Snake plant care guide

Snake plant care at a glance

Pin this care sheet next to your plant.

How much light does a snake plant need?

Snake plants grow best in bright, indirect light: near an east or west window, or a few feet back from a south window. Indirect sunlight means the room is bright but the sun's rays don't land on the leaves for long.

They are famous for tolerating low light, so a north-facing room, a hallway or an interior office lit only by ceiling lights works too. Growth slows in low light, and the plant needs much less water there.

Snake plants can take a few hours of direct sun once they are used to it. Move a plant from a dim room into sun gradually over a couple of weeks, or the leaves can scorch and turn pale or papery.

• Variegated types such as laurentii and moonshine need brighter light to keep their color.
• Dark green types such as zeylanica and black coral handle the least light.
• Under artificial light, keep the plant within a few feet of the fixture, or use a full-spectrum LED grow bulb.
• Bathrooms are fine if they have a window. Snake plants don't need the humidity, but they don't mind it.

How often to water a snake plant

Water only when the soil is completely dry all the way down. Push a finger or a wooden skewer deep into the pot; if any soil comes out damp, wait. In most homes and offices that means every 2 to 3 weeks in spring and summer.

When you water, water the soil around the base until it runs out of the drainage holes, then empty the saucer after 15 minutes. Keep water out of the center of the leaf rosette, where it sits and causes rot. Watering from below, by standing the pot in water for 20 minutes, also works well.

• Pots without drainage holes are the most common cause of root rot. Keep the plant in a plastic nursery pot inside the decorative pot, and lift it out to water.
• Snake plants can grow in plain water as cuttings, but plants in water need fresh water every week and do best moved to soil once roots form.

Snake plant winter care

Snake plants rest in winter. Shorter days and cooler rooms mean they use very little water, so cut watering back to about once a month, or less in a cool, dim room. Overwatering in winter is the number one way snake plants die.

Keep them above 50°F. Cold damage shows as soft, mushy or scarred leaves a few days after a chill, often on plants pressed against a cold window or near an exterior door. Move plants a foot back from single-pane glass on cold nights.

• Don't fertilize from October to March.
• Dry heat from radiators and vents doesn't bother snake plants, but keep them out of the direct blast, which dries the soil unevenly.
• In summer, growth picks up. Water more often and start feeding again.

Indoor and outdoor snake plant care

Indoors, a snake plant needs little more than the right light and infrequent water. Wipe dust off the leaves every month or two with a damp cloth so they can photosynthesize.

Outdoors, snake plants grow in the ground all year in warm climates (USDA zones 9 to 11, such as South Florida and Southern California). Elsewhere, they can spend summer on a patio or terrace in bright shade, then come back inside before nights drop below 50°F.

• Outdoor plants need afternoon shade. Full midday sun bleaches and burns the leaves.
• Use a pot with large drainage holes outside, because summer rain can waterlog the soil.
• Check for pests before bringing patio plants back indoors.

Soil, pots and repotting

Use a fast-draining cactus and succulent mix, or regular potting mix with about a third perlite or pumice added. Heavy, moisture-holding soil keeps the roots wet for too long.

Snake plants like a snug pot. Repot every 2 to 3 years in spring, or when roots crack a plastic pot or push the plant up out of the soil. Go up only one pot size, about 1 to 2 inches wider. Terracotta is ideal because it dries out faster and is heavy enough to stop tall plants tipping over.

To repot, water a few days before, slide the plant out, loosen the roots, cut away any brown or mushy ones, and replant at the same depth. Wait about a week before watering so any damaged roots can heal.

Fertilizer and feeding

Snake plants need very little food. Feed once a month in spring and summer with a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer or a cactus fertilizer at half the label strength. Don't fertilize in fall or winter, or right after repotting.

Too much fertilizer shows as brown, crispy leaf tips and a white crust on the soil. Flush the pot with plenty of plain water to clear it.

Pruning, pups and propagation

Prune damaged or yellow leaves by cutting them off at the soil line with a clean, sharp knife. A cut leaf won't regrow, but new leaves will come up from the roots. You can trim brown tips with scissors, following the leaf's natural point.

Baby snake plants, called pups, grow from underground runners beside the main plant. Once a pup has three or four leaves, unpot the plant and cut the pup away with some roots attached, then pot it in its own small pot with dry cactus mix. Care for it like an adult plant, but in a smaller pot it will dry out a little faster.

You can also propagate from leaf cuttings in water or soil. Cut a leaf into 3 inch sections, let them dry for a day, and keep track of which end was down. Note that laurentii cuttings usually lose their yellow edges; divide those instead.

Common snake plant problems

Almost every snake plant problem comes back to water or light.

• Yellow, soft or mushy leaves: overwatering or root rot. Stop watering and check the roots.
• Root rot: unpot the plant, cut off every brown or mushy root, let the plant dry for a day, and repot in fresh, dry cactus mix. If only leaves are healthy, propagate them and discard the base.
• Leaves falling over or drooping: usually overwatering, sometimes too little light or a pot that's too light. Cut damaged leaves, water less, move it brighter, and repot into terracotta if it's top-heavy.
• Wrinkled or curling leaves: thirst. Water deeply once, then return to the normal schedule.
• Brown tips: uneven watering or fertilizer salts. Trim them and water deeply but less often.
• Brown spots or scars: cold damage, sunburn or physical damage. They won't heal, but they won't spread.
• Fungus gnats: the soil is staying wet. Let it dry completely between waterings and use yellow sticky traps.

Large, tall and small snake plants

Tall snake plants of 3 to 4 feet make sculptural floor plants for offices, lobbies and hotel corridors, and they suit low-light corners where other floor plants fail. Use a heavy, wide planter so tall leaves don't tip it over, and water a large pot even less often because it holds moisture longer.

Small, mini and dwarf snake plants, such as hahnii and starfish, suit desks and shelves. Small pots dry out faster, so check them every week or two.

Snake plant varieties and how to care for each

Every variety shares the same basic care. These are the differences that matter.