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Snake Plant Care: How to Grow and Care for Mother-in-Law’s Tongue Indoors

Photo Credit
Myroslava Bozhko/Shutterstock
Botanical Name
Dracaena spp. (formerly: Sansevieria spp.)
Plant Type
Houseplants
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Part Sun
Shade
Soil pH
Neutral
Flower Color
White

A Beginner-Friendly Houseplant That’s Nearly Impossible to Kill

Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Tough, stylish, and nearly indestructible—snake plants (a.k.a. Mother-in-Law’s Tongue) are the ultimate low-maintenance houseplant. Whether you’re a first-time plant parent or a seasoned green thumb, this striking succulent is your go-to for clean air and effortless greenery. Here’s how to keep it thriving in your home!

About Snake Plants

Native to southern Africa, snake plants are well adapted to conditions similar to those in southern regions of the United States. Because of this, they may be grown outdoors almost all year in USDA Zone 8 and warmer. However, they spread by sending out underground runners and may become invasive, so treat snake plants like you would bamboo; plant them only in contained areas or pots.

Too much water and freezing temperatures are two of the very few things that can affect this plant in a significant way. Soggy soil will cause root rot, and extended exposure to cold temperatures can damage the foliage.

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Planting

How to Plant Snake Plants

  • Choose a pot with a drainage hole in the bottom. Terracotta pots work well for snake plants since they allow the soil to dry out more quickly than plastic pots.
  • Use a well-draining potting mix. A potting mix designed for cacti and succulents is ideal, as it will be more resistant to becoming oversaturated with water.
  • When repotting snake plants, don’t bury them too deep. The plant should be planted as deep as it had been in its prior container.

Choosing a Location in the Home

  • Snake plants prefer bright, indirect light and can even tolerate some direct sunlight. However, they also grow well (albeit more slowly) in shady corners and other low-light areas of the home.
    • Tip: Avoid moving your plant from a low-light area to direct sunlight too quickly, as this can shock the plant. Whenever you move plants from a darker to a lighter spot, gradually expose them to brighter and brighter light over a week or so. Also, be sure to adjust watering habits accordingly; plants will use more water in warmer, brighter areas.
  • Keep the plant in a warm spot with temperatures above 50°F (10°C). In the winter, protect it from drafty windows.
Potted snake plants in a nursery
Photo by Mokkie/Wikimedia Commons

Growing

How to Water Snake Plants

One of the most common problems encountered with snake plants (and other succulents) is overwatering. These plants do not tolerate soggy soil; they tend to develop root rot. To avoid this, follow these watering practices:

  • Do not water too frequently. Let the soil mostly dry out between waterings.
    • Tip: To know when it’s time to water, don’t just rely on how the surface of the soil looks. Instead, carefully stick your finger or a wooden chopstick a couple of inches into the soil. Hold off watering if you feel any moisture or see soil sticking to the chopstick.
  • Water from the bottom of the pot, if possible. This encourages the roots to grow downward and deep, helping to stabilize the thick, tall leaves.
  • During the winter, while the plant isn’t actively growing, water less often than you would in spring and summer.

Caring for Snake Plants

  • The large, flat leaves tend to collect dust; wipe them down with a damp cloth as needed.
  • Snake plants are rapid growers in good conditions and may need to be divided annually.
  • Divide and repot in the spring. Cut out a section containing leaves and roots and place it in a pot with a well-draining potting mix.
  • If a snake plant is pot-bound, it may flower occasionally. Fragrant, greenish-white flower clusters appear on tall spikes.

Types

  • Dracaena trifasciata (aka Sansevieria trifasciata) is the most common species of snake plant. It has tall, dark-green leaves with light grayish-green horizontal stripes.
    • ‘Bantel’s Sensation’ — Narrow leaves have white vertical stripes and grow to about 3 feet long. This variety can be hard to find.
  • D. hahnii:
    • ‘Bird’s Nest’ — Short, wide leaves of dark and light green form a tight nest shape like a bromeliad. Leaves only grow 6 to 8 inches long. This variety does need much light to grow well.
    • ‘Golden Hahnii’ — Like the standard ‘Bird’s Nest’ but with leaves variegated along the edge in yellow.
  • D. cylindrica:
    • ‘Cylindrical Snake Plant’ — As its name suggests, this species of snake plant has cylindrical leaves that end in a fierce point.
    • ‘Starfish Snake Plant’ — The starfish snake plant has cylindrical leaves that fan out from its base, giving it a starfish-like shape.
  • D. masoniana:
    • ‘Whale Fin’ — These interesting snake plants have large, wide leaves that resemble the fin of a whale breaching the water’s surface.

Gardening Products

Pests/Diseases

  • Root rot due to overwatering is the most common issue.
    • If this occurs, remove any dying leaves and allow the plant to dry out more than usual. Snake plants are resilient and typically recover. However, if the plant continues to die, remove it from its pot, discard any rotted roots and leaves, and repot in fresh soil.
  • Scale insects

Wit and Wisdom

  • According to NASA research, snake plants, spider plants, and peace lilies are reportedly very effective at cleaning the air, removing toxins such as formaldehyde. However, further studies are needed to determine the true extent of these plants’ air-purifying capabilities!
  • Dracaena trifasciata, a type of snake plant native to tropical Africa, yields a strong plant fiber and was once used to make bowstrings for hunting. For this reason, it also goes by the name “Bowstring Hemp.” 

Houseplant Guides
About The Author
Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann is the Executive Digital Editor of Almanac.com, the website companion of The Old Farmer's Almanac. She covers gardening, plants, pest control, soil composition, seasonal and moon c...
Read More from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Norma Clark</span> Fri, 03/20/2026 - 16:03
I have a snake plant I've probably had for 4 years and though it's alive has grown very little . Its been transplanted one time Any sugestions?
<span>Michelle</span> Fri, 11/21/2025 - 19:41
I started with five 3” snake plants that I placed in a long rectangular pot. For five years it grew and grew with weekly watering. Started to flower this past year. I finally decided to break it down and have potted 19 pups. And three shoots remain for me to keep the original plant going. I am amazed at how hearty this plant is!
<span>Edythe Ann Quinn</span> Wed, 10/22/2025 - 14:22
I am pleased to see that most of the people leaving comments are using the common name, Snake Plant. Dear Ms. Catherine Boeckmann, would you please help by avoiding references to the plant's other, unfortunate name. We have worked to retire other problematic plant names, e.g., choosing Inch Plant ((Tradescantia) that avoids an ethnic reference. Let's do the same for Sansevieria. Thank you. Edie
<span>Jill</span> Tue, 03/24/2026 - 16:59
I moved mine from the kitchen window, which was shaded mostly to a larger pot in the front window within 48 hours the leaves started leaning out rather than straight up. Is it in trouble?
<span>Practical Gardener</span> Thu, 10/30/2025 - 19:53
All that wokeness is what got us in this mess in the first place. Mothers in laws tongue is just fine.
<span>Carole</span> Tue, 12/30/2025 - 19:38
I never knew there was another name other than mother-in-law, until the last few years I heard of it referred to a snake plant. I have one my daughter-in-law gave me as for the. ethnic comment. Get over it Edie. We’ve had enough of that. It’s over now move on.
<span>Debbie</span> Wed, 04/16/2025 - 20:00
I bought a snake plant from a cutting that had light green of the sides of the leaf, mine are growing & propagating, but all leaves are only green. Help
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 04/17/2025 - 10:24

Hi Debbie,

When a new snake plant is created from a cutting its unique foliage patterns, such as variegation, mottled leaves, and different colored edge, are usually lost and most plants will end up with single green color. In order to propagate a new plant that looks exactly like the original—with the same leaf coloring—you need to divide the original plant.

Hope this helps!

 <span>Nazerhussain A…</span> Sun, 06/09/2024 - 16:57
Very good
<span>Ellen Smart</span> Mon, 08/14/2023 - 11:14
All the guides I have found say to plant the draceana at the same depth it was in the old pot. I think it was too deep in the old pot -- another time, too shallow. Please please please please tell us the corm/root should be X inches below the surface. Or the base of the growing leaf should be X inches below or at or above.