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March 24, 2020 in Indoor plants

Why the low-light, drought tolerant Starfish Snake Plant is the star of the show!

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starfish snake plant, Sansevieria Cylindrica

starfish snake plant, Sansevieria Cylindrica
Aha. The starfish snake plant. Say that ten times fast. Go ahead. I dare you! 

This regal plant is like a kingdom. A crown of thorns. A dinosaur crest. Giant fingers. Do you follow?

How else to describe my newly acquired starfish snake plant or more properly known as a  Sansevieria Cylindrica plant?
​
Starfish snake plants have unique fan-shaped light-green foliage with dark-green concentric circles top to bottom. The plant can also bear small flower spikes arising from the base of the spears.

Its stiff, tubular leaves emerge from the basal rosette and can grow to a maximum length of about 10 inches. Growth is near vertical without branching.

Boasting silvery green foliage, this compact, low-light and drought tolerate plant will be the center of attention at your next party.

So if your work desk needs a plant pick-me-up and you’re so over the lucky bamboo, look no further than the starfish snake plant to sizzle your space!

Here’s some fun facts and trivia you’ll want to share!

starfish snake plant, Sansevieria Cylindrica

starfish snake plant, Sansevieria Cylindrica

Easy tips to care for the starfish snake plant

No doubt you’ve owned a few snake plants in your life. But the starfish snake plant is in a category of its own. 

Generally, it’s considered a houseplant. I can’t imagine taking mine outside.

But starfish snake plants can be moved outdoors during the summer months and into part-sun. They just must be transitioned to handle higher levels of light and heat first and this change must be slow and gradual.

Indoors or outside, the starfish snake plant would prefer to stay above 50 F (10 C). Protect it from cool temps and drafts.

What I appreciate most about the starfish snake plant is that it can be acclimated to deep shade or bright light. As flexible as your middle child!

And also like the middle child, thrives on neglect. Forget to water? No issue. Being root bound is no problem, either.

Overall, I find watering every other week to be sufficient. Sometimes three weeks pass before I remember to water the starfish snake plant and it’s always fine.

If you choose to fertilize, feed the starfish snake plant once every three weeks with a general all-purpose houseplant food diluted by half. Do this from April to the end of September. 

Any all-purpose, foliage fertilizer will work for starfish snake plants to help them transition to their new environment. Indoor houseplant fertilizers come in two forms: water soluble, liquid quick release, and granular, slow release fertilizers. 

Jack’s Classic Indoor Plant food works well as a powder, a quick release fertilizer that is mixed with water to provide nutrients to a plant that has been in a container for an extended time. 

Another option is Osmocote Indoor/Outdoor granular, slow release fertilizer that can be applied while potting and planting. ​

starfish snake plant, Sansevieria Cylindrica

starfish snake plant, Sansevieria Cylindrica

Starfish snake plant fast facts!

  • ​Growing zone
  • ​Mature height
  • Mature width
  • Classification
  • Sunlight
  • Habit
  • Foliage
  • Soil condition

​

  • Water requirements

​

  • ​Uses

​

  • Temperature

​

  • Fertilizer
  • 9-11
  • 8 – 10″
  • 10 – 12″
  • Colorful foliage
  • Fluorescent light to bright, indirect
  • Upright
  • Silvery light gree to dark green
  • Well-draining, succulent or cactus mix
  • Likes to go dry

​

  • Does great in narrow, vertical spaces

​

  • Above 50 degrees F. and below 85 degrees F.

​

  • Feed the plant during the growing season. Do not feed during winter
starfish snake plant, Sansevieria Cylindrica

starfish snake plant, Sansevieria Cylindrica

Let there be light!

In general, snake plants handle extremely low-light conditions very well. 

So snake plants are often the welcoming committee in a windowless office building atrium where the plant may have little or no natural light.

In fact, fluorescent light may be the only light they ever receive. Crazy that plants with this type of stamina can thrive with no natural light whatsoever!

Not that they complain getting bright, dappled light. Sheltered behind a curtain getting some dappled sunlight is ideal. And a little morning sun is never a problem. But extensive direct sunlight is bad.

Too much light, even artificial light could cause browning in your cherished plant.

Certainly, snake plants add that vertical element to any garden design we all crave, especially at the office. And the starfish snake plant relishes its role as a showstopper.

The problem is that they are very slow growing. Go too small, and you’ll never see that huge plant you’ve envisioned. 

starfish snake plant, Sansevieria Cylindrica

starfish snake plant, Sansevieria Cylindrica

A word on watering….

Over the years, I’ve learned that the best way to kill any succulent is by overwatering. 

The starfish snake plant collects water in its leaves. Overwatering the plant will rot it down to its roots. So starfish snake plants that are watered too often will not survive.

The starfish snake plant likes to dry out almost completely between waterings. I poke my finger in the pot. If I feel any moisture at all, I wait another week to water.

If you are unsure whether to water or not, the less risky move is to not water at all.

Snake plants can go weeks before being watered again. In the winter you’ll water less, in the summer you’ll water more.

Never allow a snake plant to stay or sit in water because that will cause root rot. Their pots must be well-drained. A saucer with no drainage holes underneath is bad.

Now for the tricky part. When you water do so thoroughly to make sure all the roots, including the sprawling ones at the bottom of the pot receive adequate water.

Frequent watering but with small amounts of water is bad. The result of these less than full waterings will be dead roots at the bottom of the pot, leaving short roots above.

Water fully, let the starfish snake plant dry out completely, then water again. Usually, this means watering every other week. 

starfish snake plant, Sansevieria Cylindrica

starfish snake plant, Sansevieria Cylindrica

Potting advice

When your starfish snake plant arrives on your doorstep, you’re best bet is to repot the plant in  a fast draining, high quality succulent or cactus potting mix. 

I also line the bottom of my pots with a coarse orchid bark to increase drainage. I mix perlite in both the succulent potting mix and the orchid bark for even better drainage.

So the bottom half of my pot is orchid bark and the top a sandy succulent combination for a 50/50 mix.

If you are using indoors pots with no drainage holes, then the orchid bark is essential so roots don’t stay wet.

To keep your starfish snake plant happy, it’s a good idea to repot annually or at least every other year in spring with fresh succulent potting mix, orchid bark and perlite.

Keep in mind, starfish snake plants don’t mind being root bound. Sansevieria grow via rhizomes, which you’ll find crowds the pot. This is totally fine!

Some growers say (I think half in jest) to repot the snake plant when the pot breaks indicating those rhizomes have run out of room. But I wouldn’t wait that long!

Picture

starfish snake plant, Sansevieria Cylindrica

Propagating the starfish snake plant

Don’t you appreciate plant propagation that doesn’t actually require you to fuss? 

If you sit back and relax, over time, you’ll discover young “pups”  or “starfish arms” will spring from the base of the mother plant and can be easily transplanted to propagate new plants.

But when I say “time” I mean it. This is a very slow-growing plant. Watching paint dry is quick in comparison. So you’ll wait a bit for pups to emerge.

I was fortunate in that the plant I acquired already had three decent sized pups ready to be divided and planted in their own containers.

Each pup had two spiky leaves already and had sent out runners underground that needed to be divided. 

All I had to do was take the mother plant out of the pots and gentle untangle the roots/runners.

Most important is to ensure each pups gets a good bit of root so it’s ready to expand into the ground when transplanted.

You don’t want a top-heavy plant with little or no root system as it decreases the chances of the pup surviving.

And that’s not what you want. When your family and friends visit they are going to first ask you what this plant is and then they’ll ask for a clipping.

Trust me…it happens!

98 Comments

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Chad Boyd says

    October 22, 2020 at 12:31 pm

    This is on my wife’s wish list! So pretty!

    Reply
    • Janet Burke says

      October 26, 2020 at 10:33 pm

      Now that is one plant I may be able to keep alive!

      Reply
  2. Terry Poage says

    October 22, 2020 at 12:39 pm

    I love this plant. It would be perfect for my kitchen.

    Reply
  3. Alex says

    October 22, 2020 at 12:57 pm

    I remember long ago, my grandmother always had a Snake Plant growing somewhere!

    Reply
  4. Catherine Bradford says

    October 22, 2020 at 1:01 pm

    I have this one on my list already!

    Reply
  5. Melissa Riley says

    October 22, 2020 at 1:06 pm

    I am just not good at indoor plants. I sort of throw seeds or bulbs out into some good soil outside and let them fend for themselves. It is hit or miss but I guess that is better than nothing at all. Indoor plants do not have a chance of living in my home lol

    Reply
  6. Nancy Thompson says

    October 22, 2020 at 1:10 pm

    My sister has these plants.

    Reply
  7. Dandi D says

    October 22, 2020 at 1:14 pm

    What a beautiful plant! I’d love to grow one!

    Reply
  8. Donna C says

    October 22, 2020 at 1:28 pm

    This one looks cool. I’ve had snake plants in the past but not a starfish.

    Reply
  9. Lucy Loo says

    October 22, 2020 at 1:32 pm

    Wow, these are really cool plants! I have reptiles that like to hang out in plants–I need to check if they are safe for them. I like that it likes to ‘go dry’ lol, I am good at forgetting to water!

    Reply
  10. Chris Civitello says

    October 22, 2020 at 1:36 pm

    Would like to grow one day!

    Reply
  11. Richard Schott says

    October 22, 2020 at 1:39 pm

    That’s a neat looking plant.

    Reply
  12. Charu Nagarajan says

    October 22, 2020 at 1:41 pm

    I have snake plants. I have not seen these before

    Reply
  13. Audrey says

    October 22, 2020 at 2:21 pm

    Interesting article

    Reply
  14. Jeane Campbell says

    October 22, 2020 at 2:28 pm

    I have never been a fan of this plant. Think it’s because I over water.

    Reply
  15. Mary Dailey says

    October 22, 2020 at 3:24 pm

    I love how thick it is and it really does look like a starfish! It’s an amazing plant!

    Reply
  16. Michelle Proper says

    October 22, 2020 at 4:17 pm

    The snake plant brings back fond memories of my Grandma!

    Reply
  17. Crystal Abel says

    October 22, 2020 at 4:34 pm

    This plant is on my wishlist!

    Reply
  18. Martha DeMArco says

    October 22, 2020 at 4:47 pm

    Love this plant. It’s so different!

    Reply
  19. CHRISTINE L DOLLAR says

    October 22, 2020 at 4:56 pm

    Not had this plant. I have the “Mother-in-laws tongue plant. Looks similar.

    Reply
  20. Sarah VanMater says

    October 22, 2020 at 5:12 pm

    My Mom has one of these plants and I love it.

    Reply
  21. Brandy Burkett says

    October 22, 2020 at 5:19 pm

    Cool plant!

    Reply
  22. Liz Kilcher says

    October 22, 2020 at 5:32 pm

    i like this plant, it’s different

    Reply
  23. DeeAnn S says

    October 22, 2020 at 6:15 pm

    I’m looking for a few new low light plants. This would certainly fit the bill. Thanks.

    Reply
  24. Nancy Fiorenza says

    October 22, 2020 at 6:17 pm

    that is so pretty I love it

    Reply
  25. Joe Metzler says

    October 22, 2020 at 6:34 pm

    What an interesting name for a plant!

    Reply
  26. KIM DAVIS says

    October 22, 2020 at 6:43 pm

    Perfect plant for my daughters new apartment.

    Reply
  27. paula burnham says

    October 22, 2020 at 7:14 pm

    beautiful plants

    Reply
  28. Rachel Mertz says

    October 22, 2020 at 7:18 pm

    I have never seen a snake plant before – this plant is so fascinating!

    Reply
  29. Kenneth Sheppard says

    October 22, 2020 at 7:24 pm

    I’m not a fan of this type of plant but I do like the variegated coloration of this one.

    Reply
  30. Connie says

    October 22, 2020 at 10:48 pm

    Hmmmm…. is this plant related to aloe vera plants? I have had many succulents in the past, but don’t think I’ve ever seen one of these.

    Reply