There are some houseplants that are great for those gardeners who live or work in a dwelling with little natural light and are a bit forgetful about watering. One of the best is the snake plant.
Snake plant or Sansevieria also has the unfortunate common name of mother-in-law's tongue. That's due to the pointed leaf tips can pinch you unexpectedly if you touch it. The traditional snake plants stand 2- to -3-feet tall with broad, thick leaves. The leaves are dark green and some have yellow edges.
But with the boom in houseplants, there are many different types of Sansevierias that are smaller, more colorful and less likely to pinch you!
'Twisted Sister' has bright green and yellow leaves, in an unusual, contorted shape and it only stands 12 inches tall. 'Golden Hahnii' is another green and gold dwarf snake plant, but its shape looks more like a bird's nest and the leaves are bright yellow. 'Samurai' is a 4- to 6-inch tall, green snake plant with short, fleshy leaves with red tinges along the edge that look like a boat. It's perfect for a desktop. 'Fernwood' looks like an aloe plant with fleshy, narrow, blue-green colored leaves growing in a fountain shape.
The green snake plants grow fine with low light. However, snake plants with more golden colors, will benefit from a brighter room. Neither require a sunny room to grow and they all can go weeks, especially in the winter, without watering. To water, let the soil dry out then add enough water to have it drain out the bottom of the pot. Fertilize sparingly in summer.
