When someone wants to dive into the wonderful world of plants, they’re told to get a snake plant because they’re deemed “impossible” to kill off. That’s not completely true, but they are easy to care for compared to other types of plants. They would prefer you to forget watering them and they can survive low light conditions if they must.
Even seasoned plant lovers enjoy having a few snake plants around because they’re interesting to look at. Their upright pointy leaves and striking colors can bring much-needed interest to a dull room. They can also be planted outdoors if the climate is just right. Here are 25 types of snake plant that will make the perfect indoor plant…
25 Snake Plants That Will Make the Perfect Indoor Plant:
What’s In a Name?
The snake plant family is commonly listed under the genus Sansevieria, which you will likely see when you shop around for a new plant. Sansevieria trifasciata is the most common plant in this genus with several cultivars that have different colors and sizes.
The snake plant world has become a bit confusing in previous years. As of 2017, snake plants are now listed in the genus Dracaena. Sansevieria is now considered a synonym to Dracaena. It appears that very few plant lovers have adapted to the scientific renaming of snake plants, so you’ll more than likely see them continued to be labeled as Sansevieria for the time being.
The Sansevieria trifasciata snake plant has so many cultivars in the family that they’ve received nicknames to keep them straight, such as Silver Blue or Twisted Sister. Other varieties, like Sansevieria patens, don’t have nicknames, so we’re left to stumble through their scientific names.
Taking Care of Snake Plants
There’s a reason snake plants are typically recommended to first-time plant owners. They’re evergreen plants that will stay green all year and are content to sit in their pot and be left alone.
Water
Snake plants don’t need much water. Even though they’re native to the tropical region of Africa, the plants have rhizomes that are capable of storing water. Depending on your snake plant’s environment, you may be able to go as long as six weeks without watering it.
When you do water the plant, water deeply and allow it to dry out completely before watering it again.
Sunlight
Snake plants are native to tropical regions that have tall trees, so they’re accustomed to shade. This is why snake plants can survive with very little light inside homes. However, snake plants will require bright, indirect light for them to have vivid colors and faster growth.
Repotting
Snake plants will need to be repotted when they become root bound or too big for the pot they’re in. If they’re left in a terra cotta or ceramic pot for too long, their rhizomes may crack and eventually break the pot.
Snake plants spread out via rhizomes, so you may need to divide them periodically if they spread out too much in their pots.
Toxicity
Snake plants are mildly toxic if they’re consumed. Don’t keep snake plants in areas where children or pets will be able to nibble on them. When eaten, snake plants can upset the stomach and may cause swelling in the mouth.
1. Bantel’s Sensation
Bantel’s Sensation is indeed sensational because of its striking white and green variegated leaves. The pointed leaves can reach up to 3 feet (0.91 meters) and can tolerate full sun in some climates.
2. Black Coral
The Black Coral snake plant gets its name from the dark green stripes that almost look black. They’re a striking contrast to the light green or white stripes they form a pattern with. This plant can be in bright indirect light indoors or in the full shade outdoors.
3. Black Gold
The Black Gold snake plant has a verticle thick stripe of dark green with light yellow edges. Black Gold is one of the most favored snake plants in the Sansevieria trifasciata family because of the contrasting colors. They can be planted outdoors in warm climates but make beautiful house plants.
4. Boncel
Even though the Boncel snake plant has a nickname, it’s actually from the Sansevieria cylindrica family. Instead of flat, sword-shaped leaves, it has thick cylindrical leaves that look like a desert succulent and have light and dark green stripes. This plant has a secondary nickname of “starfish sansevieria” because the leaves fall into a star shape.
5. Futura
The Futura snake plant is a short variety that only reaches 18 inches (45.72 centimters) tall. This plant usually has light and dark green stripes but may sometimes have yellow stripes.
6. Gold Flame
The Gold Flame snake plant has dark green and yellow stripes. The plant is short and likely won’t reach over 2 feet (60.96 centimeters) tall. The leaves sprout from a rhizome in the middle of the plant that forms a rosette.
7. Golden Hahnii
The Golden Hahnii has bright yellow leaves with verticle green stripes. This is a dwarf snake plant that typically grows as tall as 8 inches (20.32 centimeters), but may grow slightly taller under the right conditions. This plant forms a rosette in the middle which looks like a nest, earning it the second nickname of Bird’s Nest snake plant.
8. Hahnii
The Hahnii snake plant is another cultivar similar to the Golden Hahnii. This one is different in that the leaves are typically light and dark green and don’t have any yellow.
9. Hahnii Jade Pagoda
Another variation of the Hahnii cultivar of Sansevieria trifasciata, the Jade Pagoda is mostly dark green with verticle yellow stripes. The stripes can vary in thickness, but are usually only on the edges of each leaf. Like the other Hahnii snake plants, this variety is short and resembles a nest.
10. Kenya Hyacinth
The Kenya Hyacinth is a flowering snake plant, the Sansevieria parva, and will grow white or pink flowers in the right conditions. It can be grown as a house plant although it will be less likely to flower. The leaves have vertical stripes ranging from white to dark green and can grow as long as 16 inches (40.64 centimeters).
11. Laurentii
The Laurentii snake plant is a tall variety that can grow leaves as tall as 4 feet (1.2 neters). It’s one of the most popular snake plants, known for its light and dark green horizontal stripes with a yellow border.
12. Laurentii Compacta
The Laurentii Compacta is a smaller version of the Laurentii. The leaves won’t grow as tall, but the colors are more saturated. The greens will be lighter or darker and the yellow will be brighter than what you’d see on a Laurentii.
13. Moonshine
The Moonshine snake plant is unique compared to other varieties. The leaves are wide in the middle before they come to a point at the top. They’re almost white with a green tint, outlined in dark green. The plant will keep its beautiful color in low lighting, but bright light will allow the dark green to get darker.
14. Night Owl
The Night Owl house plant is a short variety that will reach about 10 inches (25.4 centimeters) tall. The plant has light green leaves with subtle dark horizontal stripes, finished off with a white border.
15. Sansevieria bacularis
The Sansevieria bacularis doesn’t have a nickname, but it certainly stands out from the crowd. It has cylindrical leaves that can range from white to dark green that can grow to about 5 feet (1.7 meters) tall. They usually have horizontal stripes, although some may appear to be one solid color due to the subtelty of the striping.
16. Sansevieria ballyi
The Sansevieria ballyi is a dwarf snake plant with cylindrical succulent leaves. The leaves can grow up to 10 inches (25.4 centimeters) tall and have horizontal stripes of white, yellow, light green, or dark green. The plant will reproduce by growing shoots with new plants. If the offspring are left on the mother plant, it will make a unique hanging basket plant.
17. Sansevieria fischeri
The Sansevieria fischeri sends out leaves from a rosette that are dark green and yellow. The plant is small and will likely stay that way as long as it’s a house plant. When it’s grown in Africa, it grows much taller and will send out a single leaf from the middle of the plant that can reach up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) tall.
18. Sansevieria francisii
The Sansevieria francisii is reminiscent of the sea with its urchin-like leaves. They’re cylindrical and come to a point, stemming out from the middle of the plant. The leaves have horizontal stripes of bright and dark green.
19. Sansevieria hyacinthoides
The Sansevieria hyacinthoides is a flowering snake plant that has a history of being used for medicinal purposes. It’s highly unlikely that it will grow flowers as a house plant, but the beautiful zig-zag stripes of light and dark green make it a pleasure to look at indoors.
20. Sansevieria patens
The Sansevieria patens has cylindrical leaves that are mostly dark green but may also have some light green. The leaves are grown from a rosette in the center, making the leaves spread out in all directions as they grow. The leaves can grow as long as 2.9 feet (90 centimeters).
21. Sansevieria trifasciata
The Sansevieria trifasciata is considered to be the “classic” of all the snake plants. It’s the original snake plant in this family that the other varieties, like Moonshine or Laurentii, came from. The plant is typically light green with dark green stripes with a yellow border on the leaves.
22. Silver Blue
The Silver Blue snake plant is a Sansevieria kirkii. It’s a dwarf variety with a unique look. It grows wide leaves with muted stripes of light and dark green. The edges of each leaf are scalloped with reddish borders. They grow best with bright light but can also grow in shade.
23. Silver Queen
The Silver Queen earns its name from the tall silvery-green leaves. Each leaf has marbled horizontal stripes of white and light green, although some plants may have dark green stripes.
24. Twisted Sister
The Twisted Sister snake plant has a whimsical look with its flat leaves that grow outward in a spiral. The leaves are typically dark green in the middle with yellow stripes along the borders, although they may also have light green stripes in the middle. It’s a dwarf plant that will only grow to be about 15 inches (38.1 centimeters) tall.
25. Whale Fin
The Whale Fin snake plant is hard to find, but it’s one of the easiest to identify. The large, rounded leaves come to a slight point on the end and have a marbled pattern of light and dark green. They can reach up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall and 10 inches (25.4 centimeters) wide at the center of the leaf.