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Dracaena pethera

Dracaena pethera
Photo: Ton Rulkens from Mozambique, CC BY-SA 2.0

Dracaena pethera, also called star sansevieria or snake plant, is a stemless succulent from East Africa with thick, banded, sword-like leaves that grows from rhizomes. It is grown mainly for its foliage and tolerates neglect, so the key to success is avoiding overwatering.

Family
Asparagaceae (Asparagus family)
Grows as
Succulent
Light
Bright indirect, Part shade
Water
Water thoroughly, then let the soil dry out fully before watering again; reduce watering in winter.
Soil
Fast-draining cactus or succulent mix with added grit or perlite.
Temperature
18–30 °C; protect below 10 °C
How easy
Easy
Safety
Toxic: Leaves and rhizomes contain saponins that can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea if eaten.. Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA).
Native range
Gabon to Tanzania and S. Trop. Africa
Climate
seasonally dry tropical

About

Dracaena pethera, synonym Sansevieria kirkii, also known as the star sansevieria or the snake plant, is a succulent plant native to Tanzania and the surrounding region in East Africa.

Other Dracaena plants

Suji · Tree Dracaena · Lance Dracaena · Dracaena bacularis · Lucky Bamboo · Socotra dragontree · Dracaena concinna · Canary Island Dragon Tree · Fragrant dracaena · Zebra Striped Dragon Tree · Iguanatail · Song Of India

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Dracaena pethera by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.

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