If there were an award for the best houseplant for beginners, the humble snake plant or “Mother-In-Law’s Tongue” would win it.

You can pretty much ignore this plant for a month, and it will be fine. They have a beautiful and striking appearance in your home, and even remove toxins like benzene and formaldehyde from your home.

Without further ado, let’s get into exactly how to care for, troubleshoot, and propagate the wonderful snake plant.

Snake Plant Care

​Mother-in-Law’s Tongue has thick, vertical sword-shaped leaves. The leaves are dark green and are accented with lighter green bars extending horizontally along the blade like leaves. Some varieties have a yellowish colored border along the leaves.

Because the snake plant has succulent leaves, it falls into the category of “set it and forget it” houseplants. It doesn’t need much care, water, or light, but you still have to give it a little bit of love if you want it to thrive.

Light

Give your snake plant bright, indirect light if you want it to do well. While it can survive in low-light conditions, it will grow slower and have less color. A good spot is about 3’-6’ away from a window that gets a lot of light.

Water

Because snake plants have succulent leaves, they don’t need a lot of water. Keep the soil slightly moist and never over water. If you water too often your snake plant will become mushy and start to rot quickly.

Soil

The best type of soil for snake plants is Espoma Cactus Potting Mix or a regular potting mix with a bit of sand added for additional ​drainage.

Fertilizer

To give your snake plant a good chance at thriving, fertilize once monthly during spring and summer. Use a quality houseplant fertilizer. Water-soluble would work best. Stop in and see our selection. We carry all brands. Use your favorite.

During the winter months, forgo fertilizing completely as the plant grows slowly.

Repotting

You don’t need to re-pot your snake ​often, as it likes to be root-bound. However, if it becomes top heavy and starts to tip over, re-pot it into a pot that is only a couple of inches larger than the current pot.

Pruning​

Sometimes the tips of leaves will turn brown or entire leaves will die. If this happens, all you need to do is cut the leaf off right at the soil surface to remove it completely. There’s no point in cutting only part of the leaf, as it will not grow back from the cut point.

The striking snake plant has become one of the most popular houseplants recently for its ease of care and more importantly for its ability to absorb toxins out of the air in your house. Get one today for an easier and healthier lifestyle!