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The snake plant (Sansevieria) is one of those plants that helps you in bringing charm to you along with some very extraordinary benefits. The easy maintenance makes it suitable for new gardeners and people who are not aware of taking utmost care of plants at home or office. This is one of the greatest Snake plant benefits which makes it one of the most preferred plant species in the world.
The plant looks stunning due to its evergreen foliage which is shades of dark green and light green and resembles the skin of the snake. But with the advantages, comes the disadvantages as well and you may have to look upon every aspect before making a purchase. Look into the below-mentioned Snake plant benefits and disadvantages and clear your vision regarding the plant.
Snake Plant Benefits
- Feng Shui Properties: The snake plant helps in removing the negative vibes and promotes a good positive atmosphere if placed in the right spot as per Vastu. Snake plant benefits as per Vastu can be leveraged if you keep it in less trafficked areas and mostly place them in the southeastern, eastern, or south corners of the office or home. The pointed leaves of the plant symbolize a sword that protects the house from negative energies. The feng shui snake plant benefits also say that it brings good luck for the owner.
- Eye-grabbing Houseplant: Apart from the snake plant’s spiritual benefits, being low maintenance, or having feng shui properties, the snake plant is good for decorative purposes as well. You can even gift this plant to someone. The charming upright leaves with no stem have a unique appearance that instantly grabs the attention of the people. The designer leaves have beautiful stripes all over that increase the charm of the room without taking up much of your space.
- Removes pollutants: You may be thinking that there are fewer toxins in the air of your house as compared to the outside atmosphere. The air that you are breathing at home is contaminated by toxins that come from paints, plastic items, and common household devices like microwaves. NASA has concluded that the snake plant is one of those plants that are effective against removing volatile organic compounds from the air that you are breathing. It’s an excellent plant for people who have respiratory diseases and you must keep the plant indoors to keep the air pure.
- Less dependent on fertilizer: Like you must know that every plant requires your special attention for good growth. The snake plant, however, does not need much attention and frequent use of fertilizers from your side and it can thrive well even with neglected care sometimes. They rarely need fertilizers and grow well with limited usage. However, at some times you can use organic fertilizers composed of cow dung, tea compost, and cow urine for their well-being and good stable growth.
- Drought resistant: It is very common that people forget to water the plants but being drought resistant, this succulent can grow well even with fewer watering sessions. More water sessions hamper the growth of the plant as they are made to withstand extreme climate conditions. You can even put them in direct sunlight where they thrive really well with adequate watering sessions. During winter, they can grow well with just one water session every month.
- Absorbs CO2 at night: The succulents have a gift to produce more oxygen by removing more CO2 levels, particularly at night. The Crassulacean Acid Metabolism process takes place at night that absorbs the levels of carbon dioxide from the surroundings and makes more oxygen. You can take the snake plant benefits in the bedroom where you spend most of your time.
- Fight mosquitoes: When you keep a plant at home you may observe that the mosquitoes are attracted towards the plant. The snake plant on the other hand has an acid named Saponin that keeps the mosquitoes away. You can definitely take advantage of snake plant benefits by mosquito repelling at home. Apart from that the plant even protects you from some diseases and allergies at home.
Also read: Types of Sansevieria (Snake Plant)
Snake Plant Disadvantages
- Toxic for humans and pets: Snake plant is one of those plants which is toxic to both humans and pets. Chewing or ingesting the stem, leaves, and flowers can be mildly poisonous. It can cause common issues like vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, drooling, and abdominal pain in both humans and pets. Touching the juice of the plant can lead to skin rashes and allergies as well. The plant is toxic due to the presence of a chemical called Saponin, which is an effective remedy used to create medicines and keep insects away.
- Slow-growing rate: If you are looking for a plant that can cover your garden in a short span of time, then definitely a snake plant cannot be that plant. The snake plant lives for decades and grows to an average height of 6 to 7 feet but they take a long time to achieve this milestone. The slow to medium growth rate can also be seen when you are propagating the plant to form new plants.
- Cannot resist cold temperatures: Being a subtropical plant that can withstand extreme dry and hot conditions, it is hard for the plant to survive extremely cold conditions. Wet soil along with freezing leaves could be deadly for the plant. Place them inside where temperatures do not go below 10 degrees Celsius. The leaves can get permanent damage from the frost which cannot be reversed.
- Easily overwatered: Another great advantage that can turn into a major Snake Plant Disadvantage is that plants can be easily overwatered. The snake plant is drought resistant and people think that maybe watering the plant will help in speedy growth. But the plant needs less water so you need to make sure that the soil is properly drained and never moist all the time.
- Fungus problems: Although the insects always maintain a distance from the plant, the plant sees fungal attacks quite often. This is one of the major snake plant disadvantages that need your attention if you are buying one for your home. The fungus majorly appears on the beautiful leaves of the plant and leaves a red leaf spot. Use preventive measures to avoid such fungus attacks.
Also read: How to Propagate Snake Plant (Sansevieria/Mother-in-Law Tongue)?
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What happens when you overwater your Snake Plant?
The leaves of your snake plant may droop and you can see that they get heavy and squishy.
Q2: Which are the most beautiful Snake Plant varieties?
Sansevieria Masoniana F Variegata is considered the most distinct and attractive snake plant variety.
Q3: Where should I place my Snake Plant as per Vastu?
Keep the plant in southern, eastern, or in the south-eastern corners of the house as per Vastu.
