Did you know that Sansevieria can flower? Now reclassified into the Dracaena genus, Snake Plants or Mother-in-Law's tongue, do in fact flower! Although it is much less common indoors, I've been fortunate enough to experience it and document it with photos. I'll take you through my experience, and also discuss why Sansevieria flowers occur and when these plants bloom.
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I have several snake plants but the only one that has flowered for me has been my Dracaena trifasciata (previously known as Sansevieria trifasciata).
HOW TO GET SANSEVIERIA FLOWERS
I can't guarantee that yours will flower too, but I will discuss my experiences and with a little luck, maybe yours can too!
In general, the only thing that can make a plant bloom is having enough light. These plants are often abused and placed in dark corners which is probably why most of them don't bloom. This is #1!
Secondly, once you can provide enough light (which includes direct sun indoors), a little bit of neglect can go a long way.
Many plants will bloom when they are mildly stressed, including allowing your potting mix to dry out completely in between watering, and keeping your plant somewhat pot-bound.
Now let me get into some timing issues and show you some photos of my own plant.
This is when I first noticed a flower stalk starting to form.
About 11 days later, this is how the plant looked. It ended up growing two flower stalks and they grew fairly rapidly.
About a week later, they continued to grow. You can see that the plant is getting some direct sun in this large, eastern exposure window. The photo below was taken at the very end of June (early summer for where I live).
About a month from when I first noticed a small flower spike forming, the first flowers opened at the base of the flower stalk.
After the first flowers started to open, they continued to open over the next two weeks or so.
Here are some other observations I made:
The flowers have a fragrance at night. I've heard some people tell me that they love the fragrance, but I found it to have a grassy scent which didn't quite appeal to me! It didn't offend me, but I wouldn't write home about it.
The flowers will also produce a sticky nectar so if yours blooms, be careful of your surrounding areas.
There has been some debate over whether Sansevieria plants (now Dracaena) are monocarpic or not. Monocarpic means that the plant will die after blooming. According to a past chairman and editor of the International Sansevieria Society (ISS), they are not monocarpic in the traditional sense. After flowering, individual growths will not grow anymore leaves.
The ISS also states that after a few years, that rosette of leaves that flowered may die off, but it will not happen immediately. Offsets will continue to be produced so the plant will keep on growing. (I've since placed the plant into a bigger pot and 3 years later, none of the leaves have died so this seems to be in line with what the ISS stated.). I'd be curious to see if that rosette eventually dies off.
I occasionally did fertilize my plant, but most of the time I took it to the sink, gave it a thorough watering with plain tap water, and placed it back by the window. Remember that fertilizer will NOT make a plant bloom. Only having enough light can do that (and sometimes in combination with mildly stressing your plant). Fertilizer will only enhance your floral show.
It's funny how sometimes people will react by saying "oh your plant must be stressed" as if wishing ill-will on my plant. Ha! Just because a plant is stressed doesn't mean it's about to die (though in some cases this can be true!)
Stress-induced flowering can be caused by a number of reasons. The reason that the plant can produce flowers when stressed is so that it can proceed to produce seeds and continue to reproduce. It's basically a last ditch effort for the species to continue surviving.
My plant was (and is) very healthy, but there were a couple stress factors. Namely, being pot bound and kept pretty dry (even though these weren't life-threatening).
To summarize, I attribute blooming to 3 factors:
Having enough light in my Eastern facing window.
The plant was quite pot bound in a shallow pot.
The potting mix dried out completed in between watering and often went 1-3 weeks in between watering. It was also fertilized pretty sparingly.
That's all folks! Have you ever had your snake plant other mother-in-law's tongue plant bloom for you? Have you observed anything different from me? Did you enjoy the fragrance?
Obsessed with snake plants? Be sure not to miss my other blog posts on these remarkable plants:
I have what I think is a snake plant that has produced one long red sword like flower (if you can call it a flower) because it is more like a sword. Have you ever seen a snake plant fitting this description?
I have it in a bright window with my orchids and fed it with my orchid food. Amazing bloom.
I have no experience growing plants and thought I'd give it a try in my new place with a western view in a very sunny city. Imagine my surprise when my Sansevieria zeylanica started blooming a month after I bought it. I could get to like this new hobby!
Mine is starting to bloom for the first time ever. I'm so pleased. She gets morning sun by a window and is neglected pretty well😝 love succulents ❤️❤️❤️ Thanks for your info
Thanks for your helpful post! We’ve had our snake plant since it was a baby in 2008. It lives in Northern Nevada at 6000 ft elevation, potted, indoors, and south facing.
It’s approximately 5’1/2” feet tall & we just noticed the shoots about a week ago. My husband wanted to pull it and even though it frightened me, I didn’t allow him to touch it! After reading your post, I’m glad I made that choice!
We still have no idea what we are doing with the plants we have but this is pretty cool! Thanks!
I have had my plant for almost 30 years. I almost killed it 10 years in by overwatering. Now I only water deeply twice a month. It enjoys being root bound and this is when it flowers. I had to transplant it 2 years ago, and it had not yet flowered again. I am waiting for it to get root bound again and bloom. While the blooms are beautiful, I don't enjoy the sticky mess they leave behind...lol.
Yes! I’ve had a whalefin flower as well as a fernwood! Both were a huge surprise. The fernwood continues to produce pup upon pup. The whalefin hasn’t produced a pup yet but still looks very healthy. I preferred the fragrance of the fernwood flower which was more honeysuckle like over the whalefin which was definitely very grassy.
It’s December 21, 2022, in southern Louisiana. My snake plant is blooming! I neglected the plant, it was in bright sun this hot summer, then under patio cover facing west. Pot bound and dry. Now, flowers. We are expecting a severe freeze tomorrow night. I will take it into my sunroom.
I have had one, maybe this one not sure, but it was in Summer. I don’t remembering any smell to blooms.
My snake plant flowers every year in spring/late spring. The species is S. parva. It is the easiest to flower. Flowers are very fragrant at night and can waft. It smells like hyacinth with a musky note. Somewhat heavy and not the light clean fragrance like Lonicera fragratissima or Daphne odora. The plant will stop growing after flowering and direct all reserves into forming new runners underground and then rosettes. The original rosette will take a few years to die.
I got a healthy division from my neighbor in January. It was her late mother's plant and was huge. The division contained two clumps with multiple shoots in each. I potted it in FoxFarm Ocean & Forest and set it next to my wire shelf racks of succulents. The rack has a four tube T5 HO light and the Sansevieria receives overflow light. The Sansevieria flowered late spring and is now re-flowering. I've never had one flower twice in the same year but I suspect it might be from a different clump. And it continues to send up new shoots. I find the flowers a bit pungent when they first open but then sweeter as they age.
Im a little confused . I was given a rooted cutting just over a year ago and i know its not pot bound, infact i was worried the pot may be a little on the large size for it .yet its got flower stalks appearng . Although the plant is in an east facing window.
I've got four snake plants, one a gift from a friend and the other a big mass that I split into three separate plants. I learned not to water them too often, so water mine the first and third Monday of the month, and they are all doing really well. Imagine my surprise the other day to find one has just sent up two flower shoots (not yet starting the blossom out). It happened overnight, it seems! I found your site by googling for info on snake plant flowers. Your tips are appreciated. Now I'm excited to see what the flowers look (and smell) like. I hope the other three plants flower too. Many thanks for the info.
How exciting Daphne! It's always a nice surprise when they bloom. I'm glad you are enjoying my content, and I hope you continue to enjoy your snake plants :-).
Accidentally my snake plant was overwatered. Killed it! So, will buy another and follow your instructions! Love plants! Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed!
I have what I think is a snake plant that has produced one long red sword like flower (if you can call it a flower) because it is more like a sword. Have you ever seen a snake plant fitting this description?
I have it in a bright window with my orchids and fed it with my orchid food. Amazing bloom.
I'd have to see a photo to be sure! I'm wondering if you have a different plant.
I have no experience growing plants and thought I'd give it a try in my new place with a western view in a very sunny city. Imagine my surprise when my Sansevieria zeylanica started blooming a month after I bought it. I could get to like this new hobby!
That's wonderful news John! 🙂
Mine is starting to bloom for the first time ever. I'm so pleased. She gets morning sun by a window and is neglected pretty well😝 love succulents ❤️❤️❤️ Thanks for your info
It's always exciting when they bloom! 🙂 Congrats!
Thanks for your helpful post! We’ve had our snake plant since it was a baby in 2008. It lives in Northern Nevada at 6000 ft elevation, potted, indoors, and south facing.
It’s approximately 5’1/2” feet tall & we just noticed the shoots about a week ago. My husband wanted to pull it and even though it frightened me, I didn’t allow him to touch it! After reading your post, I’m glad I made that choice!
We still have no idea what we are doing with the plants we have but this is pretty cool! Thanks!
Hi Marsha! Thanks for sharing your story. It sounds like a very happy plant! 🙂
Mine is in full bloom and I love the smell. I take the plant outside every summer and it blooms. At night my entire yard smells lovely.
Love it! 🙂
Thank you this was very helpful!
Glad you enjoyed my post Michele!
Is there a particular variety of SANSEVIERIA that flowers like the one in the above article?
Hi Mary, they will all flower. I'm not sure which particular plant you were referring to though.
I have had my plant for almost 30 years. I almost killed it 10 years in by overwatering. Now I only water deeply twice a month. It enjoys being root bound and this is when it flowers. I had to transplant it 2 years ago, and it had not yet flowered again. I am waiting for it to get root bound again and bloom. While the blooms are beautiful, I don't enjoy the sticky mess they leave behind...lol.
They sure do make a sticky mess! Lol
I love this plant I have more than with 7 pots.... and I am waiting its flower.....
Thank you for sharing your experience....
It's a wonderful plant indeed 🙂 Glad you enjoyed my post.
Yes! I’ve had a whalefin flower as well as a fernwood! Both were a huge surprise. The fernwood continues to produce pup upon pup. The whalefin hasn’t produced a pup yet but still looks very healthy. I preferred the fragrance of the fernwood flower which was more honeysuckle like over the whalefin which was definitely very grassy.
I don't like the grassy scent either! Whale fins grow pretty slowly so that's no surprise 🙂
It’s December 21, 2022, in southern Louisiana. My snake plant is blooming! I neglected the plant, it was in bright sun this hot summer, then under patio cover facing west. Pot bound and dry. Now, flowers. We are expecting a severe freeze tomorrow night. I will take it into my sunroom.
I have had one, maybe this one not sure, but it was in Summer. I don’t remembering any smell to blooms.
They tend to smell much more in the evening. Check it out in the evening 🙂
My snake plant flowers every year in spring/late spring. The species is S. parva. It is the easiest to flower. Flowers are very fragrant at night and can waft. It smells like hyacinth with a musky note. Somewhat heavy and not the light clean fragrance like Lonicera fragratissima or Daphne odora. The plant will stop growing after flowering and direct all reserves into forming new runners underground and then rosettes. The original rosette will take a few years to die.
I got a healthy division from my neighbor in January. It was her late mother's plant and was huge. The division contained two clumps with multiple shoots in each. I potted it in FoxFarm Ocean & Forest and set it next to my wire shelf racks of succulents. The rack has a four tube T5 HO light and the Sansevieria receives overflow light. The Sansevieria flowered late spring and is now re-flowering. I've never had one flower twice in the same year but I suspect it might be from a different clump. And it continues to send up new shoots. I find the flowers a bit pungent when they first open but then sweeter as they age.
If fruit/berries grow, are they eatable ?
I'm not sure...but I would not eat them.
Im a little confused . I was given a rooted cutting just over a year ago and i know its not pot bound, infact i was worried the pot may be a little on the large size for it .yet its got flower stalks appearng . Although the plant is in an east facing window.
Plants have a mind of their own sometimes. We just have to accept the surprises 🙂
I've got four snake plants, one a gift from a friend and the other a big mass that I split into three separate plants. I learned not to water them too often, so water mine the first and third Monday of the month, and they are all doing really well. Imagine my surprise the other day to find one has just sent up two flower shoots (not yet starting the blossom out). It happened overnight, it seems! I found your site by googling for info on snake plant flowers. Your tips are appreciated. Now I'm excited to see what the flowers look (and smell) like. I hope the other three plants flower too. Many thanks for the info.
How exciting Daphne! It's always a nice surprise when they bloom. I'm glad you are enjoying my content, and I hope you continue to enjoy your snake plants :-).