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Absent-minded indoor garden enthusiasts, this is the plant for you. This wonderful gem of a plant is tolerant of missed watering, will survive in almost any lighting conditions and rarely needs repotting. Growing slowly during its active growth period, the snake plant’s vertical leaves are distinctly patterned in marbled shades of green, sometimes with golden edges, and they require no pruning.

Plant at a glance

Botanical name: Sansevieria trifasciata
Common name: Snake plant, mother-in-law’s tongue, good luck plant, Devil’s tongue
Origin: Southern and Western Africa
Plant type: Evergreen perennial

Size
Forming dense stands, and spreading by way of its creeping rhizome, which is sometimes above ground, sometimes underground, the snake plant’s stiff leaves grow vertically from the base. Mature leaves are dark green with light grey-green cross-banding and usually range between 70-90 centimetres (28-35 inches) long and 5-6 centimetres (2.0-2.4 inches) wide, though it can reach heights of above 2 metres (6 feet) in optimal conditions.

Where is it best positioned
If you have a dark corner where nothing else will grow or a track record of forgetting to water for a couple of weeks, choose a Sansevieria – it won’t fail you.

Temperature
Native to the tropics of Africa (Nigeria and Congo), the snake plant revels in warmth, around 18-30 degrees C, which works out perfectly for our Indian conditions.

Watering
About the only thing that will kill a mother-in-law tongue is over-watering. In spring and summer, water it moderately, thoroughly wetting the potting soil and allow the top layer of soil to dry out in between each watering. Water very little, only if necessary, during winter.

Repotting
This plant’s roots are healthiest when left crowded close together and it only needs to be repotted once every few years in early spring.

Fertilising
Feed with a diluted liquid fertiliser once a month during spring and summer.

Signature traits
As we all know, plants do the opposite of what we do when we breathe – they take in carbon dioxide and convert it to oxygen. Most plants do this during the day, but the Snake plant is one of only a few plants that releases oxygen into the air at night, making it the perfect plant to have in your bedroom as you sleep. Place plants within your breathing zone, which is about 2 square metres around where you normally sit or sleep, to get the full benefits.