Fernwood snake plant is a staple in many indoor environments due to its adaptability, low-key care routine, and bold look. Fernwood (Sansevieria) is a great esthetic choice when you want to add that striking vertical, fire-tongue-like presence to your room design. Read on to find out what's hiding beneath this recognizable plant, often taken for granted.
Overview
Sansevieria plant is native to the tropical regions of West Africa. There's a huge number of variegated cultivars among the species, offering a wide choice of color and ornament to fit your visual ideas. Samurai Sansevieria, Sansevieria Moonshine, Whale Fin Sansevieria, Sansevieria Golden Hahnii – these are the ones you can pay your attention to when making a choice. They are all similarly adaptable and unpretentious in terms of care.
The common names for Sansevieria include devil's tongue, mother-in-law's tongue, jinn's tongue – all unmistakably pointing to the architectural qualities of the plant. Its pointy appearance makes it a popular tool in the feng shui culture as the leaves reaching for the sky are believed to balance out all the draining elements in the room. While this fact is inspiring but debatable, one fact we know to be proven for sure. A Snake plant has excellent air purification qualities. Keeping it in a room will benefit the whole household. However, watch out for the possible contact with human and animal babies, the plant is unfortunately toxic.
Watering
Allow the soil to dry out in between the waterings. Overwatering is a much more likely within the fernwood snake plant care than the opposite. Sansevierias are pretty drought and neglect-tolerant. Make sure the pot and the soil have proper drainage qualities to avoid the plants having to sit in water. A terracotta pot is known to further aid the draining processes, as compared to a plastic one. An optimal potting mix would combine perlite, bark, and sand. As for the air humidity level, the sansevieria fernwood care won't call for anything specific; even good old misting is not required.
Temperature
A temperature range of 65-80˚F (18-27˚C) will satisfy your plant perfectly. These plants are tough and adaptable; they are not as sensitive towards cold drafts and temperature shifts as the majority of indoor plants, which explains their popularity in offices, malls, and other public spaces. Considering their ancestry, however, it's no wonder snake plants will struggle once the temperature falls beneath 40˚F (5˚C), so that's something to avoid.
Lighting
All snake plant varieties will tolerate lower light conditions, provided they get at least some direct sun exposure. However, delicate variegated species are different – shade will make their patterns and gradients fade out. Keep this in mind when choosing a spot for your variegated snake plant. The shade will also slow down their growth and make the plants less thirsty.
Pests & Сommon Diseases
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Yellowing of the leaves typically occurs either due to under or overwatering. Since underwatering is much less likely in the case of snake plants, pay closer attention not to overwater it. Excessive moisture may lead to root rot and fungal infections. Further signs of that include drooping and softening of the leaves. Cold temperatures make root rot an even more common issue, so make sure to coordinate the watering routine with the temperatures.
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Dry curling tips of the leaves' blades indicate poor humidity. In such a case, you may thoroughly soak your plant in a bathtub, removing the drainage saucer.
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Burnt out patches indicate sunburns or inconsistent sun exposure.
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Snake plants are pretty pest resistant. However, if the conditions are on the warmer and drier side, they might suffer from mealybugs, spider mites, or thrips, for they find such an environment more favorable. Washing the insects away with insecticidal soap or picking them off with rubbing alcohol usually allows you to get rid of them. We also recommend sprinkling with neem oil to treat any pests.
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Leaf spots and blight are among complications that appear as a result of overwatering. Repotting and applying fungicides is what you should do in such a case. In the long-term, a moderate watering routine is key for Snake plant care.
Other Recommendations
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Sansevieria fernwood flower isn't the most common thing. Some of the conditions needed to inspire flowering in the plant are being root and pot-bound so that no new shoots can appear in the soil. Trimming leaves to prevent vertical growth will further increase the likelihood of flowers appearing for seed emerging purposes.
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Sansevieria fernwood propagation is a healthy habit as well as a way to get more plants. Pulling the clumps apart, potting them separately, and proceeding to care for them as you would for the original mature plant is the easiest way to get more snake plants. Another curious way to do that is by leaf cutting. Allow the cuts to dry up before planting them in a compost mix. Make sure to plant them in the direction of the original growth.
