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Dracaena trifasciata
In Singapore: Mother-in-law's Tongue, African Bowstring-Hemp, Snake Plant, Spear Plant, Bowstring-Hemp, 虎尾兰, Golden Bird's Nest, Mother-In-Law's Tongue, Variegated Snake Plant, Goldband Sansevieria, 金边虎尾兰, 黃边虎尾兰 (Grown in Singapore)
Dracaena trifasciata, the snake plant or mother-in-law's tongue, is an evergreen succulent-like perennial with stiff upright leaves from a rhizome. It thrives on very little water and tolerates low light, which is why it is a popular beginner houseplant.
Dracaena trifasciata is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to tropical West Africa from Nigeria east to the Congo. It is most commonly known as the snake plant, Saint George's sword, mother-in-law's tongue (a name it shares with Dracaena hyacinthoides), and viper's bowstring hemp, among other names. Until 2017, it was known under the synonym Sansevieria trifasciata. This plant is often kept as a houseplant due to its non-demanding maintenance; they can survive with very little water and sun.
Like other members of its genus, D. trifasciata yields bowstring hemp, a strong plant fiber once used to make bowstrings.
It is now used predominantly as an ornamental plant, outdoors in warmer climates, and indoors as a houseplant in cooler climates. It is popular as a houseplant because it is tolerant of low light levels and irregular watering; during winter, it needs only one watering every few months. It will rot easily if overwatered. It is commonly recommended to beginners interested in cultivating houseplants for its easy care.
Suji · Tree Dracaena · Lance Dracaena · Dracaena bacularis · Lucky Bamboo · Socotra dragontree · Dracaena concinna · Canary Island Dragon Tree · Fragrant dracaena · Zebra Striped Dragon Tree · Iguanatail · Dracaena pethera
[Contains information from Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Heritage Trees from data.gov.sg (National Parks Board), made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0]
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Dracaena trifasciata 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.
