Snake plant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Snake Plant |
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| Sansevieria trifasciata in flower | |
| Scientific classification | |
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Ruscaceae Agavaceae
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| Genus: |
Sansevieria
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| Species: |
S. trifasciata
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| Binomial name | |
| Sansevieria trifasciata Prain., 1903
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Dracaena trifasciata (also known as "Mother-in-law's tongue" or the "snake plant") is a plant that can grow in many places. It is a desert plant from dry Africa.
It is a succulent that stores water in its very thick, tough leaves. That means that it does not need to be watered every day.
It does not need sunlight to grow and can stay in the same pot for many years. This plant grows better with less water than more water.
Contents
Description
It is an evergreen perennial plant forming dense stands, spreading by way of its creeping rhizome, which is sometimes above ground, sometimes underground. Its stiff leaves grow vertically from a basal rosette. Mature leaves are dark green with light gray-green cross-banding and usually range from 70–90 centimetres (28–35 in) long and 5–6 centimetres (2.0–2.4 in) wide, though it can reach heights above 6 ft (2 m) in optimal conditions.
The specific epithet trifasciata means "three bundles".
The plant exchanges oxygen and carbon dioxide using the crassulacean acid metabolism process, which allows them to withstand drought. The microscopic pores on the plant's leaves, called the stomata and used to exchange gases, are only opened at night to prevent water from escaping via evaporation in the hot sun. As a result, stored oxygen is released at the opening of the stomata at night, unlike most plants which continuously exchange gases during the day.
It is a weed in some parts of northern Australia.
Common names
Dracaena trifasciata is commonly called "mother-in-law's tongue", "Saint George's sword" or "snake plant", because of the shape and sharp margins of its leaves. It is also known as the "viper's bowstring hemp", because it is one of the sources for plant fibers used to make bowstrings.
It is known as hǔwěilán (虎尾兰 or 虎尾蘭, "tiger's tail orchid") in China; lengua de vaca (cow’s tongue) in Puerto Rico; tora no o (とらのお, "tiger's tail") in Japan; and paşa kılıcı ("pasha's sword") in Turkey. In Portugal and Brazil, it is known as espada de São Jorge ("sword of Saint George"). In the Netherlands and Flanders (Belgium), the plant is also known as "vrouwentong" (women's tongue). In Russia it is known as "тёщин язык" ("mother-in-law's tongue") and "щучий хвост" ("pike's tail").
Cultivation and uses
Like some other members of its genus, D. trifasciata yields bowstring hemp, a strong plant fiber once used to make bowstrings.
It is now used predominantly as an ornamental plant, outdoors in warmer climates, and indoors as a houseplant in cooler climates. It is popular as a houseplant because it is tolerant of low light levels and irregular watering; during winter it needs only one watering every couple of months. It will rot easily if overwatered. It is commonly recommended to beginners interested in cultivating houseplants for its easy care.
The NASA Clean Air Study found D. trifasciata has potential to filter indoor air, removing 4 of the 5 main toxins involved in the effects of sick building syndrome. However, its rate of filtration is too slow for practical indoor use.
It can be propagated by cuttings or by dividing the rhizome. The first method has the disadvantage that the variegation will be lost.
D. trifasciata is considered by some authorities as a potential weed in Australia, although widely used as an ornamental, in both the tropics outdoors in both pots and garden beds and as an indoor plant in temperate areas.
The plant contains saponins which are mildly toxic to dogs and cats and can lead to gastrointestinal upset if consumed.
Varieties and cultivars
Numerous cultivars have been selected, many of them for variegated foliage with yellow or silvery-white stripes on the leaf margins. Popular cultivars include 'Compacta', 'Goldiana', 'Hahnii', 'Laurentii', 'Silbersee', and 'Silver Hahnii'. 'Hahnii' was discovered in 1939 by William W. Smith, Jr. in the Crescent Nursery Company, New Orleans, Louisiana. The 1941 patent was assigned to Sylvan Frank Hahn, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The variety D. trifasciata var. laurentii, together with the cultivars 'Bantel's Sensation' and 'Golden Hahni' have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Cultural significance
In its native range in Africa, a yellow-tipped cultivar is associated with Oya, the female Orisha of storms. In Nigeria it is commonly linked with Ogun, the Orisha of war, and is used in rituals to remove the evil eye. In Brazil its common name Espada de São Jorge links it to Saint George, who by syncretism is also associated with Orisha Ogun.
Images for kids
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Flowering
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Fully developed and blooming inflorescence.
See also
In Spanish: Sansevieria trifasciata para niños
