How to care for Mother-in-Law Tongue plant. Known as Sansevieria or Snake Plant, this is a great plant for a medium to high light location and Mother-in-Law Tongue plant will do well with minimal care and attention. While Mother-in-Law Tongue is an easy care house plant, there really are no such things as indestructible or impossible to kill indoor plants! If that is what you want, you should buy an artificial indoor house plant!
Mother-in-Law Tongue plant can be maintained in low to bright light situations but will become thin and weak if kept in low light for extended periods. Place in bright, indirect light for best results. Avoid hot direct sun through a window as this may burn or scald the leaves of this easy care indoor house plant.
Mother-In-Law Tongue has upright growth and a shallow root system and is best kept somewhat pot bound. It has thick rhizomes that store water for a long time.
While you may be able to keep a Mother-In-Law Tongue house plant that is in high-light slightly more moist, in low light this can cause problems. Always err on the side of less water with this indoor plant.
Mother In Law Tongue houseplant questions? I would be happy to answer any houseplant questions as I can. Free of charge, no sign-ups required!
Mother In Law Tongue house plant questions or problems? You can send a houseplant question but before you do, please finish reading this page and other house plant care information on watering your indoor house plants, how to help keep your houseplant's root system healthy, lighting for your houseplants, and basic houseplant care. These are most important for your house plant's health and this is some of the information I will refer you to if you send an email.
Working in the interior landscape industry, I get a lot of questions from people about their personal house plants and how to keep their own indoor house plants growing and healthy. That is why I started this website, to help others learn how to care for their indoor plants and flowers. So please read on!
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Mother-in-Laws Tongue has rhizomes that store water, so stay more to the dry side with this plant. In low to medium light, allow potting media to dry down completely in between watering. In higher lighting, allow to dry down at least 3/4 of the pot depth. Please see pages on watering indoor plants and lighting for your plants best health.
It is often difficult to judge if a Mother-In-Laws Tongue needs to be watered so it is helpful to use a soil probe or a moisture meter for indoor plants. This aids you in checking the soil at the bottom areas of the plant's root mass to check for moisture. A soil probe or moisture meter can be very useful in helping you avoid over or under watering of your indoor house plants. I use one often in my indoor plant care accounts.
Also, be careful when you do water your Mother-in-Laws Tongue that you do not pour the water in the leaf rosette as it may cause them to rot. Water the soil only and use room temperature water.
Mother-in-Law Tongue is a durable plant and high light is best to keep this plant full, healthy and growing well. It will survive in lower light provided it is allowed to dry. Temperature should to be kept above 50°F. Mother in Law Tongue is not a good plant to put in an area that gets very cold temperatures.
There are a few things to watch for with Mother-in-Law Tongue indoor plants. They are prone to scale and mealybugs and if you notice these pests they should be wiped off immediately with a cloth or cotton dipped in rubbing alcohol.
Mother-in-Law Tongue can be found in different sizes and colors. Some are shorter, with a rosette type of growth such as the Sansevieria 'Hahnii'. Sansevieria 'Superba' is somewhat larger but with wider leaves than the taller varieties. The Sanseveria Laurentii is the most common variety, with a broad, yellow edge on the thick, sword shaped leaves. The center of the leaf is cross-banded with pale markings.
Sansevieria can be found with pale silver-green foliage as with Sansevieria 'Moonshine'. The 'Black Gold' has a dark leaf center, almost black, with a gold leaf edge. The Sansevieria 'Zeylanica' is more of a light silver-green with darker crossbands or mottling of the leaf.
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With the different growth types and unusual and beautiful colorations, the Mother-in-Laws Tongue has something for everyone who enjoys indoor tropical plants. And they are easy care, too! As I said, keep them pot bound, don't over water and place them in adequate light and they should be relatively trouble free.
When the plant does become rootbound you can remove it from the grow pot and divide the plant to make smaller individual plants. Make sure when you do divide your Mother-in-Laws Tongue, that you plant the smaller plants into pots that fit them. Remember, Mother-in-Laws Tongue is better pot bound. You can often place a cut leaf into moist sand or rooting media and get it to root and start a new plant that way. Have fun with your Mother-in-Laws Tongue.
While it is usual to see Mother In Law Tongue plant at a height of about 2-3 feet tall, I have seen them grow to over 5 feet tall. This was a Mother-in-Laws Tongue plant potted in a 14" diameter grow pot in a very good light situation. It is unusual to see them that large indoors but it can happen with excellent lighting and care.
Hope this has been helpful to you in the care of your Mother-In-Law Tongue indoor house plants. You can send an email if you have any questions and I hope that all of your flowers and plants are healthy and growing well! More flower and plant pictures, care, and contact information below...
Questions about your indoor house plants or plant care problems? You can send a house plant question, free of charge, no sign ups, registration or log in required!
Before you send a houseplant care question, please be sure to read this information on watering your indoor house plants, how to help keep your your indoor house plants root system healthy and lighting for your indoor house plants and flowers. These are most important for the health of your house plants and this is some of the information I will refer you to if you send an indoor house plant or flower care question.
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Thanks for visiting and come back soon as houseplant care information, pictures and more are being added all of the time. I hope that your indoor tropical house plants and all of your plants and flowers are happy, green and growing because that is why I started this indoor house plant and flower care website, PlantAndFlowerInfo.com.
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