Sansevieriya (Mother-in-Law’s Tongue)

One of the most common houseplants sansieveriya known as “Mother-in-Law’s Tongue” also known as the Snake Plant. It is often grown for ornamental purposes.”Mother-in-Law’s Tongue”, the name apparently this plant for long and pointed shape of the leaves. It is well suited for any interior, and we often see it not only in homes and apartments, but also in offices. The popularity of the flower due to the fact that he was given a small amount of attention that it requires, and therefore it is very easy to grow.

 

Features sansevieriya

Sansevieria – a genus of the family of asparagus. The genus has about 60 species, distributed in tropical regions of Africa, Madagascar and the Arabian Peninsula. The usual conditions for this type of plant and the semi-desert wilderness. The genus is named after the Italian prince sansevieriya (XVIII c.) It includes acaulescent perennial herbaceous species with thick strongly developed rhizomes.

Among the representatives there are epiphytic and terrestrial specimens. Right from the roots grow not only long, but also dense linear mottled leaves dark green, sometimes with gold stripes on the sides. The leaves of this plant sprout groups and arranged vertically or slightly deviate from the center. All varieties are of two main types: long vertical leaves or short and wide sheet plates.

sansevieriya species, photo

Sansieveriya room can bloom? Many growers do not even know that it can blossom, because this plant for many years does not give flowers. Suddenly she throws a flower stalk. The flowers are collected in inflorescence, are sharp sweetish odor. Inconspicuous, greenish-white with narrow petals of flowers are not suitable for decorative purposes.

Flower sansevieriya care at home

In a fixed place, where it grows a flower to be warm and sunny. The color of the leaves affects the sunlight than its larger, the brighter will be expressed longitudinal stripes on the leaves. The plant prefers a bright sunny place, but it is better not to expose it to direct sunlight.

Sansevieriya feeling well on a windowsill facing south or west window. It grows best at temperatures around 25 ° C.

Can withstand the temperature of the room to 30 degrees, but little tolerance to low temperatures, especially if it is below 5-8 degrees. Winter contain Snake Plant at a temperature not lower 15 C.

Important! Sansevieriya resistant to prolonged drought, but can suffer from excessive soil moisture.

When the air temperature is lowered, reducing the glaze. In the winter it should be watered every two weeks. Excess moisture is harmful to plants. When stagnation of water on the leaves are formed spots. Defoliation also speaks of excess moisture.

Feeding

Easy to care for the flower does not need special fertilizer. Once a month he fed fertilizer for cacti. With a lack of food leaves become more stringent.

Since the spring, once a month, to grow healthy plants, fertilize it certain liquid fertilizer rich in nitrogen.

Good to know!In the winter all kinds of feeding should be suspended.

Transplant

Sansevieriya can grow long in one pot without change, serve as a signal protruding from the pot roots.

Repot the plant in the spring recommended. For planting is best to take a wide and low pots. The primer must be of good quality, rich in organic matter, well drained to prevent water stagnation. In a special shop you can buy soil for cacti and succulents.

The plant needs no pruning, just cut off the dry or spoiled, lost their decorative leaves, as well as yellowing and rotten parts.

plant propagation sansevieriya

At room conditions sansevieriya advantageously propagated vegetatively: division bush and leaf cuttings rooting. When propagating cuttings long sheet was cut into pieces 5-6 cm long and obliquely planted in soil.

Cansevieriya- pike tail reproduction

Rooting is very good. After a few weeks, the seedlings appear small roots and new leaves.

sansevieriya reproduction sheet

At the bottom of the thick layer is required to fill a drainage material (gravel, expanded clay), after transplantation flower watered for several days.

Diseases and pests

Sansevieriya highly resistant to plant diseases. Only after prolonged, excessive watering and low temperatures, its roots and foliage damage rot, powdery mildew and mosaic. Parasites on the leaves do not settle even if a number of infected plants.

The problems in growing

Houseplant quite unpretentious in the care and rarely gets sick, but nevertheless, it could even be hit by pest or infection.

  • rots base of the bush: the leaves turn yellow and die. The disease usually occurs when wetting of the soil in the winter.
  • when hypothermia neck rot. Sansevieriya not tolerate the temperature below +5 ° C, most suitable for her winter temperature about +12 ° C;
  • the leaves fade and disappear bright strip plant should be moved to a brighter place. Although it is reconciled with the stay in the shadows, but he likes the light.

The main reasons are incorrect content conditions. These conditions include: soil waterlogging, low indoor temperature high humidity.

sansevieriya benefits to home and human

This simple plant is able to clean the air in the building from harmful substances. High content in the juice sansevieriya saponins and other active substances making it an excellent air purifier.

  • Pieces of leaves of the plant applied to the lesions on the skin (inflammation, burns, wound). They contribute to the rapid healing of wounds better than aloe.
  • a decoction of the leaves have a diuretic and choleretic properties.
  • Juice antiseptic plant. In folk medicine, it is used for the treatment of cystitis, inflammation of the appendages, as a means of stimulating the immune system to work.
  • The juice of the leaves is instilled into the ears of the treatment of otitis media.
  • The roots are considered stimulant and tonic.

Caution should be exercised With sansevieriya. When eating fresh leaves, a strong poison, so the flowers should be kept away from children and animals.

Care sansevieriya at home is minimal, enough to stick to the basic rules, and the plant will be superb.

sansevieriya pike tail