A Dragon in Your Window
Article and image by Monika Smith, Master Gardener
Needless to say, in our dark months—you know, winter—having a green house plant is almost a must.
Presenting a tried-and-true house plant: Dracaena trifasciata, the snake plant.
Also known as mother-in-law’s tongue, Saint George’s sword and vipers’ bowstring hemp. But sadly, not ‘lady dragon’ plant, although “dracaena” is Greek for lady dragon. Those are fibre-laden leaves used by African communities to make ropes, yarn, and textiles. It is native to West and West Central Africa and accustomed to dry, tropical climate and light. In the wild, they can grow up to two metres tall.
It tolerates low light, so any window will do. It’s a low maintenance, low water plant. Gently mist when it gets really dry here and seriously, clean the leaves of dust.
Buy a healthy-looking plant from your local big box store. Look for nice green, upright leaves that feel sleek and solid. No brown spots. Usually, they are potted snug, which the plant likes. Although there isn’t a lot of roots, it’s a rhizome that wants to colonize and will push and distort the sides of a plastic container! That’s a good indication to repot. It is slow growing, so no need to worry about repotting frequently.
This plant cannot tolerate being overwatered. Excellent drainage and a good cactus potting mix is needed. Put the plastic pot inside a heavy attractive container to keep it upright—as the soil dries out, it can become top heavy and tip—don’t blame the cat.
Few pests and diseases bother it. But things go downhill with overwatering. Wilt-y or drooping leaves? Brown spots? Rotting roots? Skinny leaves? Time to investigate. The fixes are usually easy: don’t overwater.
The snake plant is easy to propagate from leaf cuttings. As the plant creates ‘offspring’, divide and put into new pots and pass them on to friends and neighbours.
I’ve had a snake plant, a cultivar with cool yellow racing stripes on the sides, for maybe decades. It got moved around and it kept on growing. I have mistreated it, repotting it very badly, and it’s still here.
This plant also produces flowers, but not easily indoors. In the decades I’ve had this plant, it has done so only twice. No idea what got it to bloom: right environmental conditions? Super crowded pot? The spike has a lovely scent and lasts a while. Put it outside in the summer but in the right spot and watch it as it’s a long distance from its origins!
There’s lots of information on Dracaena trifasciata—do check a few good sources such as the Calgary Horticultural Society, university extension services, or botanical gardens to ensure a healthy, happy plant.
Contact Monika at [email protected].
My snake plant, the tall version. Some of the leaves got to 1.5 m! In this photo (January 2018), it’s in flower, which I found is challenging for a house plant to do.
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