Last updated on August 25th, 2023 at 12:34 pm
Sansevieria Golden Hahnii, also known as the dwarf snake plant or mother-in-law’s tongue, is one of the most popular varieties of sansevieria thanks to its distinctive golden coloring and easy care requirements. This succulent plant, which can grow up to 3 feet tall, has thick, sword-shaped leaves with sharp edges that are covered in soft hairs. The stiff appearance of this unusual plant makes it ideal as an accent piece in any room of your home or office.
The dwarf snake plant is one of the hardiest varieties of sansevieria available on the market today. It also happens to be one of the most beautiful species and comes in both green and variegated varieties with yellow edges and stripes.
Sansevieria golden hahnii is an excellent low-maintenance houseplant with many benefits, including air purification and anti-bacterial properties.
Origin and distribution
Sansevieria hahnii (also known as Sansevieria golden hahnii or Sansevieria cylindrica ‘golden Hahnii’) is native to southern Africa, and it grows from Mozambique south to South Africa and east along both sides of the continent to Swaziland. It is a relative of Sansevieria trifasciata, which is commonly called snake plant or mother-in-law’s tongue.
The dwarf form of snake plant has been in cultivation for many years and was originally named after its discoverer, Karl Drude. Drude discovered the dwarf snake plant growing on rocky outcrops in Natal Province in 1894. He sent samples back to Germany where they were named Sansevieria hahnii after Friedrich Ernst Wilhelm von Hahn, director of Berlin Botanical Garden at that time.
In 1938, Hermann Wendlandt changed its name to Sansevieria cylindrica var. goldiana because he thought it looked more like a cultivar than a species, but most references today use Sansevieria hahnii for dwarf snake plant and Sansevieria cylindrica for other types of sansevierias.
Sansevieria golden hahnii propagation
Sansevieria golden hahnii plants can be propagated both from leaf cuttings and plantlets that form at the end of their runners. To propagate from leaf cuttings, use a very sharp knife to take between 4 and 6 inches of new growth tips in late spring or early summer.
Remove any foliage that is on your cutting and place it in a glass of water that has been treated with a rooting hormone. Place it in indirect sunlight for about 3 weeks and then transfer it to the soil. It should begin growing roots within a few weeks.
In order to grow more plantlets, allow your sansevieria’s runners (the horizontal stems) to grow until they reach around 2 feet long before trimming them off near their base. Place them into pots filled with potting soil or directly into the ground where they will quickly sprout new roots.
Once they have grown roots, you can transplant them into larger containers or outdoors. You may need to pinch off some of their leaves so that they don’t outgrow their container. As they get bigger, you can also prune them back as needed to maintain their size. They will continue to produce new runners as well.
Sansevieria golden hahnii care information
Sansevieria golden hahnii (dwarf snake plant) is easy to care for as long as you understand its requirements. Its average temperature should be around 70 degrees Fahrenheit and it needs a lot of indirect sunlight. It’s a good idea to rotate your Sansevieria golden hahnii every week so that it receives equal sunlight exposure from all sides. By following these simple tips, you can help keep your Sansevieria healthy and beautiful for years to come!
Light requirement
Sansevierias are a tough plant that can adapt to many different lighting situations, but when it comes to Sansevieria golden hahnii, you’ll want to place it in a spot with indirect light. Direct sunlight will dry out its fleshy leaves, causing them to shrivel and curl.
Ideally, keep your snake plant on a bookshelf or desk away from windows and doors; fluorescent light works well for such locations. Avoid placing your plant under overhead lights as they tend to cast shadows over the surface of leaves, making them appear more yellow than green.
You can also grow Sansevieria golden hahnii in lower-light rooms throughout your home, including kitchens and bathrooms where it can act as an air purifier by absorbing pollutants like formaldehyde (found in cleaning products) and xylene (found in paint).
Soil/potting mix
Proper soil or potting mix is essential for healthy Sansevieria golden hahnii plants. In most cases, it’s best to avoid purchasing pre-mixed potting soil at big box stores or nurseries; it often contains chemical additives that aren’t great for plant growth. It is best to get a bag of organic potting soil and create your own mixture using ingredients such as sand, peat moss, compost, and perlite.
Watering
Sansevieria Golden Hahnii is a drought-tolerant plant, so you don’t need to water it as much as other plants. When watering, make sure to give it some time for excess water to run out of its soil—you can tell your plant needs water if its leaves start to curl downward. Overwatering causes root rot and can kill your snake plant. If you live in an area with low humidity, place your snake plant on a tray filled with pebbles and water; this will create extra humidity around your plant.
Fertilizer
Sansevieria golden hahnii is a slow-growing plant and needs little fertilizer. In fact, feeding Sansevieria too much will cause it to grow rapidly and lose its beautiful appearance. To avoid overfeeding your snake plant, feed no more than once every two weeks in spring and summer, and once every three weeks in fall and winter. For best results, use water-soluble (slow-release) organic fertilizer.
Avoid adding too much fertilizer to your soil, it can burn your plants if you use too much. Instead, opt for slow-release fertilizers that will provide nutrients over time.
Temperature
Sansevieria golden hahnii is a tropical plant that can be grown outdoors in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 10b through 11, or indoors year-round as a houseplant. It can tolerate temperatures as low as 35 degrees Fahrenheit if kept well-watered, and it prefers temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
In fact, it’s one of few plants that thrive with minimal water. If you forget to water your snake plant for several days at a time, don’t worry, it won’t die on you! Instead, its leaves will droop until you give them some much-needed water.
Humidity
Sansevieria golden hahnii is a tropical plant that needs high humidity levels to grow properly. If you’re growing your plant indoors, it’s important to mist the leaves daily and keep a humidifier nearby to add moisture to dry indoor air. That said, don’t overwater your plant, this can lead to root rot. Water when your soil is dry 1/2 below surface level; if in doubt, wait longer than you think is necessary before watering again.
The ideal humidity range is between 50 and 80 percent. In dry climates, you can place your plant on a pebble tray filled with water to help increase humidity around it. If you’re growing Sansevieria outdoors, keep in mind that high temperatures will cause rapid transpiration, so if you live in a hot climate, make sure to keep your plant out of direct sunlight and near a source of shade.
Pruning
Sansevieria golden hahnii should be left alone for about a month until it has fully acclimated to its new home. At that point, you can begin pruning it back. You’ll want to do so before you see flowers forming in order to avoid attracting snakes into your home (i.e., they aren’t poisonous but who wants them living in their house?).
Instead of pulling off leaves, which may cause damage, use sharp scissors or pruners and snip at the soil level. If you notice any yellowing on lower leaves, it’s likely because they are getting too much sun. Simply move those plants further away from windows and other sources of light.
When to repot
Sansevieria golden hahnii do not require regular repotting and in fact, it is better to keep them in a relatively small pot. A sansevieria will live for a long time in an undersized pot but if you allow its roots to grow, you risk damaging or even killing your plant. It is a good idea to repot your sansevieria only when it has become crowded or dry. Repotting should be done during the spring or summer months.
If you have a potted sansevieria that appears healthy but does not seem to be growing, then it may need more light. Move your plant into brighter light conditions and water less frequently so that its growth rate increases.
Dormancy
During the winter months, many Sansevieria golden hahnii plants will enter dormancy. During dormancy, they may lose their leaves and stop growing until warmer weather when more light and water are provided. If your Sansevieria stops growing altogether during winter, place it in a spot where it gets enough indirect sunlight. As soon as you see new growth or signs of life from your snake plant, move it back to its normal spot.
Sansevieria golden hahnii flowers & fragrance
While not a common feature of snake plants, Sansevieria ‘Golden Hahnii’ does produce small yellow flowers on occasion. Most sources agree that they don’t last long, however, and it’s generally thought that fragrance isn’t an appealing characteristic in these plants.
Growth rate
Sansevieria golden hahnii has a moderate growth rate. It can be a challenge to keep the dwarf snake plant small enough for an indoor pot. If you’re looking for something that will stay small, I recommend Dracaena braunii or a streptocarpus plant.
Toxicity
Sansevieria golden hahnii is toxic to humans and pets. Large ingestion or chewing on leaves can cause gastrointestinal irritation. If your pet ingested a large amount of snake plant, contact your veterinarian immediately.
USDA hardiness zones
Sansevieria golden hahnii thrives best in USDA hardiness zones 10 and 11. They can also be grown indoors year-round, though they will need to be brought outside during the summer months.
If you live in a colder climate, keep your snake plant inside where it will receive plenty of indirect sunlight. In warmer climates, keep your snake plant outdoors during the summer months and bring it inside at night or when temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pests and diseases
Like most plants, snake plants are susceptible to disease and pest problems. Avoid overwatering and make sure to check your plant regularly for signs of rot or insect infestation. Remember that these succulents prefer bright, indirect light so they’re unlikely to thrive in basements or dark rooms.
Low light levels can contribute to plant illnesses like powdery mildew, which looks like a white film on your leaves and stems. If your plant is getting low light levels, move it into a brighter spot right away.
Conclusion
Sansevieria is a genus of flowering plants, also known as mother-in-law’s tongue or snake plant. It comes in many varieties. Sansevieria is native to parts of Africa and Asia, and it has become popular as an indoor houseplant due to its tolerance for neglect, availability (they are easy to find at most nurseries), and ease of care.
