Sansevieria trifasciata

Credit: Hugo Santacreu

Sansevieria trifasciata in bloom

Credit: Havaikinui Bouleau

Sansevieria trifasciata in bloom

Credit: Carol VanHook

Sansevieria trifasciata

Credit: Владимир Гладков

Sansevieria trifasciata berries

Credit: Mokkie

Sansevieria trifasciata, mother-in-law's tongue

Sansevieria trifasciata, better known as mother-in-law's tongue, grows in West Africa, from Nigeria to the Congo. This plant, a member of the Asparagaceae family, is prized for its graphic look and supposed depolluting properties.

How to recognize the stepmother's tongue, Sansevieria trifasciata?

Sansevieria trifasciata is a succulent plant with a bushy , upright habit. It grows to over a metre in height, with a spread of 50 centimetres.

The mother-in-law's tongue is long-stemmed. Its leaves grow in a rosette from a short rhizome, with no visible stem.

The fleshy, lanceolate blades are 90 centimetres long and five centimetres wide. Their color varies according to variety. Botanical Sansevieria trifasciata has dark-green foliage, streaked with light-green or gray transverse stripes. However, there are also cultivars with grey-green leaves Sansevieria trifasciata 'Moonshine) or yellow margins Sansevieria trifasciata 'Golden Hahnii' (Golden Hahnii)).

In spring, Sansevieria trifasciata displays delicately scented cream flowers. They appear in spikes on a flowering stem crowned with pale green bracts. The small size of the petals contrasts with the length of the stamens.

The inflorescence then gives rise to the fruit: round, orange berries.

But it's best not to taste them! The plant is toxic to humans and pets. Ingestion causes vomiting.

Our maintenance tips

To grow mother-in-law's languages indoors, reproduce the conditions of their natural environment! Sun, warmth and little water. You can even take your succulent out to your windowsill or garden in summer.

Watering

Mother-in-law's languages come from arid regions. These plants are drought tolerant, but still require watering.

Water only when the substrate is dry, using rainwater at room temperature. If you don't have any, you can use mains water that has been left to stand for 24 hours.

To replenish its reserves, your Mother-in-law's language needs copious watering. Water the soil until it is completely moist and the water runs off through the pot's drainage holes.

Drain any stagnant water from the cup or planter. It may rot the roots.

Spray

Mother-in-law's languages grow in arid regions and do not like humidity. No need to spray them.

Repotting

In spring, transfer your Sansevieria trifasciata to a larger pot, so that it can continue to grow.

Take advantage of repotting to offer your plant a pot in which its roots will flourish and moisture will not settle.

Choose a terracotta pot with holes. Pour a bed of gravel or, better still, pieces of pozzolan into the bottom. Then add a draining potting soil such as a special substrate for cacti and succulents, or a mixture of garden soil and sand. For even more nutrients, top up with leaf compost if available.

After removing your specimen, carefully untangle its roots and install it in its new location. Cover with potting soil and tamp down. Finish with a thin layer of clay balls or pozzolan on the surface to facilitate drainage.

To avoid the risk of stagnant water, avoid saucers and planters. If you use a planter, line the bottom with gravel or clay pebbles.

Fertilization

You can stimulate the development of your plant during its growth phase, in spring and summer, with fertilizer.

If you want to stimulate the growth of your Sansevieria trifasciata, mix a liquid fertilizer for cacti and succulents with the water when watering.

Prune

Remove dry leaves and cut the flowering stem at the base after flowering.

However, it is not advisable to prune your Mother-in-law's language. A cut leaf will not grow back, even if you only trim the tip.

Plantation

Once the last spring frosts have passed, you can plant.

Where's the best place to plant your Mother-in-law's language? A sunny spot at the top of a slope, to encourage rainwater drainage.

Dig a large hole to give the roots room to spread out. As for repotting, place a layer of gravel at the bottom, followed by a layer of substrate. Place your plant in the center and cover with soil, possibly enriched with leaf compost. Press down to eliminate air pockets and water.

Cutting

Cutting is carried out during the strong growth phase, generally in spring and early summer.

After a few years, young shoots appear at the base. With a sharp knife, dig up one of these "babies", also removing its roots.

Prepare a pierced terracotta pot. Block the hole with a pebble and lay a bed of gravel. Pour in a substrate composed of one third potting soil, one third soil and one third sand to promote drainage. Plant your offshoot, tamp it down and add a layer of sand to the surface.

Place your new succulent in a bright room, but without direct sunlight and with a temperature of at least 18 degrees.

Between two applications of water, check that the substrate has dried out, as you would with a mature plant.

Diseases / Threats

Aphids

Mealybugs

Mealybug, accompanied by ants for its honeydew.

Mealybugs

Information

Family	Asparagaceae - Asparagaceae
Type	Sansevieria - Sansevieria
Species	Mother-in-law's language - Sansevieria trifasciata
Lifecycle	Perennial
Foliage	Evergreen
Exposures	Sun Half-shade
Substrats	Calcareous earth Humus soil Sandy soil
Planting methods	In pots In tubs Planter
Categories	Interior Rhizome Herbaceous Succulent
Tags	Beginner Toxic
Origins	East Africa Central Africa
Hardiness (USDA)	11a
Leaf color
Flower color
Fruit color