John&Jacq~s Garden

Ornamental beauty of Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Laurentii’

Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Laurentii’ (Goldband Sansevieria)

Presented as a gift by my sister, this beautifully structured S. trifasciata ‘Laurentii’ has been in our garden since early year 2005! But of course it was scanty then and less than a foot high. Needing the least care, it has grown remarkably well through the years, adding so many offsets freely that we’re surprised its pot is still intact and unbroken!

Amazing, the tallest leaf as of today, measures 46 inches, almost 4 feet! What a delightfully fuss-free beauty and needs no grooming! It has not flowered yet, but we’re not bothered as it’s cultivated more for its attractive foliage. Anyway, we’re more than happy, having seen flowers before from our White Sansevieria, not once but twice! ;)

Plant Profile, Culture and Propagation :

• Botanical Name: Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Laurentii’
• Common Name: Goldband Sansevieria, Variegated Snake Plant, Mother-in-law’s tongue, Viper’s Bowstring Hemp, Good Luck Plant.
• Family name: Ruscaceae (check wikipedia).
• Plant type: Indoor or outdoor ornamental plant, native to Africa, Arabia and India.
• Light: Prefers full sun, but can tolerate low light conditions.
• Moisture: Needs little water and is very drought tolerant. Allow soil to dry out between watering.
• Soil: Grows best in well-drained loamy soil.
• Propagation: By division of rhizomes at anytime of the year or from leaf cuttings, though the latter method will not produce true offshoots with yellow marginal stripes like the parent plant. Propagate by division to obtain the yellow variegation.
• Features: It has stiff, upright, swordlike and spine-tipped leaves that grow from 1.5 to 4 feet long, which led it to be nicknamed ‘Mother-in-law’s tongue (LOL! How unkind!). The leaves have variable width, widest about 2.75 inches, and can be flat, slightly twisted or folded. Leaves have attractive golden yellow margins with variable width and position, and with a deep green and light grey-green cross-banded center, similar to a snake’s skin, thus commonly named ‘Snake Plant’. The fragrant flowers are greenish-white on an 18 inches spike, blossoming in the hot season, though rarely. Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Laurentii’ has been and is still by far the most popular ornamental sansevieria, though ‘Golden Hahnii’, a fabulous birdnest sansevieria that is a sport of ‘Laurentii’ is also fast catching up in popularity.
• Usage: Great as a houseplant, not only for its attractiveness but also for purifying the air indoors. Sansevieria is the perfect plant for the modern interior with its architectural form and durability. Excellent sculptural specimen as a container plant for garden patios, or grouped with other plants in garden borders and parks. Sansevierias are also cultivated as a source of bowstring hemp (fibre), obtained from their leaves.
• Care: Sansevieria is absolutely an easy to grow plant that thrives on neglect. Tough and durable to a wide range of conditions. It is as easily grown whether on ground outdoors or in containers indoors. Fertilize only once during the growing seasons with a slow-release fertilizer. Repotting should be done only when necessary, probably when the tightly-packed, strong underground rhizomes breaks the pot or the need to propagate arises. No known plant diseases or pests.
• For temperate regions: Hardiness: USDA Zone 9 and higher. To know more about sansevieria’s culture, refer to fact sheet by International Sansevieria Society.
• More info on sansevieria: Read this very comprehensive Sansevieria Production Guide from University of Florida, IFAS to acquaint yourself with the genus ‘sansevieria’, its culture and the many species and cultivars.

Last edit: May 29, 2016

Tags: air cleaning plants, foliage plants, indoor plants, outdoor plants, perennials, succulents, variegated plants