When I spotted a post on my local gardener’s group from a woman offering portions of her 75 year-old snake plant, I had to read it several times to make sure it was real. Geri Smith’s sansevieria zeylanica multiplied so fast she needed to thin out the stalks and give some away! The plant grew so full that it’s roots broke through the pot – a problem most houseplant owners dream of.  Snake plants are known as “easy care” houseplants, but this is not always the case. Many of us struggle to provide the right growing conditions and end up with floppy leaves, cracked stalks, or mysterious brown spots. I quickly replied to her post so I could meet her and the 75 year-old snake plant.  

A Family Treasure

All snake plants are beautiful, but this one seemed to sing. The green sword-shaped stalks of the mother plant filled an entire twelve-inch pot and stretched three feet above the soil line. Geri explained that when her grandfather first immigrated to the U.S. from Slovakia, he took a job at a local nursery. One day he brought the plant home with him and it’s been in her family ever since. Over the years, she and her siblings divided and shared sections of the plant, treating it like a family treasure. 

Her Secrets to Snake Plant Success

What was her secret to snake plant success? The answers surprised me. Geri treats her sansevierias as indoor/outdoor plants. Snake plants are known as “low light” plants. They have a long history of decorating shopping malls and office spaces under dull fluorescent lights. I’ve always assumed hot sunlight would burn them, but her snake plants thrive in the summer sun. Each May she moves them outside where they receive about 6 hours of morning sunlight, then shade for the rest of the day. As soon as the overnight temperature drops to 50 degrees, she brings them back in. 

The general rule is to let the soil dry out before watering, but she waters her sansevierias 3 to 4 times a week! Since her sansevierias live outside they receive more light, photosynthesize faster, and absorb more water. The abundance of light and water create tall solid stalks that feel amazingly plump and taut like watermelon skin. 

Sunlight, Water, and Love 

I am convinced that when a plant is tied to someone we love, it does better. The care strategy for this 75 year-old beauty was simple; outdoor sunshine, water, and fertilizer once a year. I left with a generous gift of sansevieria leaves that day. They are on my patio right now soaking up the late summer sun and reminding me of what is possible when a plant is truly loved. 

Geri & Her 75 Year-Old Snake Plant