Propagating snake plants: tips for propagation by division & cuttings

The snake plant is very easy to propagate. We will show you what you need to know about propagating snake plants by cuttings or division.

The snake plant (Sansevieria) is not only a good air purifier and extremely easy to care for but is also easy to propagate. With the right knowledge, you will have a small mass production set up in no time.

The snake plant clearly belongs to those plants that can be propagated endlessly. Especially from the two popular species Sansevieria trifasciata and Sansevieria cylindrica you can never have enough. Although the plants do not grow very quickly, but all by itself tirelessly form new runners with young daughter rosettes. Also, from the leaves you can grow many small plantlets without any problems.

Propagating snake plants by cuttings

The snake plant is easy to propagate using leaf cuttings. To do this, cut one leaf just above the bottom. It is best to choose a leaf that is still small, so that the cutting is not too large. Long leaves you can also divide into several parts because the individual cuttings need to be only ten to fifteen centimetres long. Allow the interfaces to dry a little. Now you can put the leaves or parts of leaves, each about one-third in prepared substrate.

For leaf parts, make sure that you use them put into the ground the right way around. After all, they grow roots only when they allowed to continue growing in their original growth direction. For development the cuttings need a lot of time and it may even take a few months before the little plants show themselves. Place the planter in a warm place and keep it moist, but not wet.

Summary: Propagating snake plants by leaf cuttings

• Cut off small leaf just above the ground
• Cut into 10 – 15 cm long pieces of leaf
• Put leaf cuttings in substrate in the direction of growth by one third
• Place planter in a warm place and keep moist

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The disadvantage of leaf cuttings is that the young plants may deviate from the cultivated form of their mother plant. This is the case with Sansevieria trifasciata ˈLaurentiiˈ. It may happen that the plants develop back to their original form in this way, losing the yellow leaf edge in the process.

Propagating snake plants by division

When repotting, it is the ideal time to propagate snake plant quickly and easily. Cultivars can also be maintained with runners, which may be lost using cuttings. When you take your plant out of the pot, you will notice that it is usually no longer just one plant. Over time, the snake plant has formed stolons, the daughter rosettes of which you can now separate. Untangle the intertwined roots and carefully separate the plants. With a sharp and clean knife, you can cut the young plantlets near the mother plant. Now you have one or more seedlings, which you can pot separately.

How to properly care for the young snake plant, you will learn in this article.