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Snake plant

Snake plant

Mother-in-law's tongue

DifficultyVery easy
SeasonYear-round
FoliageA perennial

Meaning

Steadiness, grit

The plant for people who forget to water. Two weeks without a drink is fine.

Mildly toxic to cats and dogs. Chewing it can cause vomiting.

Light

It takes shade and sun. It grows better somewhere bright.

Water

Every 2-4 weeks. Water only when it's bone-dry.

Temperature

15-30°C. In winter, not below 10°C.

Feed

Hardly any

Do this when you get home

  1. Anywhere indoors is fine. A bedroom or an office works.
  2. If the soil is wet when you bring it home, don't water for at least a week or two

Day to day

  • The thing that kills it is too much water. In winter, once a month is enough.
  • Water the soil. Don't pour water into the center of the leaves.

Common questions

The base of a leaf went soft and it flopped?

Almost always too much water and rotten roots. Stop watering. If it's bad, take it out, cut off the rotten roots, let it dry, and pot it in dry soil.

Plant doctor

More foliage

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PetalPal

Reminders and a care diary live in the app

Get a nudge when it’s time to water or change the vase water, and keep a diary for each plant, in the PetalPal app. Search “PetalPal” on the App Store or Google Play.