Black Coral Snake Plant Care

What a gorgeous houseplant! And did you know caring for it is a breeze? As fascinating as the name, the black coral snake plant has vivid colors making for an

exceptional indoor plant. Let’s get to know about this head-turner in this article.

What are Snake Plants?

snake plants

The Trifasciata or Sansevieria Black Coral works well as an ornamental evergreen. It’s also popular for names such as mother-in-law’s tongue, St George’s Sword, or snake plant. I bet these all sound familiar to you.

Let’s see. This plant grows dense with sword-like leaves in a dark green color with light green markings. You find the foliage growing and pointing upwards. The foliage forms at the base of the stem and are called the basal rosette.

The leaves can reach heights of 36-inches with a width of 2.5 inches. The plant produces sweet-smelling greenish-white flowers. However, snake plants rarely flower as a houseplant.

It is a semi-tropical plant you find growing in grasslands or along the roadsides of West Africa. It’s known for being a hardy plant that can withstand harsh environments.

Another beneficial thing about the snake plant is that it purifies the air. So, go ahead and place it in your bedroom for healthy airflow.

Black Coral Snake Care

black coral snake plant

Snake plants are hardy succulents that cope well in most situations. But they do struggle when overwatered or receive direct sunlight. Here is a list of the basic needs of your Sansevieria trifasciata or the black coral snake plant, specifically.

black coral snake plant care card

While the snake plant is an air-purifying plant, it is mildly toxic to pets, so beware.

Ideal Potting Mix To Prevent Root Rot

cactus soil mix

If it’s your first time bringing a snake plant home, listen. The important thing you have to provide first is well-draining soil. Your plant is very susceptible to root rot. Having free-draining soil helps prevent this from happening.

You can use a cactus mix combined with potting soil in a 1:1 ratio. If you find the soil is still heavy, add handfuls of perlite or pumice to give it more drainage and aeration. You can drill some drainage holes in the pot as well.

Lighting Needs Coral Snake Plant

These low-maintenance plants can adapt well to their surroundings. But, it prefers bright indirect light for a few hours in the day. However, it can also tolerate low light. Your typical office or home setting is an ideal place for snake plants.

Place your black coral snake plant where it can receive partial shade in the afternoon. Too much sun can burn the leaves.

If grown as an outdoor plant, place it in dappled sunlight during the day while shaded from the midday sun.

Watering Needs

snake plant water requirement

The black coral plant is drought tolerant and does not care for too much water. Yet, West Africa is known for long dry spells and sudden downpours. So, it’s best to ditch the regular watering schedule.

You can start by soaking the soil and leaving the ground to dry between watering. Your plant thrives with infrequent watering as an indoor plant. But you will need to provide a bit more water in summer and very little in the fall and winter months.

You do not want your snake plant to become sick with root rot, and it can happen easier in winter. When water gets stagnant in the ground, the roots will suffer from root rot.

Temperature & Humidity

Snake plants flourish in temperatures between 70°F and 90°F (21-32°C). Another great thing is that they can handle fluctuating temperatures with a bit of cold.

Exposing your Sansevieria trifasciata to temperatures below 50°F (10°C) will cause it to deteriorate. Yet, the plant can survive winters with indirect light when grown indoors.

As an outdoor plant, you need to bring it inside to protect it from freezing temperatures. It can tolerate frost but not too much of it.

You can protect your succulent with a covering over the soil to protect the roots. Luckily your coral snake plant does not need high humidity but can cope well even if it’s high.

Snake plants do not need frequent watering when kept in 60% or higher humidity.

Fertilizing Your Black Coral Snake Plant

The snake plant grows like a weed and can cope even without feeding outdoors. But as a houseplant, it needs nutrients to boost growth in spring during the growing season. You can provide your black coral sansevieria with a balanced fertilizer for houseplants.

Likewise, dilute the feed to half strength to prevent burning the roots.

Propagation of Snake Plants

You have two methods to propagate your black coral snake plant:

snake plant leaf cutting propagation

Leaf Cuttings

  1. Remove a part of the bottom leaves using your sterilized shears and wear gloves.
  2. Take your cutting and leave it to dry for a couple of days.
  3. Once the wound heals, it is ready to plant.
  4. Take the cut end and place it into a potting mix, or you can use a soilless growing medium. You can use regular potting soil with drainage and keep it moist.
  5. Be prepared to wait weeks or months to notice new growth, as the black coral snake plant is slow.

Division Method

With division, you can expect faster results.

  1. Your Sansevieria plant produces pups you can remove from the mother plant.
  2. When removing the pups, please place them in a spot to dry out and form a callous.
  3. Once healed, you can place the pups in soil with good drainage and keep them moist. Then, wait for the root system to develop.
  4. When it develops roots, you can care for your new plants with the parent plant.

Growth Zone

Your snake plants will flourish in the USDA hardiness zones nine to eleven. But remember, it can tolerate mild but not too much frost.

Potting and Pruning

Snake plants are slow growers and do not need frequent repotting. If you notice your plant is getting too big for the pot or the roots poke out through the drainage holes, it’s time to give it a new home.

Another great thing is it does not need a lot of grooming. If you notice pale leaves or diseased parts, you can prune the leaves.

Black Coral Snake Plant Varieties

Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Black Gold’

black gold snake plant

This is a popular perennial that has dark green leaves with golden edges. It has stiff fibrous leaves that grow tall to give it its distinct yet sleek look. It is also a lucky plant bringing good fortune. The viper’s bowstring care is like other Sansevieria plants.

Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Twisted Sister’

twisted sister snake plant

The leaves on this plant are what give it the name twisted sister. The foliage is green with yellow curling around to provide a deformed shape. It looks striking as if the leaves are dancing. Some people say it looks like a bird’s nest.

Sansevieria kirkii (Star Sansevieria)

Star Sansevieria

Lastly, we have this striking plant looking like a star. It has broad tapered leaves that are dark green with light markings.

Black Coral Snake Diseases & Pests

Whether you have a dark sansevieria or any other species, it can still become prey to diseases and pests.

Scale

But as the leaves store water, they can get infected with scale. You will notice a sugary droplet on the foliage. When looking at the underside of the leaves, you see small insects causing the problem.

With large infestations, remove the infected parts. For minor infections, you can use rubbing alcohol.

As prevention, use neem oil on the leaves, making it part of your care routine.

Spider Mites

Another pest is spider mites that cause havoc by sucking the nutrients out of your plant. When you see spider mites, remove your plant from other plants to isolate it. Spray your plant with warm soapy water and leave your plant to dry.

If you find the insect on the underside of leaves, dust them off.

These insects love dry conditions and increasing your plant’s humidity levels help. You can do this using a pebble tray with water or a humidifier. Another option is misting the leaves but make sure the leaves dry well afterward.

Leaf Spot

Leaf spot is also a concern with black coral sansevieria plants. You will notice brown spots forming on the stem, looking rotten. Remove the affected areas to prevent the disease from spreading if the infection is mild, use 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda with one-gallon water.

Or you will need to invest in a fungicide to help remove the problem if the baking soda does not work.

Frequently Asked Questions

The black coral snake plant grows upwards with dark green leaves and silvery bands. The leaves look flat and can reach up to three feet tall and 2.5 inches wide. Mature plants can spread up to three feet wide.

The snake plant will have curling, and wrinkling leaves with the tips brown as it is dehydrated. Your plant will fall over the more it dries and dies. You can move your plant into a shaded spot and give it a good soaking leaving the water to drain freely.

The Dracaena trifasciata is also a flowering plant in the same family as the Sansevieria. Both come from Africa and go by many other names. Both these plant species have similar spear-shaped leaves that grow long.

The black coral snake plant has tapered ends on the leaves and is darker in color. In comparison, the bowstring hemp is broad-leafed and remains green throughout the year. The foliage varies in color from gold, cream, white, and green.

You can find the snake plant sold at local garden centers or online at some botanical shops. But you need not look further than Plantly. We have the coral snake plant available for you to place in a nice decorative pot.

Whether you want to buy, sell, or simply reach out to other plant enthusiasts, Plantly is the right place to be!

Plantly Menu