Looking for a young houseplant , but worried you ’ve got a sinister quarter round ? Or perhaps you just want to avoid complicating things ?
I ’ve catch just the one for you : Dracaena angolensis , more commonly known by itsoldscientific name , Sansevieria cylindrica .
Naturally establish in waterless Angola , this species has long been a deary among houseplant collectors not just because of its good looks , but also because it ’s incredibly sturdy and easy to grow ( just like its remote full cousin , Aspidistra eliator ) .
Sansevieria can tolerate low - light conditions and less - than - idealistic care . Even if you ’re a beginning houseplant agriculturist , you should be capable to keep your serpent plant alive with just a few round-eyed road map !
Below , let ’s have a look at everything you need to know about growing Sansevieria cylindrica indoors .
About Sansevieria cylindrica
Description
If you ’re in hunting of an strange houseplant to add to your collection , you ’ve found it . There ’s really nothing like this noisome specie , which can be recognize by its stiff , vasiform leave-taking that grow from a central rosette .
Although the Sansevieria cylindrica specimens you ’ll find for sale at your local plant depot be given to be low , this plant can actually acquire very grandiloquent ( up to around 6 feet ! ) . Its leaves are slimly ribbed and commonly have dark green , horizontal banding . They can achieve over an column inch in diameter .
sound Sansevieria plants sometimes blossom in the home . Their little white flush originate on a long flower spindle , making for a kind of brush - like look ( as seen in the icon above ) .
Sansevieria naming
If you ’ve been collecting houseplant for a while , you ’re likely aware that their scientific names can vary . DNA inquiry can lead botanists to discover that the family line links between plants are n’t as they originally think , which can get metal money to be moved to different genus or even new genera to be rear .
This is exactly what happened to the genus Sansevieria . A 2014 study revealed that almost all of the species in this iconic houseplant genus actually belonged in the equally iconic genus Dracaena ( and one in the monotypic genus Reineckea ) .
In some cases , like with Sansevieria cylindrica , the species name also changed .
This industrial plant is now officially called Dracaena angolensis , although many sources continue to call it ( and other former Sansevierias ) by its honest-to-god name . I ’ll do the same here , unless I ’m speak about the species in a scientific context .
The whole change leave to a undecomposed bit of confusion , because the Dracaena species we ’re familiar with in the houseplant mankind ( likelucky bamboo ) really do n’t look much like the works formerly bed as Sansevieria at all .
Also known as dragon tree diagram — as the name suggests — they have a more tree diagram - like appearance . Alas , the science does n’t lie : they ’re very closely related .
Natural habitat
This works ’s new scientific name , Dracaena angolensis , give us a pretty good clue as to where it ’s from .
It ’s mostly know from Angola , a land in southerly Africa that boast both tropical and desert habitats . Today ’s field is principally retrieve in the latter : It ’s a desert plant , a fancy Holy Scripture for a plant that does n’t need a lot of water .
Sansevieria cylindrica is also an innovate species in a bunch of dissimilar countries , include in Florida in the US . This is plausibly the result of plants “ escaping ” from parks and garden .
Uses
As I ’ve briefly cite , Sansevieria cylindrica is also sometimes referred to as “ bowstring hemp ” . This is because the foliage of plants formerly known as Sansevieria can indeed be used to produce fibers , which in bout can be squirm or pleach together into R-2 .
Fibers made of Sansevieria cylindrica leave of absence are manifestly pretty stiff !
Sansevieria cylindrica varieties
As with many other houseplants , nurseries have manage to create a few unlike Sansevieria cylindrica varieties through selective cultivation . These are prognosticate cultivar .
Let ’s have a flavour at the ones you may fall across in your local industrial plant store . I unfortunately ca n’t find patents for any of these , so it ’s not really clear who create them and when .
Sansevieria cylindrica ‘Boncel’
Also known as Sansevieria cylindrica ‘ Starfish ’ or incorrectly as Sansevieria cylindrica boncellensis ( as if it were a subspecies , which it ’s not ) , S. cylindrica ‘ Boncel ’ is credibly the most common cultivar of this plant .
Much more compact than the wild form of this plant , the leaves on ‘ Boncel ’ grow in a sort of fan shape . There ’s even a ‘ Dwarf Boncel ’ , which is theorize to stay even smaller !
Sansevieria cylindrica ‘Dragon Fingers’
Although it ’s often cite to in a way that evoke it is , I do n’t think ‘ Dragon Fingers ’ is an actual cultivar of Sansevieria cylindrica . Rather , it ’s a name often give to pleach versions of the plant .
These seem to be the same as the wild type , except their folio are braided together as they develop . It ’s a neat look , and it does n’t seem to harm the works .
Sansevieria cylindrica ‘Mohawk’
I ’ve see this cultivar popping up for sale now and then here in the US . It look somewhat similar to a ‘ Boncel ’ , with a fan - similar maturation rule . The difference is in the fact that the leaves point straight up rather than in all directions .
Sansevieria cylindrica ‘Medusa’
How capricious is this one ! Sansevieria ‘ Medusa ’ looks quite exchangeable to the original fantastic - type works , but there is a difference . The leaves do n’t grow straight up , but are slightly wavy . Perfect if you want something just a little bit dissimilar .
Bonus: Sansevieria ‘Fernwood’
As so often happens with houseplants , there is some academic degree of confusion surrounding Sansevierias . They are n’t always judge correctly , which means it can sometimes be difficult to figure out which species you ’re actually dealing with .
One example is Sansevieria ‘ Fernwood ’ , a cultivar often thought to be ( and frequently sold as ) an S. cylindrica .
It is , in fact , not ! Although the two are very similar in looks , ‘ Fernwood ’ is actually a cross between S. parva and S. suffruticosa .
You may also find Sansevieria ‘ Fernwood ’ sold as ‘ Mikado ’ , ‘ Mikado Fernwood ’ , ‘ Fernwood Punk ’ and other names . you’re able to say it apart from S. cylindrica by its concave leafage .
Bonus #2: Sansevieria bacularis
Another plant that ’s often fuddle with Sansevieria cylindrica ( and also with Sansevieria ‘ Fernwood ’ ) is a species formerly scientifically cognise as S. bacularis ( now Dracaena bacularis ) .
It ’s sometimes bid ‘ Mikado ’ , which does n’t assist , as that name is also used for the aforementioned ‘ Fernwood ’ plant life !
you could tell Sansevieria bacularis , whose care is very to the other two , apart by the majestic case at the base of its leafage .
By the way , I ’ve see plants being call Sansevieria cylindrica bacularis , as if it were a race . This is not right .
Where to buy
Sansevieria cylindrica plants
Caring for Sansevieria cylindrica
Light and temperature
When it comes to Sansevieria care , it ’s important to talk about Inner Light . This genus , admit S. cylindrica , is often marketed as theperfect houseplant selection for low - light locations .
Now , it ’s true that Sansevierias do indeed tend to survive even if they do n’t get a destiny of light . They ’re just really , really sturdy !
But is a dark recess in your home their ideal location ? Of course not — unfortunately , only false plant do well without Inner Light .
take Sansevieria cylindrica ’s natural home ground : open ( semi-)desert with barely any cover . This plant has evolved to be used to being blasted with sun !
In your home , it will therefore actually do intimately directly in front of the undimmed window you could pop the question it .
For even better growth , you may put your plant outdoors during the summertime months so it can intoxicate up the Sunday . If you ’re in a warm climate , it can even remain there year - round .
Will your bowstring hemp survive in a sour spot ? Yes , it might front nice enough for a few years .
But will it grow ? Unlikely . It ’ll actually be dying , just in utmost slow movement .
As for temperature , these plants are n’t too fussy . As you’re able to imagine , given where they ’re from , in high spirits temps are no job for a cylindrical snake in the grass works .
They do well at room temperature or above , but as long as you keep its stain ironical , yours should be able to survive all the way down to just above freezing ( around 35 ° atomic number 9 ) .
Did you know?
There ’s a lot of talk about a NASA sketch purportedly check off Sansevierias as “ atmosphere purifying ” plants . regrettably , as talk over byNat Geo , this is oversimplifying thing . Sansevieria cylindrica is very pretty , but it wo n’t clean the air in your home .
Soil and planting
Planting a Sansevieria is straightforward as long as you keep its xerophytic nature in mind . Your planter should always have a drainage maw , as these plantshatewet feet . Their roots can rot if they ’re entrust standing in water .
A good deal made of glassless terracotta , a porous textile that allows water to melt , might be ideal .
For the soil , buy or mix something dainty and gritty . depot - bought succulent and cactus soils do n’t tend to be well - debilitate enough in my thought , so I either corrupt a specialty Snake River industrial plant potting mix or I make my own .
It ’s extremely simple and works for all kinds ofsucculentsandcacti , not just this one :
Recommended products for Sansevieria cylindrica plant care :
Water and humidity
As you ’ve in all probability forgather , it ’s more often than not better to underwater a Sansevieria cylindrica than to overwater it . This specially applies if your plant is n’t getting a lot of twinkle ( think of it wo n’t use wet as promptly ) or if its soil does n’t run out very well .
If you ’ve got the ignitor and grease office under control , your snake plant will value being water whenever its soil has gone to the full dry . How often that is depends on the season and conditions .
A Sansevieria cylindrica grown outside during high summer might want a drink every three twenty-four hours , while one that ’s keep inside may only demand H2O every one , maybe one - and - a - half weeks .
During wintertime , when your plant life is probably inactive , you probably only have to water it once every month or so .
urine profoundly , inebriate the soil until the wet runs out of the planter ’s drain hole , and then leave the plant alone until it has dry totally .
Humidity is really not a vexation for Sansevierias at all . This is full news for the desert inhabitant among us who have trouble grow wet - bonk tropicals !
Fertilizing
Sansevierias are n’t the ready of agriculturist , and they ’re used to life-time in poor soil . Still , if yours is doing well , it might do good from the occasional practical software of some lush fertiliser .
you may fertilize a healthy Sansevieria cylindrica every outflow using balanced liquid houseplant food . There are particular snake plant plant food available as well !
Do n’t fecundate houseplants during winter , when they ’re dormant . Also , avoid doing so if your plant is struggling . Fertilizer will only make things worse in that typeface .
advocate fertilizers for Sansevieria cylindrica flora :
Pruning
A cylindric snake plant is unbelievable to ask much in the way of pruning . Any dead leave can be removed , but other than that , it should keep looking overnice for old age to come .
Dividing or repotting
Has your Sansevieria cylindrica outgrown its container ? You must be doing something ripe !
You ’ve got two options now : repot the entire industrial plant into a bigger plantation owner , or disunite it up into multiple Sansevierias .
Either military operation is best performed during springtime . For childlike repotting , take your ophidian plant out of its pot and gently shake up the soil from its roots . Then , crop up it into a large planter ( you’re able to go up one pot size ) with fresh soil .
If you favour partitioning , carefully tease solidifying of leaves apart after you ’ve bring the plant out of its pot . The roots can be a little tangled , but the legal separation should still be easy enough to perform .
Place each set of leaves in its own smoke with Sansevieria soil and you ’re all set ! As they already have their own solution systems , each plant should keep produce as common .
Propagating Sansevieria cylindrica
Multiplying a cylindrical snake industrial plant is a breeze . We ’ve already talk over division above , which is by far the easiest and quickest elbow room to do it .
If you do n’t need to divide your Sansevieria cylindrica or it does n’t seem to be a good candidate for this multiplication method , leaf multiplication will also ferment . Like repotting , this is better done during the growing season ( give or summer ) .
Here ’s how you do it :
There ’s nothing more to it . on a regular basis moisten the soil ( though do n’t overdo it , as your press clipping does n’t have roots yet ) and the leaf should start regrowing soon . It ’ll focus on producing roots first .
Once you see signs of raw ontogeny bolt down up , which can take a few months , you ’ll recognize your propagation attack was a success !
Common questions about Sansevieria cylindrica care
Is Sansevieria cylindrica toxic to cats and dogs?
According to theASPCA , plants of the former genus Sansevieria are indeed toxic to pet and humans . They stop saponins , which make symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea if ingested in great quantities .
Although taking a insect bite out of your Sansevieria is very unlikely to try out fateful to your furry protagonist , it ’s credibly still honorable if you keep this plant out of its reaching .
How do you braid a Sansevieria cylindrica?
If you have a small and pliable cylindric snake plant , you’re able to choose to braid its leaves for a different look . Most folks choose to do this while they ’re repotting the plant , but you may leave it in its plantation owner as well .
Just divide the leaves into three sections and lace them as usual . bind the plait off at the top with a rubber band or some genus Raffia . Repeat yearly to comprise any young ontogenesis into the braid . That ’s really all there is to it !
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