How To Care For And Grow Your Snake Plant
Native to: Madagascar
Watering needs: Low (every 2–4 weeks)
Lighting needs: Low – tolerates most light conditions (just not total darkness!)
Difficulty: Near-unkillable
Great for: Beginners, anyone with low light, anyone who travels a lot
Pet-Safe: No
Looking for a quick introduction?
We've summarized all the essentials in our short Snake Plant video, here:
1.0 Choosing your Snake Plant
Contrary to their name, Snake Plants should not look like colorful snakes.
It’s Alright If You See:
New Shoots
The more baby Snake Plants, the better.
Slits on Leaves
This is a sign of the plant healing itself after suffering a period of high humidity.
Lots of Roots
You won’t be able to see them unless you decide to take out your Snake Plant from its planter, but, ideally, there should be a good amount of roots such that the soil doesn’t crumble away.
But, Watch Out For:
Thin Leaves
Check if your leaves are thick or thin. Snake Plants should have leaves that are thick, strong, and waxy.
Brown or Black Spots
Indicative of fungus, bacteria, or root-rot.
Dull Green Leaves
Your Snake Plants's leaves should be a bright, vibrant green.
Flowers
Ironic, yes, but flowers seem to steal away nutrients from the rest of the plant.
2.0 Picking The Right Spot (Lighting, Air Conditioning, Temperature)
Half of plant parenthood is choosing the perfect spot.
Lighting
Place it anywhere but total darkness
Snake Plants can tolerate almost all light conditions, but not complete darkness. The more light it gets, the quicker and taller it will grow. However, avoid more than 5 hours of direct sunlight per day.
To keep your Snake Plant as happy as possible, you need to provide it with as much bright indirect sunlight as possible, whilst ensuring it doesn’t get any more direct sunlight than it can tolerate.
When you bring it home, place it as close to a window as you can, making sure it has the largest possible view of the sky. Then, keep an eye on it for a few days:
- If it remains sturdy and the stems feel stiff, then it’s happy in that spot!
While Snake Plants will survive in low-light conditions (literally anywhere except total darkness), we highly recommend placing it near a window for the first month, so it gets acclimated to its new home.
Air Conditioning
Place it away from AC vents
Find a spot away from the AC since the dry air from vents can cause the leaves of your Snake Plant to crack.
Temperature
Like most houseplants, Snake Plants are happiest between 18 °C – 30 °C.
However, they will tolerate temperatures as cold as 10 °C. As a general rule: if you're comfortable, then your Snake Plant probably is too.
3.0 Caring For Your Snake Plant (Watering, Dusting, Re-potting)
How to keep your plant alive (and also show your love).
Watering
Water when the soil is completely dry
Snake Plants must have their soil dry out completely between waterings. This could take anywhere between 2–4 weeks, depending on how much light it gets, or how high the temperature is (the more light or heat, the faster it will dry out).
An easy way to check if it's time to water is to insert your finger into the soil. If you feel even a little moisture, then it's best to wait a bit longer.
Dusting
Once a month, gently wipe away any dust on your plant
Wiping your Snake Plant free of dust, with a damp rag once a month, or as often as possible, will help get rid of potential bacteria or pests.
Re-potting
Leave it in its nursery pot
Once you receive your plant, place it in the spot you plan to keep it in (whilst still in its nursery pot) and allow it at least 6 months (ideally 12) to acclimate to your home's temperature and light levels.
Since the root system of a Snake Plants grows quite slowly, it is recommended to keep it in the same pot for up to a year before re-potting.
Don’t worry if your Snake Plant seems to push at its planter’s corners during this period, that’s perfectly natural and not harmful — in fact, Snake Plants like being a little root-bound.
Time to re-pot
If your Snake Plant’s pot starts to bulge outward, or you see roots trying to escape, then that means it’s time for a re-potting.
Transfer your Snake Plant into a pot that's about 1–2 inches in diameter larger than its current one (or one or two sizes up).
Snake Plants are highly susceptible to overwatering; so the right mix must have a high percentage of aggregate materials (such as perlite and pine bark) that will provide adequate drainage and prevent the soil from absorbing too much moisture and holding it for too long.
Snake Plants like soil with a lot of aeration (because they don't retain as much water/moisture). When your plant is ready for repotting, use a well-drained potting mix that includes ingredients such as perlite or lava rocks.
Pumice is best for your Snake Plant, since it can retain both air and moisture while not drowning/suffocating your plant.
Whatever you do, avoid a bag of pure peat moss. This is what you’ll get in most bags that say “potting soil” or “gardening soil”. When in doubt, reach out to our team at hello@plntd.ae, and we’ll help you identify whether the soil bag you’re considering will work for your Snake Plant.
Remember, always go for a pot with drainage holes.
Pro-tip: To keep watering simple and easy, you can simply re-pot your Snake Plant into a larger nursery pot and place that nursery pot in a larger planter.
4.0 Beginner questions
Ask away, grasshopper.
How easy is a Snake Plant to care for?
Snake Plants are native to harsh, rocky, and dry habitats, making them nearly unkillable:
- Native to dry desert climates, they're tolerant to lower levels of humidity, as common in the UAE.
- Incredibly drought tolerant, they only need to be watered, at most, once every 2–4 weeks. In a low-light environment, some can even go up to 2 months without water.
- Native to large fluctuations in temperate, Snake Plants can do well anywhere between 7º C and 30º C – well within the range of most UAE households.
- They're highly tolerant of nearly all light levels and will be able to acclimate to anything from bright direct sunlight by a window (as long as it's indoors) to low-light.
- The greatest risk to this plant is overwatering; as long as there is a window in the room, and its drinks are infrequent, your Snake Plant will remain a companion for years to come.
Can I use UAE tap water to water my Snake Plant?
Yes. Snake Plants can be fed using UAE tap water.
However, like most indoor plants, they are sensitive to the chlorine and calcium found in the water.
To combat this, make sure to:
- Leave tap water out for 24-48hrs before using it. This allows the chlorine time to evaporate.
- When watering your Snake Plant, make sure to water through the soil until it is dripping out the bottom of the nursery pot. This flushes out any excess build-up of calcium (and other minerals) from the soil.
Finally, look out for tell-tale signs of too much chlorine or calcium:
- Scorched brown tips at the leaves = too much chlorine.
- White crystals on the soil = too much calcium.
Will AC harm my Snake Plant? What temperature should I set it to?
Snake Plants are happiest between 18 °C – 30 °C. But they will tolerate temperatures as cold as 10 °C. As a general rule: if you're comfortable, then your Snake Plant probably is too.
How will my Snake Plant arrive?
The short answer is: In its nursing pot.
Our priority is to get your plant to you as safely as possible and ensure that it flourishes when it gets there.
The most effective way to do this is to deliver your plant to you in its nursing post.
Do I have to re-pot my Snake Plant as soon as I receive it?
In short, no.
Once you receive your plant, place it in the spot you plan to keep it in (whilst still in its nursing pot) and allow it at least 6 months (ideally 12) to acclimate to your home's temperature and light levels.
Once acclimated, you can choose to either re-pot your plant or leave it in its nursing pot.
Will my plant look like the plants on your website?
Whilst every plant is unique and will have natural variations in color, shape, and size, we do our best to ensure every plant you receive closely matches what you see online.
I've killed plants before and am worried about doing so again. Can you help me?
That's what we're all about! We've written detailed plant guides for every plant on our website, as well as general plant guides that should be helpful to any plant beginner.
Additionally, if you ever find yourself worried and second-guessing as to how to care for your plant, then we're only an email away. Write to us at help@plntd.ae, and we'll do our best to help you out!
5.0 Some Common Problems
Don't let this list scare you — trust us, Snake Plants are easy to care for.
Black Spots
Cause: Fungus or bacteria due to overwatering
Suggestion: Cut away the leaves entirely, from the soil level. Don’t compost the discarded leaves to avoid the infection spreading to something else. Then, let your plant dry out to the point that the leaves begin showing signs of wilting, before re-watering.
Brown Spots on a Leaf
Cause: After effects of cutting off a leaf
Suggestion: Just one of the characteristics of Snake Plants; brown spots are just how they react to having a leaf cut off. While not aesthetically pleasing, it’s not an indicator of poor plant health.
Burn Marks on Leaves or Dried Leaf-tips
Cause 1: Too much fertilizer or nutrients; too much salt
Suggestion: Re-pot your Snake Plant to avoid root-rot. Then, make it a habit to let water aerate for 48 hours before giving it to your Snake Plant, or use bottled water or rainwater instead
Cause 2: Too much sunlight
Suggestion: Move your plant to a place with less direct sunlight.
Cracks in Leaves
Cause: Low humidity or accidental physical damage
Suggestion: Placing it in an area with high humidity can help
Dry Brown Tips
Cause: Underwatering
Suggestion: Time for a drink! Follow the watering guide above to learn how to water your Snake Plant.
Dull Green Leaves
Cause: Too much sunlight
Suggestion: Move your plant to a place with less direct sunlight.
Flowers or Berries
Contrary to most plants, flowers or berries on your Snake Plant are not something to look forward to. This is because the flower/berry will suck up nutrients from the rest of the plant, making it look visibly unwell.
When this happens, cut off the flower from soil level, and you should be good to go.
Leaves Curling or Falling over
Cause: Overwatering
Suggestion: Allow soil time to dry out completely (sometimes this can take 2-4 weeks), then slowly re-water.
Pests
Cause: Damaged cuticles
Suggestion: Remove pests, by putting them outdoors or using pesticides. Or spray a mixture of water and pest-repellant soap on your plant.
After getting rid of the pests, investigate your plant for the reason for the damaged cuticles — which would most likely be overwatering. In that case, allow soil time to dry out completely (sometimes this can take 2-4 weeks), then slowly re-water
Soft, Mushy, Wet Leaves, with Odor
Cause: Excess water
Suggestion: Usually caused by overwatering. If it's not too bad, you can simply let the plant dry out before watering again.
If excess water has accumulated at the bottom of the pot, pull out the affected leaves, complete with roots, since it can lead to root-rot. Then, let your plant dry completely before watering again.
Thinning Leaves
Cause: Too much sunlight
Suggestion: Move your plant to a place with less direct sunlight.
6.0 Buying Snake Plants Online
When online plant-shopping, be on the lookout for the following:
Height
If you're looking for a table-top plant, then go for one that's 40cm tall. A 60cm tall plant would work well on a low side-table. Plants about 1 meter or taller would work well as statement floor plants.
Note: Stated heights will always include the height of the plant AND planter.
Pot style
This is all about the vibe you're looking for, and you'll typically have a choice amongst different colors and shapes.
If you're looking for subtlety, we suggest a circular pot in white. To make more of a statement, look for contrasting shapes and colors!
Delivery
It goes without saying that your plant supplier should meticulously package all plants.
When you personally buy a plant from a store, you're able to rush it home, ensuring it stays outside for as little time as possible. But when you order online, your plant will ride-share with a lot of other plants all on their way to their new homes.
Depending on where you live, weather can play a big part in your plant's health along the way.
If possible, ask your plant shop what precautions they take to ensure your plants stay as safe as possible en route to you.
Reviews
Reading customer reviews are a good way to get an idea of the customer experience provided by the seller (here's ours, by the way), but you need to practice caution there.
Don't expect to be able to tell a fake review right away, some reviewers can be great con artists, and some negative reviews can be fake to harm the seller.
Your best bet is to zoom out and look at multiple comments from multiple categories to get a good overview of whether you can trust this company and/or their review section.
For example, look at how recent the reviews are, and how spread apart. Was there a sudden spike of comments in a short amount of time? Do they sound like they're all written by someone rehashing the same template? Do they all sound too positive to be real?
Yes, going all detective on reviews can be a chore, but Future You will thank you for it.
Returns and refund policies
Things can go wrong.
Sometimes it's no one's fault, and sometimes there's nothing anyone can do.
So the best practice is to offer (and honor) a no-questions asked return/refund policy. Check out the seller's policy before you make a purchase, so you know you're insured in case things don't work out.
You can check out our return/refund policy here.
Ready to adopt a Snake Plant?
Your Snake Plant can't wait to meet you — just choose a height and pot and let's introduce you two!
