Last updated on August 5th, 2022 at 08:42 am
Sansevieria Black Gold (Snake Plant Black Gold) is an easy-to-grow plant that thrives indoors, creating an airy green carpet of leaves and looking great with minimal care and effort. It’s also sometimes called mother-in-law’s tongue, Devil’s Tongue, or Black Gold Snake Plant, and has been known to last up to 20 years with little attention or maintenance required.
Sansevieria black gold can be used as an exotic and decorative plant in your home or office space, and can even filter out toxins in the air of your home environment. Snake plant black gold is easy to grow and maintain, requiring little watering and minimal sunlight exposure to thrive.
Origin and distribution
Sansevieria black gold is a member of one of Africa’s oldest families and was named after a Belgian missionary. It is native to East Africa, where it can be found in grasslands from Ethiopia to Zambia. During years of drought and famine, however, it has migrated northward as far as Kenya and Tanzania.
The plant is also cultivated in South America and Asia. In addition to being grown as an ornamental plant, sansevieria black gold has been used for centuries by indigenous people for medicinal purposes. The Zulus use parts of its leaves to treat headaches; tribesmen in Nigeria drink tea made from its roots for fever, and bushmen chew on its leaves when they feel sick or have a toothache.
In terms of appearance, sansevieria black gold has dark green spear-shaped leaves that grow up to 6 feet long. Some cultivars have variegated leaves with yellow edges.
Sansevieria black gold propagation
Sansevieria black gold is propagated by the division of clumps. To divide a clump, carefully dig up a plant and separate it into individual stalks. Try to keep them about 4 inches apart when repotting them in new pots. Eventually, as each stalk grows, you’ll need to repot each one individually to give them plenty of room to grow.
Each stalk can be divided into 2 or 3 more plants. When re-potting, use a good potting soil that drains well and doesn’t stay soggy for long periods of time. You can also propagate snake plants from leaf cuttings; just let some leaves dry out before placing them on top of some soil in another pot.
Keep these leaves moist until they begin to sprout roots, this could take anywhere from 1-3 weeks depending on how healthy your original plant was. Once they have roots, transfer them to their own pots.
The average growth rate of Sansevieria black gold is between 12–18 inches per year under optimal conditions. However, sansevierias are known for being resilient so don’t worry if yours isn’t growing quite as fast! Just make sure you are giving it the proper care and watering it regularly throughout its life cycle.
Sansevieria black gold care information
Commonly known as snake plant or mother-in-law’s tongue, sansevieria black gold is an African genus of perennial flowering plants. Native to tropical regions of Africa and Asia, it also has been introduced to Australia and North America. Sansevieria grow up to 2 feet tall and live for many years, making them a good choice for a houseplant.
Light requirement
To thrive, Sansevieria black gold should get indirect light. A south-facing window is best if you live in a cool climate; if you live in a warmer area, consider moving your plant to an east- or west-facing window. If you don’t have a good spot for your plant outside, grow it on a bright windowsill indoors and move it out during warm months.
Soil/potting mix
When you’re ready to repot your snake plant, you’ll need very specific soil. Buy a bag of orchid mix or cactus mix from a garden supply store, but be sure to get one that doesn’t have fertilizer mixed in. Mixing fertilizer with soil is like throwing matches on a firecracker; it will burn faster and may lead to more damage than anything else.
You can also buy a premixed potting soil for succulents and cacti, which usually has fine sand at its base to help retain water. Just make sure there aren’t any fertilizers mixed in before you buy it.
Watering
Proper watering is essential for keeping Sansevieria black gold alive and healthy. There are a few different varieties of snake plants and each has its own individual watering requirements. Some need lots of water, others require less. In general, these plants don’t like to dry out between waterings, but can also easily be overwatered and die from root rot. So, you may have to experiment with your plant a bit before you find out what works best for it.
As your plant grows, water it only when it has dried out. The plant can go for a month or more without any extra water. The leaves will turn yellow and eventually brown, but they will grow back if you start watering again.
Fertilizer
If you’re going to fertilize your Sansevieria black gold, use a quarter-strength liquid fertilizer once every two weeks. It is beneficial to supplement your snake plant with an iron-rich fertilizer too. This will help promote growth and keep it healthy. Make sure that you don’t overdo it on the fertilizer though; if there are yellow or brown leaves on your plant, then you have likely given it too much of a good thing!
Temperature
Sansevieria black gold is a tropical plant, meaning it prefers warm temperatures. It can handle temperatures from 40° to 104°F, but if you plan on keeping yours in your bedroom, make sure it’s not directly exposed to sunlight. And make sure you keep it out of drafts. Sansevierias are generally easy plants to care for and tolerate small lapses in watering without dying, but they do best with regular watering, too much and they’ll start drooping.
Humidity
Sansevieria black gold likes medium-high humidity. To keep it healthy, mist your plant every once in a while. You can even set up a humidifier near it if your air is really dry and you don’t have a suitable place to keep it near a window. The best time to water Sansevieria is right before bedtime so it can stay moist overnight, as well as in the morning when you wake up.
The ideal humidity range is 40-50% for Sansevieria black gold. If you’re having trouble keeping it at a comfortable level, you can use a humidifier to help increase moisture in your home. Just be sure to keep it out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources, like radiators or air vents. You don’t want it getting too hot!
Pruning
The first step to caring for your Sansevieria black gold is pruning. This will allow more light to reach all parts of the plant, which helps you grow a healthier and more vibrant plant. Prune your snake plant by cutting off dead or dying leaves with sharp scissors.
If you have multiple plants, look at their growth pattern and cut on a diagonal so that each cutting can be shared amongst multiple plants. Be sure not to prune during its winter resting period, since it needs these colder months to recuperate.
When to repot
Repotting your snake plant at just the right time can increase its size, growth rate, and overall vigor. If you want to repot in spring, winter, or fall, just make sure you’re providing proper snake plant care before doing so.
One key sign that it’s time to give your snake plant a bigger pot is when it starts to lean out of its old one or even falls over. The plant may also start to grow more slowly than usual.
It’s important not to overwater your snake plant during repotting, but don’t let it dry out either; water heavily and then allow it to dry slightly between watering sessions until new roots have formed in its new pot. You should also fertilize after repotting, but avoid fertilizing for two weeks prior because too much fertilizer can be harmful during transplanting.
Dormancy
Snake plants are grown for their dramatic, glossy dark green leaves. They’re long-lasting plants and can live for decades. However, if overwatered or placed in hot areas, they will go into a dormant period. It’s important to know when your snake plant goes dormant so you don’t accidentally kill it while it is recovering from excess moisture or heat exposure.
Once your snake plant has finished its dormant period, it will be back to growing more beautiful than ever!
Here’s how to tell if your snake plant is ready to come out of dormancy:
Inspect any new growth. Check new growth on your Sansevieria Black Gold (snake plant black gold).
If there isn’t any new growth within two weeks of transplanting, then wait another week before checking again. New growth should appear by three weeks after transplanting.
Flowers & fragrance
The Sansevieria genus of flowering plants, sometimes referred to as snake plants, produces fragrant blooms on occasion. These blossoms typically have a vanilla scent, which also transfers over to certain varieties of Sansevieria that produce black-colored foliage.
In addition to fragrance and attractive hues, several species of snake plants are toxic to cats and dogs due to a chemical compound called saponin.
Growth rate
Sansevieria black gold grows very quickly and is considered an aggressive grower. In just a few short months, one plant can easily turn into two or three. Another sign of its quick growth rate is that if placed in low light, it will elongate taller than usual and appear leggy.
If you plan on growing sansevieria indoors, place it in as much natural sunlight as possible to avoid these issues.
Toxicity
Snake plants are considered toxic to cats and dogs if ingested. Do not grow snake plants in areas where children or pets have access to them. If you suspect that a child has ingested a snake plant, take him or her to an emergency room immediately. If your pet has ingested a snake plant, contact your veterinarian immediately for guidance. As always, it’s best to err on the side of caution when dealing with potential toxins.
USDA hardiness zones
Sansevieria black gold thrives best in USDA hardiness zones 10b through 11. While it can survive temperatures as low as 30 degrees Fahrenheit, it is not recommended for areas with extreme cold. If you live in a colder climate, you may want to consider bringing your snake plant inside during the winter months.
Be sure to place it near a sunny window or out on your porch so that it can continue to receive adequate sunlight. You may also want to invest in a grow light if your home is particularly dark during the winter months.
Pests and diseases
Sansevieria black gold is extremely resistant to most pests and diseases, including spider mites. However, bacterial leaf spot has been reported on many occasions. Bacterial leaf spot appears as small lesions with yellow halos on both sides of leaves.
Fungicides can help manage bacterial leaf spots but cleanliness also plays a big role in preventing them. Be sure to thoroughly inspect new plants for any signs of disease before bringing them into your home.
Conclusion
Sansevieria black gold is a snake plant that has dark green leaves with distinctive white lines. It also has dark green margins and pointy tips. This succulent is also known as mother-in-law’s tongue, snake plant, or Devil’s tongue because of its snake-like appearance and hardiness. It thrives in low light conditions and looks great when you display it in your living room or office desk.
