Sansevieria Zeylanica: How To Grow and Care For Zeylanica Snake Plant

Sansevieria zeylanica goes by Ceylon bowstring hemp, or simply bowstring hemp. Ceylon is the old name for Sri Lanka, one of the two places this snake plant comes from. Its native range is southern India and Sri Lanka, where it grows as a rhizomatous plant in the seasonally dry tropics.

Like the rest of the snake plants, it has a new botanical name. It is now accepted as Dracaena zeylanica, with Sansevieria zeylanica listed as a synonym. Even after the move to Dracaena, this group of plants is still widely called sansevieria, so you will see both names on labels.

Here’s the catch with this one: the zeylanica name has been pinned on other plants. In the literature, the common snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) and Sansevieria roxburghiana have often been called Sansevieria zeylanica by mistake, and older fibre-plant literature says the true species seems to be native to, and cultivated only in, Sri Lanka. Old names such as Sansevieria zeylanica var. laurentii are still listed as synonyms of the common snake plant, Sansevieria trifasciata.

So a plant tagged “Zeylanica” may be either species. The good news: the care advice below comes from guides written for sansevierias as a group, so it fits whichever one you have.

Sansevieria Zeylanica Quick Care Tips

• Botanical name: Dracaena zeylanica (formerly Sansevieria zeylanica)
• Common names: Ceylon bowstring hemp, bowstring hemp, zeylanica snake plant
• Pronunciation: san-se-VEER-ee-uh zey-LAN-ee-kuh
• Family and origin: Asparagaceae; native to southern India and Sri Lanka
• Growability: Easy, low-maintenance houseplant
• Growth: Relatively slow-growing and long-lived
• Flowering: Rare indoors; fragrant, cream to greenish-white flowers on a long stalk
• Light: Bright, lightly shaded spot; tolerates low light; keep out of summer midday sun
• Temperature: 60 to 75°F, though 70 to 90°F is also called ideal; avoid cold drafts
• Humidity: Low humidity suits it; no misting
• Soil: Free-draining cactus mix, or potting soil amended with perlite
• Water: Only after the soil has completely dried out; barely any in winter
• Fertilizer: Optional; half or quarter strength in spring, or monthly from April to September to boost growth
• Pests and diseases: Root rot from overwatering; mealybugs, spider mites and vine weevil grubs
• Propagation: Offsets, division or leaf cuttings
• Safety: Mildly toxic to people and pets; sap can irritate skin

Care Guide For Sansevieria Zeylanica

Size and Growth

Like other sansevierias, bowstring hemp has leathery, succulent, pointed leaves that store water and make the plants drought-tolerant. Kew’s Plants of the World Online describes it as a “rhizomatous geophyte”: a plant that grows from an underground rhizome. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) describes S. zeylanica as similar to the common snake plant, but with plain, silver-green, mottled leaves.

Patience helps here. Sansevierias are long-lived but relatively slow-growing, and individual leaves usually last many years without withering or browning. If you want a big plant right away, buy a larger one to start.

Flowering and Fragrance

Don’t count on flowers. It is rare for sansevieria to flower as a houseplant, though plants given abundant light and good fertility may bloom. The flowers form along a long stalk that rises from the base of the rosette. They are cream to greenish-white and tubular, with a sticky texture and a pleasant scent, especially at night, similar to vanilla or jasmine.

When the flowers fade, snip the stalk off at the base. More on blooms in our snake plant flower guide.

Light Conditions and Temperature

This is one of the easy-going ones. S. zeylanica is among the all-green sansevierias to choose for low light. Ideally, though, sansevierias like a bright, lightly shaded position. Bright, indirect light means light bright enough to cast a shadow but not directly in the sun’s rays.

Light changes the look of the plant. Sansevierias in shade often grow taller leaves, while those in sun may stay more compact, and summer midday sun can scorch the leaves. Low light can also mute leaf coloration and patterns.

For temperature, sansevierias enjoy typical room temperatures of 60 to 75°F, kept out of cold drafts and away from radiators. Other care guides put the ideal a little warmer, at 70 to 90°F. On the cold side, houseplants left below 50°F for a long period may suffer permanent damage.

Watering and Feeding

Watering is where most snake plants get into trouble. Water only after the soil has completely dried out: the quickest (and sometimes the only) way to kill a sansevieria is to overwater it. Plants can go weeks, sometimes months, without water.

Check before you pour. Push a finger into the potting mix rather than watering on a routine. Water from above, avoiding the center of the rosette, and pour away any water that collects in the saucer or outer pot so the plant doesn’t sit in water. Frequent watering, pots without drainage holes and water left in saucers cause the wet conditions that lead to root rot.

Winter is different. Growth slows and plants draw on the water stored in their leaves, so they barely need any water unless they’re in a particularly warm spot.

Humidity is not a worry. Sansevierias like low humidity, so skip the misting and the steamy bathroom. They enjoy good air flow, just not chilly drafts.

Feeding is optional. Frequent fertilizing is not necessary, and an all-purpose fertilizer at half or quarter strength in spring promotes healthy growth. If you want to boost growth, use a liquid houseplant fertilizer or liquid cactus feed once a month from April to September.

All-purpose fertilizer option: Jack’s Classic 20-20-20 All Purpose Fertilizer

Soil Mix and Transplanting

Use a fast-draining mix: cactus mix, or potting soil amended with perlite. A free-draining cactus compost works, or a homemade mix of two parts loam-based potting compost to one part horticultural grit or fine gravel. More on mixes in our guide to succulent potting mix.

Don’t rush to repot. Sansevierias prefer a cozy pot and are generally happy in their original container for the first few years. Repot only once the roots and leaves have completely filled the pot or are making it buckle. Choose a pot with plenty of drainage holes, only slightly larger than the old one, because a much bigger pot holds extra potting mix that stays damp and encourages root rot.

One correction to a common belief: yellow leaves are not a sign that the plant needs a bigger pot. Yellowing and collapsing leaves point to root rot from wet soil. Sansevieria doesn’t mind being a bit crowded, and division helps manage plants that are excessively pot-bound.

Grooming and Maintenance

There is very little to do. Sansevierias don’t need pruning; just cut damaged leaves off at the base to tidy the plant. Wear gloves, because the sap is a skin irritant.

Taller S. trifasciata and S. zeylanica plants kept in particularly low light may have the odd leaf flop. Support those with a wire hoop or bamboo canes and string. If the whole plant is leaning rather than one leaf, check for root rot. Turning the pot a quarter turn each time you water keeps the plant from leaning toward the light.

Another all-green sansevieria recommended for low light is S. trifasciata ‘Moonshine’. See our Moonshine snake plant guide.

How To Propagate Zeylanica Snake Plant

Sansevierias are quite easy to propagate in spring (March to May), when they’re coming back into growth. Wear gloves, as the sap can irritate skin. There are three ways.

Offsets. Established plants make young rosettes around the outside of the clump. Take the plant out of its pot, pull away well-rooted offsets and pot them up on their own or several together.

Division. Split a large clump into pieces, each with one or more leaves attached to roots. Cut the thick underground rhizome so each section has both roots and shoots, then pot the new plants right away. Discard damaged or dead sections; tall divisions may need a cane until they root in.

Leaf cuttings. Here are the steps:

• Cut a mature leaf off at the base, then slice it widthways into sections. Sections of 2 inches or 3 to 4 inches both work.
• Keep track of which end of each section is the bottom; that end goes into the mix.
• Leave the sections in a dry place for a day or two so the cut surfaces callus over.
• Dip the lower end in rooting hormone and insert it into perlite or another rooting medium, or insert half of each section into damp cuttings compost or a 50:50 mix of potting compost and grit.
• Keep them warm, in bright, indirect light, with a plastic dome or bag to hold in humidity. Bottom heat of about 65°F helps.
• New roots form, followed by a small plantlet after about two months. Pot it up in regular potting soil once it is several inches tall.

Leaf cuttings work best with plants that are not variegated, because cuttings from variegated cultivars tend to revert to green. An all-green zeylanica is a good candidate.

Zeylanica Snake Plant Pests or Diseases

Sansevierias are tough. They’re almost bullet-proof, and overwatering, or leaving them standing in water, is usually the main problem, potentially leading to root rot. NC State Extension says the same about the common snake plant: overwatering may cause root rot.

A few insects can turn up: mealybugs, which hide between the leaves at the base; red spider mites, usually only in hot, dry conditions; and vine weevil grubs, which feed on the fleshy roots and can make the leaves collapse. Watch for mealybugs and spider mites in particular.

Is Sansevieria Zeylanica Poisonous?

Yes, mildly. Iowa State Extension says sansevierias are mildly toxic to humans and pets. They contain saponins, which cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach upset, and all species should be kept out of reach of children, dogs and cats.

The ASPCA lists the common snake plant as toxic to dogs and cats, with saponins as the toxic principle and nausea, vomiting and diarrhea as the signs. The sap is also a skin irritant. If you think a pet has chewed one, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.

Related: Are Sansevieria Plants Toxic To Dogs?

Can You Grow It Outdoors?

Where there is any frost, only for the summer. Sansevierias can go outdoors for the summer, once hardened off, into a sunny or lightly shaded spot, but should come back inside well before any hint of frost. The common snake plant is hardy in USDA zones 10 to 12.

If you garden in Florida, like I do, think twice before planting any snake plant in the ground. UF/IFAS rates snake plants a high invasion risk and advises keeping them in a pot indoors rather than planting them in the landscape. That assessment covers the common snake plant and does not name zeylanica. But no matter what variety of sansevieria, the runners don’t quit, and planted in soil without a barrier it will overgrow.

Sansevieria Zeylanica Uses

That “bowstring hemp” name is no accident. The PROSEA fibre plants handbook says the name comes from the long use of sansevieria fiber for bows in Africa and India. The leaf fiber is used locally for string, rope, nets, mats, hats, hammocks and coarse fabrics, and also for paper. Sansevieria first came to Florida in the 1800s as a fiber crop.

Today it is mostly grown as an easy houseplant. Pair it with other snake plants such as Sansevieria cylindrica and Sansevieria Hahnii, or with another easy-care plant like Dracaena fragrans.

What about clean air? Snake plants are often sold as air purifiers, but that idea comes from potted-plant tests in small, sealed chambers. A 2020 review of 12 of those studies in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology found it would take 10 to 1,000 plants per square meter of floor space to remove airborne chemicals as fast as the normal air exchange in a typical building already does. Grow bowstring hemp for its looks and its easy care.

Conclusion

Ceylon bowstring hemp is about as forgiving as houseplants get. Give it bright, lightly shaded light (it copes with less), water only when the soil is dry, keep it warm and out of reach of pets, and it will mostly look after itself.

Does your plant have a “Zeylanica” tag? Tell us what yours looks like in the comments.