Snake plant
Dracaena trifasciata, succulent, evergreen
Water a snake plant when the soil has dried out completely, which indoors means every 14–28 days in summer and every 28–42 in winter. It wants plenty of light but not the hot midday sun, and starts to suffer below 10 °C (50 °F).
Updated 12 October 2026. How we write these pages
Snake plant at a glance
Water, indoors
14–28
days in summer
28–42
days in winter
When the soil has dried out completely.
Month by month
Minimum temperature
5–10 °C
It starts to suffer between 5 and 10 °C (41–50 °F).
Humidity
Fine in dry air.
Cats and dogs
Toxic to dogs and cats.
Chewing the leaves can make them ill: keep it out of their reach.
Growth
Steady. It’s a succulent.
Repotting
When roots and leaves fill the pot.
Pruning
No regular pruning needed.
Where does your plant live?
Pick its place and see what changes.
What changes
- Indoors, near the window. The light is right, as long as the hot midday sun doesn’t hit the leaves through the glass.
- Indoors, away from the window. With less light it grows more slowly and new leaves come in smaller. If you can, move the pot closer to the window.
- Outdoors, in the shade. This suits it: outdoors, bright shade is the light it likes best.
- Outdoors, in the sun. Full sun scorches its leaves, so move the pot into the shade, at least for the hottest hours.
- Indoors, summer. In July it usually needs water every 14–28 days, and only once the soil has dried out completely.
- Indoors, winter, heating on. In January it usually needs water every 28–42 days. Near a radiator the soil dries faster, but wait until it has dried out completely.
- Indoors, winter, cool room. In January it usually needs water every 28–42 days, and less often in a cool room, where the soil stays damp for a long time.
- Outdoors, summer. Outside the soil dries faster than indoors, where in July it needs water every 14–28 days, but still wait until it has dried out completely.
- Outdoors, winter. It starts to suffer below 10 °C (50 °F). Bring the pot indoors before the first cold nights.
How often to water a snake plant
Indoors, month by month. Tap a column.
In October
Every 28–42 days
Usually every 35 days. Feel the soil first, and water only when it has dried out completely.
Every month in a table
| Month | Usually | Usually between |
|---|---|---|
| January | every 35 days | 28–42 days |
| February | every 35 days | 28–42 days |
| March | every 35 days | 28–42 days |
| April | every 21 days | 14–28 days |
| May | every 21 days | 14–28 days |
| June | every 21 days | 14–28 days |
| July | every 21 days | 14–28 days |
| August | every 21 days | 14–28 days |
| September | every 21 days | 14–28 days |
| October | every 35 days | 28–42 days |
| November | every 35 days | 28–42 days |
| December | every 35 days | 28–42 days |
Typical intervals indoors in the northern hemisphere: light, the pot and the season stretch or shorten them. How to tell when to water, with a finger and the weight of the pot.
Soil, propagation and problems
Soil
A cactus and succulent mix, with sand or pumice: water should drain straight through. It likes it neutral or chalky.
Propagation
From a cutting: cut a piece of stem with at least one node and stand it in water or damp soil until it roots.
By division: when you repot it, split the plant into pieces that each have their own roots.
Common problems
The most frequent: Mealybugs · Scale insects · Thrips · Spider mites · Root rot
When you feel the soil, look under the leaves too: pests show up there first.
Snake plant: good to know
No evidence a reasonable number of houseplants cleans a home’s air. NASA’s 1989 tests used sealed chambers, not homes (snake plant included).
The snake plant has been reclassified from Sansevieria to Dracaena.
Too much water can rot snake plant roots. Rot at the base can mean too much water. Yellow leaves can signal too much water.
Snake plant: questions and answers
How often should you water a snake plant in winter?
Indoors in January, usually every 35 days (between 28 and 42), compared with every 21 in July. The longest gaps run from October to March.
How can you tell when a snake plant needs water?
Only when the soil has dried out completely, right to the bottom of the pot.
How much light does a snake plant need?
Plenty of light, without the direct midday sun, which can scorch the leaves. Indoors it does well near a bright window, and further from the window it grows more slowly.
Is a snake plant toxic to cats and dogs?
Toxic to dogs and cats. Chewing the leaves can make them ill: keep it out of their reach.
How much cold can a snake plant take?
It starts to suffer from the cold somewhere between 5 and 10 °C (41–50 °F). If it spends the summer outside, bring the pot in before nights drop below 10 °C, and in winter keep it away from cold glass and draughts.
When should you repot a snake plant?
When roots and leaves fill the pot.
Does a snake plant need pruning?
No, it doesn’t need regular pruning.
How can you tell if a snake plant is getting too much water or too little?
Too much water often shows as fleshy parts going soft and mushy. Too little shows as fleshy parts wrinkled or shrivelled.
How much humidity does a snake plant need?
Copes with dry indoor air.
What soil does a snake plant need?
A cactus and succulent mix, with sand or pumice: water should drain straight through. It likes it neutral or chalky.
How do you propagate a snake plant?
From a cutting: cut a piece of stem with at least one node and stand it in water or damp soil until it roots. By division: when you repot it, split the plant into pieces that each have their own roots.
Which pests and diseases affect a snake plant?
The most frequent are mealybugs, scale insects, thrips, spider mites and root rot. When you feel the soil, look under the leaves too: pests show up there first.
Why are my snake plant’s leaves turning yellow?
Most of the time it’s too much water. If the base of the leaves is soft as well, the roots are rotting. Let all the soil dry out before you water again, and empty the saucer after every watering.
Why are my snake plant’s leaves falling over?
In low light the leaves of tall varieties tend to flop, so move it nearer the window or support them with a cane. If the whole plant is leaning, look at the base and the roots, because it can be rot from too much water.
Does a snake plant clean the air?
Not enough to change it. NASA’s 1989 tests, which included the snake plant, were done in sealed chambers. In a real room you’d need between 10 and 1,000 plants per square metre to do what an open window does.
Is a snake plant a sansevieria or a dracaena?
It’s the same plant. Botanists have moved it from the genus Sansevieria to Dracaena, so you’ll find it under both names.
Read next
Every plant has its own rhythm. LINFA keeps track for you.
It looks at the light where your plant stands, its pot and the season, and tells you when to check it.
Coming soon to Android
