A note on names: In scientific circles, Snake Plants are now considered part of the Dracaena genus, and the name Sansevieria has been retired. However, many people still know these plants by their former name, so we’ll sometimes refer to them as Sansevierias. We have an article on the subject here.
Whether you’re checking up on a Snake Plant you already own or thinking of buying a new one, it’s important to be able to tell whether it’s in good health. How does a Sansevieria let its caretakers know that it’s happy? We’ll explain the signs of a thriving Snake Plant, and offer some hints about what might be wrong if something seems off.
A healthy Snake Plant has rigid, fleshy leaves that stand mostly upright. Some species twist and curve more than others, but none of them should sag. The plant’s coloration should be sharp, usually alternating between pale and dark green. Patterns vary between different varieties, but nearly all of them feature bold, zigzagging stripes.
Though some popular cultivars of Sansevieria have yellow borders, they should display shades of green everywhere else. The leaves should also be free of brown and crispy spots, and the foliage as a whole should have a smooth texture and a springy feel. Want more detail on these health indicators, including the kinds of problems that can throw them off? Take a look at our list of the top 5 clues that your Snake Plant is healthy.
Number 1: Upright Leaves
The stems of a Snake Plant stay hidden underground, but the leaves make up for it with their tall and upright foliage. Some types of Sansevieria can stretch above 6 feet in height! They don’t usually get quite that large indoors, but a specimen that’s doing well should be holding up its leaves like it’s eager to answer a teacher’s question.
It’s okay if the foliage isn’t all perfectly vertical. Certain species grow in curving arcs, including the Kirkii, Ehrenbergii, and Hahnii varieties. Others, like the popular Boncel cultivar, have tubular foliage that forms a spreading fan shape. And even fully upright Snake Plants like the African Spear or the Black Coral will have a few leaves pointing at odd angles.
That said, any healthy Snake Plant should have leaves that stand firm instead of slouching.
What to Watch Out For:
- Leaves that are bending at the base and flopping down may have gotten soft at the bottom because root rot caused by overwatering has spread to the aboveground part of the plant. This will usually be accompanied by bad smells in the pot or yellowing that spreads upward from ground level. Our article on root rot in Snake Plants explains how to identify and fix this problem.
- Slumping leaves could also be due to cold shock. Make sure your Snake Plant isn’t sitting in a cold or drafty area where temperatures can fall below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Foliage curling backward or folding inward can be a sign that the plant is too dry or too hot. Test the soil to see if it needs water.
Number 2: Full and Firm Appearance
To survive in the arid regions they call home, Snake Plants grow thick leaves that can store water for long periods. When your plant is well-hydrated, its foliage looks plump and smooth.
It’s a good idea to check the soil in your Snake Plant’s pot every 5-7 days (more if it’s really hot outside) to see if the top 2 or 3 inches have dried out. When those upper layers feel dry, give your Sansevieria a thorough watering. This should help keep it fat and happy. To read more about watering Snake Plants, click here.
Note that if you’re using a potting mix with lots of squishy ingredients like peat moss, you should be extra cautious about overwatering. You may want to test all the way to the roots with a moisture probe to make sure the lower soil isn’t still soggy.
What to Watch Out For:
- Leaves that look wrinkled and pruney, suggesting dehydration. This could be due to underwatering, overheating, or problems with the roots.
- Shriveled, crispy tips and edges are particularly indicative of root issues like overfertilization or crowding in the pot.
Number 3: Bold Coloration
Most Snake Plants follow a similar color scheme: squiggly stripes of light and dark green along the lengths of the leaves. Some varieties, like the iconic Laurentii, also sport yellow bands running along their edges like racing stripes.
There are only a few exceptions to this pattern, like the silvery Moonshine or the vertically-striped Bantel’s Sensation. But unless you know you’re looking at one of the paler cultivars, a well-tended Snake Plant should show a vivid contrast between the darker and lighter stripes.
What to Watch Out For:
- A pale, faded appearance can mean the plant is suffering from a nutrient deficiency. You may want to read our article on fertilizing Snake Plants.
- When combined with spindly, floppy, widely-spaced leaves, loss of color suggests that your Snake Plant is not getting enough sunlight.
- An overly dark environment can also cause loss of variegation, turning the cheerful yellow edges of a Laurentii or Black Gold Sansevieria into a dull green.
Number 4: Clear Skin
Okay, technically plants don’t have skin, but the outer coating on your Snake Plant should feel smooth and have no visible blemishes. If all is well, there will be no rough patches, discolored areas, bumps, or scars interrupting your succulent’s beautiful patterns.
A few minor scuffs aren’t necessarily an issue; houseplants can be more fragile than we realize, and a Snake Plant that lives long enough will usually pick up a few bumps and scrapes as you move its pot around. But those signs of wear and tear should be the exception, not the rule.
What to Watch Out For:
- Spots that have bleached to white or a pale brown may be due to sun damage. Snake Plants can handle a few hours of direct sunlight per day, but more than that tends to dry out their leaf tissues.
- Mushy brown or yellow spots can be caused by cold shock or by a fungal infection (including a severe case of root rot that has crept up to the foliage).
- Physical damage from curious pets or rough handling can leave small markings of pale scar tissue. This isn’t usually a big problem unless it’s persistent and widespread.
- If the leaves look speckled with patches of tiny pale dots, you might be dealing with pests like spider mites or thrips. Mites may also create small wispy webs.
- Odd bumps on the surface could be other types of pests. If they’re smooth, brown, and immobile, they’re probably scale insects. Mealybugs, which are like more mobile versions of scale, appear as patches of white fluff. Aphids come in a variety of colors, but they look like pear-shaped blobs that swell up as they feed.
- Aphids, mealybugs, and scale can also leave sticky patches of a sugary secretion called honeydew.
Number 5: New Growth
When a Snake Plant is happy in its home, it responds by getting taller and sprouting new leaves. This fresh growth may spring up right at the edge of the existing rosette of leaves, or it might sprout a few inches away from the main plant.
The latter type of growth is often called a “pup”. It’s a sign that the Snake Plant is trying to reproduce asexually by shooting out a new rhizome (a specialized root structure like an underground stem). This generally means that your plant is feeling good – it’s trying to spread out within a favorable environment.
New leaves Snake Plants should look like miniature versions of the older ones, although they may be lighter in color at first and take some time to develop the same variegation.
What to Watch Out For:
- A Snake Plant that isn’t expanding or getting taller is probably short on a key ingredient for growth. That could be sunlight, water, fertilizer, or space in its pot. If this is the only thing that’s wrong, your plant isn’t in serious trouble, but it’s worth reassessing your care routine to see if there’s something you can improve.
- If the emerging foliage is shriveled or misshapen, your Sansevieria could be suffering from pest damage or a lack of important nutrients.
- When a Snake Plant is determined to grow but there’s too little room, it can sometimes push a new rhizome out so strongly that the container bulges, cracks, or splits wide open!
Final Thoughts
A Snake Plant in perfect health should be bursting with firm, lush, colorful foliage, and unspoiled by any discolored or withered spots. That doesn’t mean you should freak out over a few crispy tips or browning edges; your plant can still be in fine shape even with a few imperfections. But keep an eye out for the more serious warning signs we’ve described. Now that you know what a healthy Snake Plant looks like, you’ll be able to tell when yours needs help.