Snake plants, also known as mother-in-law’s tongue or Sansevieria, are some of the most popular and easy to care for houseplants. With their upright, sword-shaped leaves and architectural shape, they make excellent accent plants that fit perfectly into any indoor decor.
There are around 70 species and over 100 cultivars of snake plants available, featuring leaves in various shades of green, yellow, white, black, and even blue-green. While some types of snake plants look very similar, others have dramatic variegated patterns or different textures that make them stand out.
If you’re looking to add some snake plants to your indoor garden, here are 35 beautiful and interesting types that are totally worth growing!
1. Sansevieria Trifasciata
The sansevieria trifasciata, also known as the snake plant or mother-in-law’s tongue, is the most common and recognizable type of snake plant.
It features stiff, upright leaves that are dark green with light gray-green horizontal bands. The leaves emerge from the soil in a rosette pattern. This fast-growing snake plant can reach up to 4 feet tall and makes an excellent low maintenance houseplant.
2. Sansevieria Cylindrica
One of the most unique snake plants, sansevieria cylindrica has cylindrical, tube-shaped leaves that point skyward. The leaves are pencil-thin, growing up to 3 feet long but only about 1 inch in diameter.
This architectural plant has leaves striped in dark and light green. It grows in a clump, with several cylinders shooting up from the soil. Their unique shape makes them eye-catching statement plants.
3. Sansevieria Masoniana
Also called whale fin or shark fin sansevieria, sansevieria masoniana has wide, flat leaves with sharp points. The leaves have a dark green color and grow up to 5 feet long and 4 inches wide.
This dramatic plant grows slowly into a focal point plant. It can be planted singly or in groups to create a modern, sculptural look.
4. Sansevieria Ballyi
If you want a dwarf snake plant for a desk or tabletop, choose sansevieria ballyi. This small cultivar only grows 6 to 12 inches tall with rosettes of narrow, dark green leaves edged in light gray-green.
Its compact size makes it perfect for containers or terrariums, and it’s easy to care for in any indoor space.
5. SansevieriaMoonshine
One of the most popular sansevieria varieties, moonshine has pale gray-green leaves with hints of blue that look almost iridescent. As the plant matures, leaves may develop light green vertical bands.
Moonshine makes a beautiful accent plant thanks to its color and grows up to 3 feet tall. Its pale foliage looks gorgeous paired with dark green plants.
6. Sansevieria Golden Hahnii
Golden hahnii is a dwarf snake plant, growing about 6 to 12 inches tall. It features clusters of skinny, golden yellow leaves that emerge from the soil.
This low light plant adds a bright pop of color and unique texture with its upright leaves. It grows slowly and thrives in containers or dish gardens.
7. Sansevieria Black Gold
The striking sansevieria Black Gold has nearly black foliage that looks almost artificial! It has very dark green leaves so dark they appear black. New leaves emerge with a red tint before darkening.
This dramatic plant grows up to 3 feet tall in clumps of thick leaves. It’s perfect for adding intrigue and depth to indoor plant arrangements.
8. Sansevieria Black Coral
Another dark-leaved variety, sansevieria Black Coral has rich, dark green succulent leaves with faint silvery-gray bands. The wide leaves grow up to 3 feet long in a rosette shape.
This low light plant would make an excellent addition to a modern or contemporary home with its dark dramatic leaves.
9. Sansevieria Fernwood
Unlike most sansevierias, the sansevieria Fernwood cultivar has thin, fern-like leaves instead of thick, succulent leaves. The delicate leaves are deep green with light gray-green stripes.
This unique plant has an airy, delicate look but is still just as easy to care for as other snake plants. It can grow up to 3 feet tall.
10. Sansevieria Cleopatra
Sansevieria cleopatra is a dwarf snake plant that grows under 12 inches tall. It has fleshy spoon-shaped leaves marked with dark green bands on a lighter green background.
The leaves radiate outward from the center in a rosette shape. Its compact size makes it perfect for dish gardens, desks, and tabletops.
11. Sansevieria Starfish
Starfish is an intriguing spiral-leaved cultivar of sansevieria. Its leaves twist and curl into interesting corkscrew shapes. The leaves have dark and light bands in shades of green.
This uniquely shaped snake plant grows 1 to 2 feet tall and can be displayed on its own as a sculptural element or grouped with other plants.
12. Sansevieria Whitney
The sansevieria Whitney has a stiff, upright growth habit with rich golden yellow leaves striped in dark olive green. The leaves emerge in a beautiful fan pattern.
This glows when placed in bright light. Its striking colors and shape make it ideal as a focal point plant in indoor tropical gardens.
13. Sansevieria Mason’s Congo
Mason’s Congo has some of the widest leaves of any sansevieria variety. The leaves are deep green and grow up to 6 inches wide and 4 feet long, with pointed tips.
This bold plant has an architectural, contemporary look. Its huge leaves make a dramatic statement when used alone or in groups.
14. Sansevieria Moonshine Superba
Moonshine Superba is a variety of the popular Moonshine cultivar with wider, flatter leaves. The blue-gray leaves can reach up to 6 inches across but still keep the stiff, upright growth habit.
This selection of moonshine offers larger scale leaves and looks beautiful in modern plantings.
15. Sansevieria Patens
The sansevieria patens has broad, spear-shaped leaves with sharp tips. The leaves are a rich, deep green and grow in a fan shape, spreading outward as they reach for the light.
This snake plant grows up to 3 feet tall and does well in low to bright light conditions, making a great indoor plant for beginners.
16. Sansevieria Masoniana Variegata
For a snake plant with added decorative appeal, look for the masoniana variegata cultivar. It has the same wide, flat leaves as the masoniana, but with the addition of creamy white variegation.
The bold banding adds dimension and contrast and makes an intriguing conversation piece.
17. Sansevieria Night Owl
If you’re looking for a mysterious and gothic plant, try sansevieria Night Owl. It has nearly black leaves with faint gray mottling that resembles owl plumage.
This unique plant has a striking color and pattern that suits modern decor. It grows up to 3 feet tall in low light conditions.
18. Sansevieria Samurai Dwarf
One of the most compact sansevierias, samurai dwarf has a slow, low growth habit. The stiff leaves are dark green with light gray-green mottling and grow in a beautiful rosette shape.
This variety only reaches about 12 inches tall, making it an excellent tabletop or desktop plant. It’s also easy to grow in low light.
19. Sansevieria Futura Superba
Futura Superba offers a modern twist on the traditional sansevieria appearance. It has typical banded leaves in shades of green, but with a flatter, wider orientation.
The wide leaves can reach up to 8 inches across. Its architectural shape makes it perfect for modern interiors and pairing with other plants.
20. Sansevieria Moonshine Dwarf
For a petite version of the popular moonshine snake plant, try moonshine dwarf. It has the same blue-tinted gray-green leaves but only grows about 12 inches tall with a compact, clumping habit.
This small plant is ideal for desks and tabletops or combining in dish gardens. The unique colored leaves add interest and contrast.
21. Sansevieria Moonshine Star
Star is a fun cultivar of moonshine with stiff, star-shaped leaves that radiate outward in a rose pattern from the base. The leaves have a blue-green hue with light gray-green mottling.
The star pattern and color provide visual interest and dimension, creating a bold plant for modern decor schemes. It grows up to 18 inches tall.
22. Sansevieria Sayuri
Sayuri is notable for its beautiful, dark green leaves edged in white variegation. The thin white margins provide the perfect amount of contrast against the deep green center.
This variety grows in a clumping rosette shape up to about 18 inches tall and looks striking on its own or mixed with other plants.
23. Sansevieria Golden Flame
As the name suggests, sansevieria Golden Flame has brilliant golden yellow foliage. New leaves emerge in a beautiful fan shape.
This bright snake plant is a dwarf variety, only reaching about 12 inches tall at maturity. It adds a vivid pop of color as an accent piece.
24. Sansevieria Silver Blue
Silver blue is a large variety of sansevieria, reaching up to 5 feet tall. It has stiff leaves with a blue-gray hue and faint silvery cross-banding.
This imposing plant has architectural gray-blue foliage that provides the perfect background or contrasting element in indoor plant displays.
25. Sansevieria Silver Flame
For more metallic appeal, consider silver flame sansevieria. It has spear-shaped leaves with bold silver-gray variegation against a dark green background, providing a high contrast look.
Silver flame reaches 2 feet tall when mature and thrives in almost any indoor conditions, bringing a contemporary, graphic look.
26. Sansevieria Robusta
If you want a massive, tree-like snake plant, choose the sansevieria robusta. This cultivar has thick, sturdy leaves that can reach 6 feet tall or more with proper care and time.
The imposing, architectural leaves have dark green and light green horizontal bands. This giant snake plant makes a dramatic living sculpture.
27. Sansevieria Goldiana
Goldiana is an intriguing sansevieria variety with leaves made up of solid bands of color. The leaves have alternating bands of rich green, gray-green, and yellow-green stacked vertically.
The striking variegation adds visual interest and dimension to this snake plant. Goldiana reaches 3 feet tall when mature.
28. Sansevieria Winter Blue
As the name suggests, winter blue has a cool, icy blue-gray hue to its leaves. The color is especially prevalent in new growth. The leaves have very faint silver stripes.
This cold-toned variety provides a unique color palette and grows up to 3 feet tall, perfect for adding a touch of winter inside.
29. Sansevieria Cylindrica Skyline
Skyline is a cultivar of the cylinder-leaved cylindrica sansevieria. It has the same tall, thin cylindrical leaves but with the addition of bold yellow variegation.
The yellow adds dramatic contrast against the green cylinders. This variety grows up to 4 feet tall but stays compact.
30. Sansevieria Futura Robusta
If you want the giant, imposing leaves of a robusta snake plant but with modern flare, try futura robusta. It has the huge, sturdy leaves of robusta but with a flatter orientation.
The blue-green leaves can reach up to 8 inches wide. This futuristic-looking plant makes a stunning architectural statement.
31. Sansevieria Silver Blue Flame
For more cool tones, silver blue flame features icy blue-gray leaves with eye-catching flame-shaped variegation in silver-white.
The bold patterns and colors provide plenty of visual interest. Despite its decorative leaves, it remains low maintenance.
32. Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation
Bantel’s Sensation is known for its beautifully intricate patterns. The leaves are dark green with a central yellow stripe that zig-zags down the leaves in a feathered pattern.
This artful snake plant grows up to 4 feet tall, with the yellow variegation becoming more pronounced as the leaves mature. The patterns make it mesmerizing to look at.
33. Sansevieria Francisii
Unlike most sansevierias, francisii has rounded, fleshy spear-shaped leaves instead of flat, stiff leaves. The leaves are a deep green color with light gray-green mottling.
The plump leaves give this snake plant a softer, more playful look. It’s perfect if you want a snake plant with a little different leaf shape and texture.
34. Sansevieria Bally Zebra
Sansevieria Bally Zebra is a dwarf zebra plant, only reaching about 6 inches tall. It has soft, green succulent leaves with horizontal stripes in dark green.
This tiny zebra sansevieria is perfect for adding to dish gardens, desktops, and fairy gardens thanks to its compact rosette growth. The striped leaves add intrigue.
35. Sansevieria Triangularis
Also called the African spear plant, sansevieria triangularis has sharply pointed, triangular-shaped leaves. The leaves are dark green with light green mottling and grow in a striking radial pattern.
This architectural snake plant has spiky appearance makes it look almost prehistoric. It can grow up to 4 feet tall as a dramatic houseplant.
Why Choose Snake Plants?
With so many varieties to choose from, it’s easy to find a snake plant to suit your style or space. But why are these plants so popular in the first place? Here are a few reasons snake plants are worth growing indoors:
Hard to Kill
Snake plants have gained a reputation for being nearly indestructible plants. They adapt to almost any indoor condition, from bright light to very low light. They are also tolerant of low humidity, irregular watering, and occasional neglect. This makes them perfect for beginners or anyone wanting low maintenance greenery.
Help Purify Air
Snake plants are excellent at filtering toxins from indoor air, even in low light conditions. They remove pollutants like formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene from the air through their leaves. Adding some snake plants to your home can help clean the air you breathe.
Architectural Shape
With their spear-like, sword-shaped leaves, snake plants have a structural, architectural shape that makes them perfect design plants. They provide nice clean lines and height to balance out other plants with softer shapes and textures.
Variety of Sizes
You can find a sansevieria plant for any space, from tabletops to the floor. Small varieties like samurai dwarf only grow a foot tall, while giant varieties like sansevieria robusta can reach ceiling height. There are snake plants suited for tucking into dish gardens or displaying solo.
Low Light Tolerant
Snake plants can thrive for years in low light conditions inside the home. Some can even handle dark corners and artificial light. This makes them ideal for rooms without much natural light, like offices and basements.
Great Accent Plants
The striking leaves and patterns of snake plants make them excellent accent or focal point plants. They provide color, height, and visual interest. Architectural varieties like cylindrical or molded leaf shapes create unique silhouettes.
Caring for Snake Plants
One reason snake plants are so popular is they don’t require much specialized care to thrive indoors. Here are some simple tips for looking after your sansevierias:
Light
While snake plants tolerate low light, they will grow faster and produce more new leaves with ample bright, indirect light. Some direct sunlight is fine, but avoid prolonged direct sun which may scorch leaves. Ideal placement is near an east or west facing window.
Water
Allow the soil to dry out between waterings, only watering when the top few inches of soil become dry. Take care not to overwater, as they are prone to root rot if overwatered. Water less often in winter when growth slows.
Temperature & Humidity
Snake plants flourish in average home temperatures between 65-80°F and do well in low humidity environments. Avoid cold drafts below 50°F. Use a pebble tray or humidifier to boost moisture if air is very dry.
Soil
Use a well-draining potting mix, adding in sand or perlite if needed to improve drainage. Pot in containers with drainage holes using commercial cactus/succulent soil or make your own blend.
Fertilizer
Fertilize monthly in spring and summer using a balanced houseplant fertilizer diluted to half strength. Reduce or stop fertilizing over winter when growth slows.
Propagation
Take 3-4 inch cuttings from healthy leaves and root in water or soil. Plant offsets that form at the base in separate containers. Dividing overcrowded clumps will give you more plants.
Common Problems
Snake plants are quite resistant to pests and diseases if given proper care. Watch for these few potential issues:
- Root rot from overwatering
- Leaf cutter damage from spider mites
- Fungal leaf spots
- Leaf tips turning brown and crispy from low humidity
- Slow growth and small leaves from too little light
Catch problems early and adjust watering, humidity, or lighting as needed. Remove any diseased leaves promptly to prevent spreading.
Displaying Snake Plants
Here are some tips for styling your sansevierias:
- Use as striking floor plants in corners or next to furniture
- Create clusters for big visual impact
- Pair different leaf shapes and