Sansevieria

Design and InstallationGarden Caregarden TriviaIndoor plantsPlant Health CareUncategorized
Written By Peter Morris

 Also known as the easiest houseplant to keep alive !! 

 Description

Madagascar - Bucket List !

Coming mainly from the island of Madagascar, but also south Asia, it was recently regrouped into the Dracaena genus. There are about 70 + species and these range from desert plants to thin leaved tropical ones. 

spikes with florets

They all mostly form dense clumps and spread via a stolon or underground stem growing leaves mainly in a rosette form. It blooms usually as a spike with many florets. 

San Severo – also on the Bucket List !!!!

The genus Sansevieria honors Italian scientist and inventor Raimondo di Sangro - Prince of San Severo – 1771. 

Habitat

All species can be divided into one of two basic categories based on their leaves: hard leaved and soft-leaved species.

Typically, hard-leaved species originate from arid climates and have many adaptations for surviving dry regions. These include thick, succulent leaves for storing water and thick leaf cuticles for reducing moisture loss. Leaves may also be cylindrical to reduce surface area and are generally shorter.

Soft-leaved species come from tropical regions. Their leaves are softer, wider and strap-like. Some have stiff, erect, scattered, lance-shaped leaves. The bird's nest ones are short and grow in rosettes. 

Growing

Overwatered and done !

As houseplants, snake plants thrive on warmth and bright light. A windowsill is best, but a bright room will also do. Even if they are in a darker corner in our home, you don't need to worry too much – they just won’t grow. They can rot from over-watering, so it is important that they are potted in well-drained soil, and not watered very frequently. 

Since the leaves are potentially poisonous if ingested, they are not usually recommended for households with children or pets. 

Feng shui

According to FS, because the leaves grow upwards, the plants can be used for feng shui purposes - placing pots near the toilet tank to counter the drain-down vibrations. 

Air purification

According to NASA - Sansevieria are capable of purifying air by removing some pollutants such as formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene. 

Species and Varieties

Sansevieria trifasciata

variety - Laurentii

variety - Moonshine

variety - Hahnii

variety - Golden hahnii

Sansevieria zeylanica

species

Sansevieria aubrytiana

species

Sansevieria masonica

species

variety - Whale Fin

Sansevieria kirkii

variety - Silver Blue

variety - Coppertone

Sansevieria cylindrica

species

Sansevieria boncellensis

species

Sansevieria parva

variety “Fernwood”

Sansevieria pinguicula

species

Many more varieties and hybrids available !!!!

How about filling your windowsill with some !

Call us - we know our Sansevieria !  

PLANT SPECIALISTS

GREENING NEW YORK FOR OVER 53 YEARS !

Article written by our Staff Horticulturist, Peter B Morris, BSc, MSc, MBA

All photographs used with permission @SHUTTERSTOCK

Peter Morris

Peter was born and raised on a beautiful green island in the midst of a tropical rainforest. He was introduced into the world of plants at the age of six when his grandmother, an avid Spanish gardener herself, asked him to help her grow seeds for her pepper garden. He was hooked! By the time he was a teen, he had his own rose and orchid collection numbering in the hundreds. Botany was in his blood, and that is what he set out to study.

His passion brought him to NY in the late seventies to further his education. His tenacity allowed him to work full time at Plant Specialists while he completed a MS in Plant Biology. As a manager at the time he felt unsatisfied with his knowledge of business and business processes. Peter felt compelled to learn, so he then pursued and completed an MBA in Quality Management within a few short years.

Peter’s other passion is teaching. His natural ability is quickly consumed by our staff in all subjects in Botany, Horticulture, and Landscaping. He created an immense reference library of more than 3,500 plants providing an invaluable resource for our staff.

Peter’s breadth of knowledge and wisdom allows him to effectively diagnose the needs of plants. Sometimes just by walking into a garden he can create a prescription that fixes even the hardest issue. He is our Staff Botanist, Diagnostician, and all around Mentor. Recently, he has put his immense knowledge and skills into developing a new department that focuses on Plant Healthcare. As he puts it, “Magic through Science”. The PHC staff that surround him have avidly consumed his teachings. Substantially developing their own plant wisdom, many have taken on difficult plant health issues with spectacular results.

Plant Healthcare has been an instant success with customers! The proper treatment of insects and diseases including Organic methods has made pest control a necessity for every plant. Correcting hormonal imbalances caused by planting in containers or refurbishing soils leached of nutrients by irrigation systems are big challenges PHC has become quite comfortable addressing. The scientific approach to the complex demands of keeping plants healthy in our harsh city environment has made many a customer say WOW!

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