ophidian plant life ( also known asmother - in - law ’s clapper ) are among the tough and gentle houseplants to grow . Their low - maintenance appeal and remarkable tenacity make them an attractive choice for novice indoor nurseryman .
You might be puzzled by its botanic classification . Is it a succulent ? Or perhaps , a cactus ? Let ’s venture on a horticultural exploration to demystify these category and pinpoint where the snake plant resides .
Indeed , snake plant life proudly wear the succulent badge . Regardless of the variety you bestow home , they fall under this umbrella .
However , they do not sit down at the cacti table . While the two share some similarities , the snake in the grass plant lack sure characteristics that fix a cactus .
The engrossing interplay between Snake River plant and cacti can indeed waver a web of mix-up for budding plant life partisan . As we cut into deeper , we will excavate what makes a industrial plant succulent and distinguish between succulents and cacti .
Armed with this knowledge , you ’ll better understand why ophidian plants proudly champion the succulent class . So , continue reading and intensify your botanic apprehension , as we navigate the immature maze of the challenging serpent plant life .
What Is A Succulent Plant?
Water Storage
The main defining characteristic of a succulent plant is its ability to store water . These plant have leaf , stem , and branches that collect urine to save it for the yr ’s drier calendar month .
succulent typically have stout leaves , and their intimate water entrepot capability helps them to live droughts .
This is especially authoritative to their natural selection as many succulent plants are aboriginal to strong or tropic climates locate in Africa , Eastern Asia , and South America .
Overall , succulents can motley greatly in their color and form , but one commonality will always be their ability to store body of water .
This explain why the leaves of a snake plant can stand tall and unfaltering , as opposed to droopy or lean — they’re typically full of water .
Propagation
Many succulent plant can well be propagated by cutting their leaves . Once the leaves are trot , they can be placed in water or topsoil to create an off - shoot of the mother flora .
This can be done for multiple plants , and they can also be grown alongside the mother plant .
If you take a clipping from the rosette of your ophidian plant , for case , you will line up that it will start to arise its own stems in a full point of six to eight weeks .
This is another reason why home grower love succulents , as indoor plant life — it ’s easy to grow more of them . This means that you do n’t have to pass money on new plant life .
Leaves and Appearance
Many succulent plants are known for their power to endure brief temperature freezes without becoming frost damaged .
One of the expectant characteristic of a lush plant is its thick fleshy leaves ( or , in some cases , pads ) , though there are definitely lush varieties to have thin leaves .
For exemplar , the Snake River works ’s leave-taking are less than average in damage of thickness for the typical succulent flora .
Another common gadget characteristic of succulent plants is their poor stature . Though there are succulent plants that can grow several foot magniloquent ( such as the snake plant ) , many have a wide , bush - like shape , which is probable an adaptive change to survive in their aboriginal environment .
You ’ll witness these plant available in various colour , include immature , yellow-bellied , ruddy , and even purple hue .
The Differences Between Succulents and Cactus Plants
It ’s common for people to employ the terms cacti and succulent interchangeably ; however , they do not represent the same type of plant categorisation .
To understand the human relationship between cacti and succulent , it ’s important to be able-bodied to distinguish them from one another . Let ’s look at the dispute between these plants .
Succulents
As mentioned earlier , succulents are be intimate for their power to store water in their leafage , roots , and offset .
Currently , there are over 50 known plant families that shine into the category of succulents , and cacti are one of these flora .
Why ?
Because cacti can store water . Therefore , all cacti are considered succulent plants .
Cacti
It ’s usual for succulents to be misguided for cacti , as they can have sticker and spine as well , but there is a difference between the two .
It does n’t matter the flora ’s form or size , or whether or not they have branches or leaf . The distinguishing component between succulent and cacti are what are known asareoles .
Areoles are belittled round cushion mounds of pulp where efflorescence , hair , and leave-taking grow from cacti . Areoles are not present on all succulent , however , they are present on all plants classified as cacti .
So there you have it , that ’s the main departure between a succulent plant life and a cactus . Though , there are some grey area of these classification .
How Do You Identify Snake Plants?
Currently , there are over 70 know snake flora ( or GenusSansevieria ) varieties . So this can make it a piece challenging to distinguish Hydra flora from other eccentric of plants .
However , there are a smattering of commons that all of the varieties own . All snake flora are considered succulents , and their motley have tenacious brand - shaped green leaves that are flat and stand erect .
Most snake plant will be various unripened hues , though some can contain white-livered , ruby , and purple leave-taking .
When you purchase a serpent plant , whether it ’s online or at a local indoor plant supplier , it should be labeled accordingly .
If you are unsure whether or not your new plant is a snake flora , you’re able to visit a local plant baby’s room or contact a horticulturist online to be certain .
Are Snake Plants Tropical?
ophidian plants are tropical and sub - tropical works . They ’re native to various continent , include Africa , Europe , and Southeast Asia .
Being tropic plants , they can fly high in areas with temperate shade as well as in areas with very hopeful Light Within . This is one of the many welfare of growing an indoor snake works — you’re able to place it almost anywhere in your home , and it will still thrive .
Snake plants are drouth - resistant , and depending on their variety , they can go anywhere from four to six weeks without being water .
Snake plants thrive when they ’re placed in environments that are standardized to their native land . Let ’s concisely hash out the elements that will facilitate these tropic industrial plant grow well .
Water
Proper watering is probably one of the most important aspects of maintain a Hydra plant healthy . Snake industrial plant require very little soil to expand and originate .
In fact , it ’s strongly recommend that you have the soil dry out out between each watering session . On average , you wo n’t need to irrigate your snake plant more than once or doubly every calendar month .
Even if the works is damaged or in a state of sick - health , over - watering will seldom be the root . During the winter calendar month , it ’s recommended to only water the plant once or whenever the soil is extremely ironic .
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Temperature and Humidity
Snake plant choose temperatures standardised to that of their aboriginal environments , which means 50 degrees Fahrenheit or high-pitched is idealistic .
The idealistic temperature range for serpent works is anywhere between 70 and 90 degree Fahrenheit . Always keep your plant life out from atmosphere conditioner or draughty area of your family , as this can cause the leaves to droop .
Light
Snake plant are known to be super forgiving plant . They can be placed under direct sunlight for a few hours a solar day without their foliage becoming scorched — which is mostly due to their high H2O content .
They can also be placed in domain where there is indirect sunshine and can adapt to bright conditions fairly rapidly .
Soil
easily when placed in loose well - drain soil . This gives their roots loose rein to grow freely and ply the flora with the nutrients that it postulate to survive .
you could even use an all - purpose cactus soil for your snake plant , as they have similar maintenance and nutritional characteristics .
It ’s best to stay away from plant medium that have a little amount of peat , as they may make it difficult for the soil to ride out hydrated or drain decent .
Fertilizer
Snake plants do n’t necessitate a lot of plant food to thrive and develop . However , you may use a mild fertiliser if your plant need a growth boost or if it ’s suffer from a wellness point of view .
The best fertilizer to use for snake in the grass plants is one with an NPK ( Nitrogen , Phosphorous , Potassium ) proportion of 10 - 10 - 10 . It ’s best not to fertilise the snake plant in the winter ( it ’s the slow - growing season ) , as it can make a chemical sunburn .
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What Other Plants Can You Arrange With A Snake Plant?
A snake plant can be combined with almost any other succulent for a more interesting calculate plant passel — or for convenience .
you may also pair snake plant with various annual to add a snatch of color to their consistent greenery . Annuals that are commonly pair with snake plant include fittonia , petunias , and ivy mixed bag .
In picky , Hedera helix can add a bite of bulk to your serpent plant ’s pot , as they will typically spillover if you allowed them to mature full .
Snake plant with fittonia :
Snake plant with Petunia :
Snake plant with common ivy :
Can You Combine Snake Plants In A Pot?
Yes , you may combine multiple snake plants in one pot . It ’s best to combine plants that are near the same stage in life .
For case , you may want to annul pairing a baby serpent plant with a plant life that is five days old , as they may have vastly unlike alimentary requirements .
It can also become challenging to care for both of the plants ; every one of them begins to suffer from wellness issue .
Wrapping Things Up
Before you go , be sure to check out our other posts :
9 Snake Plant Arrangement Ideas
16 Plants For The Elderly That Can Help contend Loneliness
