece of great news, especially for beginner plant parents, as they can cater to several low-maintenance plants while juggling their fast-paced lives. Although there are various fuss-free options for greenery, one such prevalent category is that of succulents.
The natural bounty of succulents overbrims with several varieties as well, and one of the old-school succulent varieties is our snake plant. Let’s devour deep into this plant species, its top types, and caring tips.
What Is A Snake Plant?
The snake plant indoor recently had a botanical name change in 2017 from Sanseveria Trifascita to Dracaena Trifascita. It originally belongs to the tropical regions of West Africa but is popularly grown in tropical and subtropical landscapes globally. Also called the mother-in-law’s tongue, Saint George’s sword, and viper’s bowstring hemp, this plant is more commonly known as the snake plant across the Indian subcontinent.
It is a perennial greenery belonging to the succulent family. The snake plant is super easy to grow, and it exchanges the major gases like CO2 and O2 through its crassulacean acid metabolism, which allows it to resist drought-like conditions. Moreover, its leaves open the stomata pores only at night to prevent the water from escaping them during the day's warmth. One may propagate it indoors and outdoors, as this one is a perfect houseplant for tropical areas.
The snake plant is widely propagated for its interesting foliage, which typically imitates some exotic snake’s skin - dark green with complementarily colored variegations and leathery upright foliage. This plant seldom flowers, but it might any day surprise you with its white to pink lily-like blooms. However, one flowering cycle will follow long periods of no flowering, but the best part is the plant can stay alive for decades to come!
What Are The Types Of Snake Plants In India?
Although most people are only familiar with the basic type of snake plants, several unique varieties are waiting to be propagated by urban dwellers. Here’s a sneak peek at the top 10 snake plant varieties in India:
1. Mother-in-law's Tongue
This cultivar of bedroom snake plant is known for its bright foliage that lacks any fragility because of its erect foliage. Being a succulent, the leaves store water, but they are not too thick either. Its foliage carries rich colors with a dance of shades of green and a bordering highlight of yellow or cream. Although it is rarely caught flowering, if it does, the blooms are white to cream in hue.
2. Twist
The name says it all, doesn’t it? This snake plant variety is slightly twisted at the edges with curling foliage. The color of leaves stays slightly light with darker horizontal variegations and a yellow border. It is a brilliant plant variety to include in any ambiance due to its attractive growing method. This plant can take a maximum elevation of about two to three feet.
3. Golden Hahnii
This one belongs to the dwarf world of succulent greenery, as it matures with a lowkey length and light foliage. It has a rosette appearance that unfolds with comparatively small leaflets colored more yellow than green. The Golden Hahnii looks super fantastic when kept on the coffee tables, windowsills, balconies, etc.
4. Futura Robusta
A synonym for the word elegance, this plant is a true beauty to grow indoors. It is one of those rare foliage plants that carry shades other than green. The Futura Robusta plant grows old with broad but short leaves with upright inclination. The leaves are colored shiny silver with horizontal variegations hued dark green. Its overall appearance makes people stop and stare!
5. Black Gold
Although the name suggests this plant to be black, we all know how names can be deceptive, right? Jokes apart, the Black Gold snake plant is actually colored bright green with bright yellow outlining. Its leaves are broad, glossy, leathery, erect, and extremely breathtaking. This cultivar is quite eye-catching, mainly due to its velvety foliage.
6. Cylindrica
Not all plants will deceive you of their appearance, and this one is an example. As the name subtly suggests, this plant grows a maximum of twenty-five inches with cylindrical foliage. The tubular foliage is so in sync that it gives off an impression of the lucky bamboo plant. This beautiful cultivar loves the indoor environment and the moisture through regular hydration.
7. Bantel's Sensation
This variety has a genuinely gorgeous vibe due to its perfectly variegated leaves colored dark green, green, and white. If it’s not too much to say, the white variegations make this plant different from the other varieties. The Bantel’s Sensation can reach a height of thirty-two inches, so one may settle it indoors to enhance the ambiance.
8. Desert
The Desert snake plant is true to its roots, as it is one of the cultivars which are instantly identified as a succulent. This plant grows with flowy leaves that stay erect, beating gravity. The leaves have negligible variegations with dark green dominating pigments. However, some of them can also carry a red tint at the edges. Its maximum reach is twenty-four inches, which looks super attractive in ceramic pots.
9. Moonshine
If you wish to make a statement with a snake plant cultivar, this is the one for you. This plant is the epitome of grace as it grows with silvery-green foliage wrapped sophisticatedly around each other. It is also one of those plants that flourish more on neglect than on attention, being the first choice of busy plant lovers. One may propagate it at home and enjoy its beauty without much hassle!
10. Cleopatra
Sharing its name with the Egyptian goddess Cleopatra, this plant is truly a gem for tropical indoors. Though it has been recently discovered and propagated, it is gaining popularity through its lowkey personality and loud presence. The Cleopatra unfolds with small leaflets that carry elite variegations of shades of green. Amazingly enough, its leaves are outlined with a shade of brown that makes it even more beautiful!
How To Propagate Snake Plants At Home?
Snake plants are easy to propagate even if you are a newbie in the gardening world. There are two methods to propagate them in your home garden:
➤ By Division
Gently take a well-growing snake plant out of the pot using a Khurpi of choice. Ensure the rhizomatous structure along the roots stays intact in the removal process. Afterward, cut the rhizomes into several parts, ensuring each part carries one leaf. Now it’s time to propagate those parts into individual plastic pots or terracotta pots.
➤ By Cutting
Make a neat cut between a leaflet, preferably in a V-shape, then leave it dried to form a callus at the ends. Once the callus is formed, it’s time to shift the leaf to a water-filled container for about one to two months. Gradually, the leaf will form roots in water; then, you can put the water snake plant in other floor planters.
How To Care For Snake Plants In India?
Although snake plants are one of the most fuss-free varieties of greenery, they will still need some care to thrive best. Also, if you ask us, our personal experience says that no matter how low-maintenance a plant is, it will need some light conversations, a smile, a peck on the leaflets, etc., from its parent to stay joyful!
➤ Sunshine
The snake plant loves tropical locations worldwide but still doesn’t like too much heat. Settle it at a location outdoors that doesn’t receive direct light, and when indoors, keep it at a place receiving filtered lighting.
➤ Watering
Like most succulents, this plant also has an in-built capacity to store water for long periods of time, which is what makes it drought resistant. Hydrate the plant only when the soil looks dry, and refrain from overpouring your love in the form of waterlogged hydration.
➤ Soil
As we said before, this plant is a succulent member, so out of all soils, it chooses one that can stay well-drained for long durations. One may purchase a succulent mix online, or one may mix one part plant soil and cocopeat with two parts perlite to allow for smooth aeration and perfect drainage.
➤ Weather
An original from the tropical locations of West Africa, this plant looks for an environment that imitates the same. It is super quick to tolerate tropical heat, but it won’t last for long when put under freezing temperatures, so it is advised to overwinter it when the situation arises.
➤ Nourishment
This low-maintenance beauty rarely requires any chemical fertilizers because it is so self-sufficient. However, if you still wish to treat it with a cheat meal, feed a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted properly, that too once in three months. You may add garden manure to the soil during propagation to enrich its nutrient content naturally.
➤ Diseases
The snake plant is not much of an insect host, so you can be carefree about pest attacks. However, this plant might experience rotten roots due to overwatering, but even this situation is reversible when caught on time. In such a case, remove the plant from the container and leave it to dry for a few days, after which you can propagate it again in fresh and nourished soil.
➤ Pruning
All the busy plant parents would rejoice after reading that your snake plant will require the least pruning ever! Also, it has a slow to medium growth rate, which keeps its maturity under control. However, if you witness any dead or decayed growths, remove them immediately.
What Are The Benefits Of Snake Plants?
Apart from the beautiful demeanor that is enough to grace any atmosphere, this plant offers more snake plant benefits than it seems. Read further to know its significance in the gardens:
➜ Growing snake plant varieties indoors is a sure-shot method to turn the indoor air into more breathable, cleaner, and nourished than before. These plants are natural air purifiers that remove deadly toxins present in the atmosphere.
➜ This plant will boost the energy and positive vibrations of its place of residence. No, we are not saying this. It is actually claimed by the Indian science Vastushastra and the Chinese science Feng Shui. Placing this snake plant Vastu direction indoors catches all the good vibes brimming around!
➜ Snake plant is easy to propagate, so even a novice gardener can entail on this journey. After propagation, the plant will survive happily on its own, with basic prerequisites and bouts of love every now & then!
➜ It appears like a piece of beauty from the heavens, and it will be a treat for your eyes, but it growing plants at home is scientifically proven to increase our health, well-being, creativity, and productivity while reducing the sick leaves, making them an integral part of our offices as well!
FAQs About Top Snake Plants In India
Ques: Do Snake Plants Release Oxygen?
Ans: Yes, and the best part is that they release oxygen at night time, so one may settle them in bedrooms for an easy flow of oxygen during sleep.
Ques: How Long Will My Snake Plant Live?
Ans: The snake plant will stay healthy for about ten years; however, some of them have even caught growing for more than twenty years with excellent snake plant care.
Ques: Will My Snake Plant Flower?
Ans: Although it is seldom that the snake plants flower, some cultivars might flower more easily during the summer months.
Ques: Which Toxins Does The Snake Plant Remove?
Ans: The snake plant is supposed to eliminate toxins like formaldehyde, benzene, xylene, toluene, trichloroethylene, ammonia, etc.
Ques: How Fast Will My Snake Plant Grow?
Ans: Although growth depends on several factors, typically, they are seen growing at a rate of five to six feet every year. They are readily available in online gardening stores like ours at reasonable snake plant prices.