The fascinating Sansevieria: everything you need to know about this extraordinary plant
The Sansevieria, known by the popular name of mother-in-law’s tongue, is a truly amazing plant. It is very popular among plant lovers because of its excellent properties and ability to eliminate pollutants from the air. In this article you will learn useful information about this common but extraordinary plant. Thanks to the advice of the great YouTube channel Great Gardening, you can also propagate your mother-in-law’s tongue at home for free!
Procedure: First, we remove the entire Sansevieria from the pot and divide the plant into individual leaves. We cut just above the roots and remove old roots, as new ones will sprout. Once we have prepared the leaves in this way, we take a container with suitable soil and plant each leaf in it. We spray all the leaves with water from the spray bottle. After 32 days, we remove the leaves from the pot and check them. New roots will be visible on the new plants. We remove each leaf with the root and wash it in clean water. The young plants are placed in a container with water and small pebbles. We place the container with cuttings in a shady place, away from direct sunlight.
Appearance: Sansevieria has 5-6 cm wide, pointed and long leaves. They have yellowish or cream edges and irregular dark stripes. Some species have erect leaves, while others have low rosettes. In a pot we usually find 6-8 leaves, and every year 2-3 new ones grow. It can reach a height of up to 1 meter, but usually grows to 50-70 cm.
Properties: It will bring you a long life. Sansevieria is also popular in Chinese art and Feng Shui philosophy. People believe that if the plant is placed in certain corners of the house or near the entrance, it will bring 8 gifts to the family as virtues of the gods. The gifts include wealth, beauty, health, wisdom, long life, strength, art and poetry. It purifies the air and improves your sleep. Sansevieria is exceptional in its ability to purify the air and improve air quality. It reduces the amount of harmful particles such as benzene and trichloroethylene in the air. These toxins affect our sleep and cause headaches. Therefore, it is worth placing Sansevieria in the bedroom. It should also be placed in rooms with electronics such as televisions, computers, etc. as it can also purify the room of electrosmog.
Absorbs excess moisture: If you place 2 or 3 medium-sized plants in the apartment, you can significantly improve the air quality. Sansevieria also absorbs excess moisture from the air. Too much humidity in the room can make it difficult to fall asleep and concentrate. This unusual plant will counteract these difficulties.
Help for allergy sufferers: Another advantage of this plant is that it is suitable for allergy sufferers because it does not cause reactions. However, it should be noted that it is toxic if ingested. Its juice contains saponins that have healing properties externally, but can cause poisoning if consumed, so you must be careful and place it out of the reach of small children or animals.
The least demanding plant: It is the ideal choice for those who have little knowledge of plants, little time or patience for the daily care of plants. The most resistant houseplant: It can be said that Sansevieria is the most resistant among houseplants. It tolerates burning sun and high temperatures, but also shade and temperatures below 12 °C. It also tolerates sudden changes in temperature well and can survive at least a month without watering. It stores water in its thick leaves, so it can survive even long dry periods.
Myths about Sansevieria: As mentioned at the beginning, this plant is also known as “mother-in-law’s tongue”. Some people believe that having it in your home will bring bad luck. On the contrary, other beliefs say that it has the ability to cleanse the room of negative energy and even evil spirits. It is also said to help you focus on what is important and achieve your goals. Good luck!