Among indoor plants, only a few in terms of endurance can compete with sansevieria. And no other favorite of “lazy” landscaping is distinguished by such a severity of form and purity of lines. Sansevieria is often perceived as a boring plant. But it is worth looking at it from the other side and you can appreciate the classic appearance and versatility, and the ability to grow where other indoor plants will not survive. Sansevieria can develop in almost any conditions! And it is suitable for both home and office, remaining the most reliable choice for a modern interior.
Sansevieria is an extremely hardy plant for interior decoration
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Description of the plant
sansevieriya (Sansevieria) Is an evergreen stemless perennial plant from genus Sansevieria, family Asparagus (Asparagaceae). We have known as pike tail, mother-in-law tongue and snake skin. Stolons are characteristic of almost all sansevieria, as are superficial creeping rhizomes, which allow them to form thickets.
Leaves are located around the growth point in a rosette or spiral, depending on the species – rigid xiphoid or fleshy cylindrical, rounded, juicy. The leaves of all sansevieria are equally effective and capable of storing moisture.
Blooming in rooms is considered a rarity. The rosette, from the center of which the peduncle develops, no longer releases leaves. The pale graceful flowers are collected in rare clusters with an unexpectedly delicate aroma.
Sansevieria are famous for their ability to absorb carbon dioxide even at night. They purify the air of toxins and harmful impurities, and as a filter plant are so effective that they have received NASA approval. Most species are conditionally poisonous due to the irritating mucous juice.
Types of room sansevieria
Sansevieria three-lane (Sansevieria trifasciata) – the most popular type with flat and rigid, growing vertically, decorated with transverse stripes and strokes, xiphoid leaves up to 1,2 m in height with a width of only 7 cm. They grow in medium-sized 6-8-leafed rosettes.
Forms and varieties differ in the length of the leaves – from short (in flowering rosettes) to giant giants – and in shades of patterns, the presence or absence of a border on the leaves. Legendary form Laurentii flaunts with a yellow thick border, grade Moonshine – almost white oval leaves, cultivar Sensation Bantel – almost hiding narrow long sheets of white stripes, and Silver Queen – silvery tall leaves.
Sansevieria cylindrical (Sansevieria cylindrica) – a fashionable look with pencil-like cylindrical dark green leaves up to 2 cm in diameter and up to half a meter, with a longitudinal groove visible only near.
Read our detailed article on this type of Sansevieria cylindrical – the easiest indoor plant to care for.
Sansevieria Hanna (Sansevieria hahnii) Is a controversial variety from the three-lane sansevieria, which many scientists distinguish as a separate variety (rosette, sansevieria-rose, low, floral sansevieria). The triangular, shortened leaves create a flowering rosette.
Read more about this species in the article by Sansevieria Khan – forgive any care mistakes.
Less common types include:
- Hyacinth Sansevieria (Sansevieria hyacinthoides) with lily-of-the-valley leaves expanding at the top up to 50 cm long with a reddish border, light stripes and wavy edges. Slightly larger wavy leaves with light specks are also characteristic of sansevieria of Liberia (Sansevieria liberica).
- Kenyan hyacinth, or Sansevieria elegant (Sansevieria parva) – a beautiful compact appearance up to 30 cm in height with rosettes of narrow pointed leaves similar to miniature yuccas and surprisingly large spikelets of inflorescences.
- Kirk Sansevieria (Sansevieria kirkii) Is a beautiful species with leaves almost lying in a flowered rosette, wide at the base, silvery-green with a brownish-white border and a large-toothed margin. There are several unexpected hybrid varieties with narrow, grass-like, straight leaves (for example, Friends).
Growing conditions for indoor sansevieria
Sansevieria perfectly adapt to shading, and you can place them in rooms as you wish. As long as temperatures remain within room temperatures, they grow well in all conditions.
Lighting and placement
Diffuse, without direct rays, bright lighting or light partial shade is considered ideal for sansevieria. But all sansevierias can grow in the shade, feeling great in the interior. The degree of shading determines the risk of discoloration: variegated stripes and shades persist only in well-lit areas.
Plants will be able to bloom only when kept in bright light, but for this purpose they rarely sacrifice the opportunity to decorate the interior. Sansevieria react to artificial lighting in the same way as to natural.
Temperature control and ventilation
Sansevieria are thermophilic, they cannot stand cold snaps below 16 degrees, even in winter. Drafts without hypothermia, as well as temperature changes, are not afraid of sansevieria. In summer, sansevieria can be taken out into the fresh air, decorate terraces and balconies with it, protecting it from precipitation.
Sansevieria care at home
Hardy sansevieria easily forgives the lack of watering and requires almost no maintenance. If you do not allow overflow and overfeeding, it is difficult to harm it.
Watering and air humidity
Sansevieria does not tolerate dampness, but droughts, as a rule, have almost no effect on her appearance. The plant prefers light soil moisture, with drying up to at least one third of the substrate between waterings. Enough 1 watering per week, even in summer. For the winter, watering is reduced several times, allowing the substrate to dry out almost completely.
Sansevieria should not be watered with cold water. Pouring water on the leaves and in the center of the outlets is unacceptable, as well as leaving excess water in the trays.
It is one of the most resistant to dry air and the influence of air conditioners and heating devices of plants. But the leaves of sansevieria must be regularly cleaned of dust and dirt by wiping with a soft, damp sponge.
Top dressing and composition of fertilizers
For sansevieria, only a special fertilizer for succulents and cacti is suitable. The standard dosage should be halved. Fertilizers are applied only in liquid form, once a month, in spring and summer. In the first year after transplanting, the plant can not be fed at all.
Pruning and shaping sansevieria
Trimming and shaping sansevieria is reduced to trimming damaged parts. Dry areas of the leaf can be cut off, leaving a thin strip of dry tissue around the edge. When removing leaves, it is imperative to avoid injuries to the base of the outlet and to leave at least 0,5 cm of “hemp” above the soil.
Transplant, containers and substrate
It is worth changing the container for sansevieria only when the plant becomes cramped in the previous pot. The pike tail can be transplanted not only in spring, but also during the entire period of active growth.
For growing sansevieria, heavy, stable, shallow and wide containers are best suited in which the plant can freely release stolons and grow. Resilience is especially important for species with long leaves, which often outweigh plastic pots.
Since sansevieria is often used for flower girls and floor containers, most of which are quite deep, the difference in height is compensated for by drainage or installing double containers.
For sansevieria, any loose, lightweight substrate from the number of soil mixtures for succulents is suitable. You can use both purchased substrates and soil consisting of turf, leafy soil and sand (2: 1: 1). Additional additives in the form of coarse sand, perlite, stone chips, vermiculite, coconut fiber, sphagnum are welcome.
Read also our article How to guarantee a variegated pattern on the leaves of sansevieria?
Diseases, pests and growing problems
For sansevieria, pests are very rare, even scale insects are not afraid of them without exceptional circumstances. The only danger for this succulent is rot when the substrate is waterlogged and the sockets get wet. Correction of care and emergency transplant are the only control measures.
Reproduction of sansevieria
This unique plant reproduces very easily. Adult sansevieria bushes can be divided both into large parts and by separating single lateral rosettes, carefully cutting the roots with a sharp blade, processing and drying the sections and trying not to damage the adventitious roots during transplantation. But the simple method of cuttings with leaves is much more popular.
In sansevieria, long leaves do not have to be used entirely, fragments-columns 4-12 cm long are enough.Sections, like all succulents, must be dried. Varietal characteristics and variegation during rooting of leaf cuttings are not inherited, therefore, in sansevieria, in which they want to keep the typical stripes, the plate is cut in such a way as to root only the “colored” areas, cutting out the green central parts.
Leafy cuttings can be rooted in substrate (sand, sand and soil mixture, soil) or water. They are immersed in the soil by a third, maintaining the direction of growth, under a slight slope. The plant releases the first shoots after 2-3 weeks. It is possible to seat “kids” at the base of the leaf only after 3-4 months.
