Bring a Snake into Your Home!

When I was growing up, we had very few houseplants, but Sansevieriea was one of them. Our snake plant sat on the landing of our staircase, midway between the main floor and the 2nd story of our house. I loved the feel of its long, shiny leaves. As an adult, I made sure this was one houseplant I always had, primarily for its connection to my childhood.

I was delighted to learn it's high on NASA's list of best plants for air purification. Hey, if it's good enough for the Space Station, it's good enough for me. I love the way it looks, the smoothness of its leaves, and the fact that it prefers to be under-potted. Mine live on my front porch during the summer months (late April to early Oct here in zone 7b), and inside during the winter. I forget to water it, but it keeps going strong. One summer, it surprised me by flowering -- until then, I had no idea that snake plants had flowers. In fact, I was convinced some other plant had taken root in my pot, until I checked the ATP database.


When I viewed this beauty in the ATP Plant Database, I was amazed to find 99 varieties listed. The different cultivars provide gardeners with many choices for both form and color, as well as variegation.



In warmer zones, you can even grow it in the ground!


So go ahead and bring a snake into your home, as long as it's one of *these* snakes.