Sansevieria Trifasciata, also commonly called Sanseveria, Sansevera is a perennial evergreen herbaceous plant, very resistant to variegated spadiform succulent leaves native to West Africa and Asia. Due to the leaves’ particular shape, Sansevieria is called in English as “snake plant.” It is also known as “mother-in-law’s tongue,” probably due to the sharp point with which the leaves end.
Sansevieria benefits
Are we sure that Sansevieria needs the house’s microclimate, or are we the ones who need Sansevieria? Sansevieria is ideal for the benefits it brings:
It emits oxygen at night.
Purify the environment.
Scientific studies from the University of Sheffield (Great Britain) have shown that even the house’s air is very polluted, often even more polluted than that on the street.
Accomplice of this high rate of pollution is first of all the external factor, i.e., where our home is located, secondly, using products such as deodorants, detergents or in carrying out daily actions such as cooking, a series of gases are released, raising the levels of carbon monoxide present in the air.
It is possible to solve this problem thanks to plants like these, which fight electrosmog and absorb formaldehyde, not enough. Sansevieria can produce oxygen during the night, which makes it perfect for our office and any environment. of our house.
Properties of Sansevieria
The name Sansevieria dates back to 1765; Vincenzo Petagna made the first observations and the first botanical experience in the garden of Villa Bisignano in Barra and thanked the Sanseverino family for their hospitality, dedicating the Sanseverinia genus to it, which was later changed by Thunberg into the more famous Sansevieria genus.
The leaves, characteristic both in color and in shape, come to life from the rhizome of the plant (which develops just below the surface of the soil) and grows vertically, reaching heights ranging from 30 cm to over a meter, depending on the species.
Some types of sansevieria form a rosette of leaves and are therefore called “bird’s nest”.
Although the shape difference between some species, the leaves have the same color, dark green with lighter streaks, with golden stripes along the margins.
If well cared for and positioned correctly, in a bright environment but not directly exposed to sunlight, the plant will bloom even if extremely rare to be grown indoors. The flowers are grouped in a greenish-white inflorescence in the shape of a spike that gives off a pleasant sweet smell.
They are robust and undemanding plants. As mentioned, they love the light. Still, the shadow does not appear to be a problem because it only slows down their growth but will be directly responsible for the color of your Sansevieria, which with little light will tend to conform to green. Dark, losing the streaks inside and on the leaf margins.
Initially from tropical environments, they fear the cold. Therefore they are perfect for our apartment and only between spring and summer is it advisable to move them outside.
They do not need much care. Watering varies according to the period, from every two weeks in the summer to every three weeks in the winter, also during the cold season until February by placing the plant in an area of greater shade at a temperature lower than the traditional 20 °, the Sansevieria goes through a slight vegetative rest.
Propagation of Sansevieria
The simplest way to propagate sansevieria is by foliar application. You have to choose a leaf and cut it at the base with a sharp pair of scissors. Next, you need to cut that leaf into some sections. Each segment must be at least 3-4 cm long.
Then bury the segments and leave them moist by watering regularly. The end stuck in the ground must be in the same direction of growth as the leaf. You must not plant the plate in the opposite direction. Otherwise, it will not produce roots and rot.
