Sansevieria Fernwood, usually sold as ‘Fernwood Mikado’, is a clump-forming snake plant with a look all its own. Instead of broad, flat swords, it grows clumps of narrow, upright to slightly arching, cylindrical leaves in dark green with lighter green stripes.
It’s an evergreen, herbaceous perennial in the asparagus family (Asparagaceae), a hybrid selection of snake plant and a good low-maintenance indoor plant. Get the light and water right and it asks for very little.
First, a name update. Snake plants have been moved from the genus Sansevieria into Dracaena after genetic research. Labels vary: you’ll see this plant as Dracaena ‘Fernwood Mikado’, as Dracaena bacularis ‘Fernwood Mikado’, and still as Sansevieria ‘Fernwood Mikado’. Same plant, three labels, so it helps to know all of them when you shop.
Common names include Fernwood snake plant, Mikado snake plant, snake plant and bowstring hemp. Like other snake plants, it’s sometimes called mother-in-law’s tongue.
Because it’s a hybrid selection, it isn’t a wild species. Its relatives come from the seasonally dry regions of Africa, Madagascar and southern Asia.
Sansevieria Fernwood Quick Care Tips
- Botanical name: Dracaena ‘Fernwood Mikado’ or Dracaena bacularis ‘Fernwood Mikado’; formerly Sansevieria ‘Fernwood Mikado’
- Common names: Fernwood snake plant, Mikado snake plant, snake plant, bowstring hemp
- Family: Asparagaceae
- Growability: Easy, low maintenance
- Hardiness zones: USDA zones 10 to 12
- Size: listings vary from 3 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide down to 0.1 to 0.5 metres tall and wide
- Flowering: Rarely flowers indoors
- Light: Bright, filtered or indirect light; tolerates shade; avoid afternoon sun
- Temperature: Prefers it warm; 70 to 90°F is ideal for snake plants
- Soil: Well-draining, sandy or gritty mix, such as a cactus potting mix
- Water: Water only when dry; water sparingly in winter
- Fertilizer: Light feeding in the growing season at half strength or weaker
- Pests and diseases: Mealybugs and spider mites; root rot from overwatering
- Propagation: Division of offsets, or leaf cuttings
- Safety: Mildly toxic to people and pets if eaten
Sansevieria Fernwood Care
Size and Growth
Size depends on who you ask. Missouri Botanical Garden says mature clumps reach up to 4 feet tall and spread to fill a 3-foot area, and it lists the height at 3 to 4 feet and the spread at 2 to 3 feet. The Royal Horticultural Society gives a much smaller maximum of 0.1 to 0.5 metres (about 4 to 20 inches) for both height and spread, and Penn State Extension calls it a plant for a desk or table.
Time to maturity is 2 to 5 years, so this is not a fast grower. The plant becomes dense as it matures, filling in as a clump of narrow leaves.
Flowering and Fragrance
Don’t count on flowers. Fernwood Mikado rarely flowers indoors; it is rare for sansevieria to flower when grown as a houseplant. When snake plants do bloom, they send up short spikes of small, fragrant, tubular, greenish-white flowers.
If yours surprises you with a flower spike, enjoy it. Our guide to snake plant flowers covers what to expect.
Light and Temperature
Give it bright, filtered or indirect light. Growth is best in bright filtered or indirect light, though the plant tolerates deep shade. Choose bright indoor spots, avoid afternoon sun, and keep snake plants out of direct sun, as the leaves can burn.
Snake plants tolerate low-light areas very well, which makes this one a good fit for an office or a dim corner.
Keep it warm. Snake plants grow in average home temperatures but prefer it a little warmer, with 70 to 90°F ideal. For houseplants in general, UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions says plants left below 50°F for a long period of time may suffer permanent damage, and to keep them away from hot or cold spots such as heating or cooling vents.
Outdoors, it is hardy in warm, frost-free locations in USDA zones 10 to 12. In cooler areas, grow it as a houseplant. You can place it outdoors in a shady location for the summer. Bring it back in well before nights turn cold.
Watering and Feeding
The most important rule is simple: don’t overwater. The quickest (and sometimes the only) way to kill a sansevieria is to overwater it. Water only when the soil is dry; you can neglect watering for a month or so without harm. More on how often to water snake plants.
Water regularly during the growing season but let the soil dry out completely between waterings in winter. Put another way: water moderately when the plant is growing and sparingly in winter.
Check the soil before you water instead of following a calendar. When you do water, water until it runs out of the bottom of the pot and not to let the pot stand in water. Pour onto the soil rather than into the leaves.
Forgot to water for a long stretch? Here’s what to do if you underwater a snake plant.
Go light on feeding. Frequent fertilizing is not necessary, but an all-purpose fertilizer at half or quarter strength in the spring promotes healthy growth. For a more robust plant, feed monthly during the growing season with an all-purpose fertilizer at half strength, or a half-strength balanced liquid fertilizer monthly while the plant is in growth. Skip feeding in winter.
Soil and Transplanting
Fernwood Mikado needs fast drainage. Well-draining, sandy loams work. So does a cactus potting mix or one with perlite, or 3 parts peat-free, loam-based potting compost to 1 part grit. More on choosing Sansevieria potting soil.
Use a container with drainage holes. This prevents soggy soil, and soggy soil causes problems like root rot in succulents.
Repot only when you have to. Pot on only when pot-bound; sansevieria doesn’t mind being a bit crowded in its container. Snake plants like fresh potting media every 5 years or so.
Grooming and Maintenance
There isn’t much to do. Dust the leaves occasionally and, if a leaf is damaged, cut it off at soil level.
Handle the leaf tips gently. Leaf growth may stop if leaf tips are damaged.
How To Propagate Sansevieria Mikado Fernwood
Division is the easy route. Propagate through division of offsets or leaf cuttings, or remove suckers or divide in spring; snake plants are most easily propagated by division.
To divide, separate clumps or rosettes of leaves by cutting the thick underground rhizome, making sure each section has both roots and shoots. Pot each piece in fresh, well-draining mix.
Leaf cuttings take longer. The leaf-section method is to remove a leaf, cut it into 3- to 4-inch-tall sections, and insert the bottom end (the end that was closest to the base of the plant) one to two inches deep into a moistened rooting medium. New shoots or plantlets should appear at the base of the leaf section in two months. Leaf sections root with bottom heat from spring to autumn.
One caution: most variegated forms of sansevieria do not come true-to-type from leaf section cuttings. Fernwood Mikado’s leaves are described as variegated, so if you want an exact copy of your plant, division is the surer bet.
Fernwood Sansevieria Pests or Diseases
Overwatering is the big one. overwatering often causes root rot, and root rot is a common affliction of snake plants due to overwatering.
For insects, watch for mealybugs and spider mites. These occasionally bother snake plants, though few pests and diseases bother this hardy plant.
For mealybugs on a houseplant, UC IPM (the University of California Statewide IPM Program) says a solution of 70% or less isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol in water can be dabbed directly on mealybugs with a cotton swab. Test it on a small part of the plant 1 to 2 days beforehand to make sure it doesn’t cause leaf burn. Insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils and neem oil applied directly to immature mealybugs can reduce numbers.
Is Sansevieria Fernwood Poisonous?
Yes, mildly. Sansevierias are mildly toxic to humans and pets, and the saponins they contain cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and gastrointestinal discomfort. All species of snake plant are toxic because they contain saponin toxins, and Fernwood Mikado is listed as harmful if eaten, so wear gloves when handling it.
Keep all sansevierias out of reach of children, dogs and cats, so set it on a shelf or desk they can’t get to.
Does It Clean the Air?
Snake plants are often sold as air purifiers, but the evidence doesn’t hold up for a home. Iowa State Extension quotes several studies as stating there is currently no evidence that a reasonable number of houseplants remove significant quantities of pollutants in homes and offices. A 2020 review of 12 published chamber studies, in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, found it would take 10 to 1,000 potted plants per square meter of floor space to remove airborne chemicals as fast as ordinary building air exchange already does. Grow Fernwood Mikado for its looks and easy care.
Conclusion
Sansevieria Fernwood is a striped, low-maintenance snake plant for a desk, shelf or bright corner. Give it bright, indirect light, let the soil dry before you water, keep it warm, and keep it away from curious pets. Want to compare it with its cousins? See the cylindrical African spear snake plant. For a short, fan-shaped relative, see the starfish sansevieria.
Do you grow a Fernwood Mikado? Tell us how yours is doing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Sansevieria Fernwood Mikado?
It’s a clump-forming hybrid snake plant: ‘Fernwood Mikado’ is a clump-forming hybrid selection with upright to slightly arching, cylindrical, dark green leaves striped with lighter green. Snake plants now belong to the genus Dracaena, so you may see it labeled Dracaena ‘Fernwood Mikado’ or Dracaena bacularis ‘Fernwood Mikado’.
How much light does a Fernwood snake plant need?
Bright, filtered or indirect light is best, though the plant tolerates deep shade. Avoid afternoon sun, because direct sun can burn snake plant leaves.
How often should I water Sansevieria Fernwood?
Water only when the soil is dry, not on a schedule. You can kill a snake plant by overwatering; it’s the quickest way to kill a sansevieria. Water regularly in the growing season and let the soil dry out completely between waterings in winter. Use a pot with drainage holes.
How tall does a Fernwood Mikado get?
Sources disagree. Mature clumps are listed at 3 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, while other listings give a maximum of 0.1 to 0.5 metres, about 4 to 20 inches, for height and spread. It’s also described as a plant for a desk or table, with 2 to 5 years to maturity.
Is the Fernwood snake plant toxic to cats and dogs?
Yes, mildly. Sansevierias are mildly toxic to humans and pets, and their saponins cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. All species of snake plant contain saponin toxins, and Fernwood Mikado is listed as harmful if eaten. Keep it where pets and children can’t chew the leaves.