Bow hemp seemed almost forgotten for a while before it was rediscovered as an ornamental plant a few years ago. Last but not least, what makes it so special is its somewhat bizarre appearance and the special drawing of the leaves. The easy care of the succulents is also convincing. There are over 70 different Sansevieria species. We have compiled the most interesting ones in the list below.

S. bacularis

This bow hemp has leaves up to 170 cm long. They are dark green in color with light transverse bands. The leaf tips are soft. The white flowers appear in spring and are streaked with purple.

Peter A. Mansfeld, Sansevieria bacularis group pm, crop from Plantopedia, CC BY 3.0
  • warm and bright location
  • moving outdoors in the summer
  • water little
  • tolerates short periods of drought
  • not hardy
  • before the first frosts

S. burmanica

The homeland of the plants is in India. Up to 13 upright, linear-lanceolate leaves stand together in a rosette. They reach a length between 45 and 75 centimeters and are colored grass green with light bands. Up to three longitudinal stripes are present on the smooth upper side of the leaf. The leaf edge is green. It can turn white with age. Greenish-white, panicle-like inflorescences with a length of 60 to 75 centimeters appear.

Peter A. Mansfeld, Sansevieria burmanica pm 2, crop from Plantopedia, CC BY 3.0
  • sunny to partially shaded location
  • Temperature 20°C
  • not below 14 °C
  • water moderately
  • less watering in winter
  • 14-day fertilization in summer
  • Substrate: Potting soil with a high proportion of sand

S. concinna

This Sansevieria species comes from South Africa. The upright, lanceolate leaves grow from a thick rhizome and are held together in a rosette. They reach a length between 15 and 25 centimeters and are green in color with pale green transverse bands. The leaf surface is smooth and the edge is not hardened. Spike-shaped, white inflorescences appear. They can be between 15 and 30 centimeters long.

Peter A. Mansfeld, Sansevieria concinna pm, crop from Plantopedia, CC BY 3.0
  • shady location
  • Temperature all year round 20 °C
  • water moderately
  • no waterlogging
  • Let the soil dry out a bit
  • Fertilize from spring to fall
  • Substrate: slightly sandy

S. cylindrica

This Sansevieria species originally comes from South Africa. She is not found very often. The columnar, upright leaves can grow up to a meter long and 2 to 3 centimeters thick. They are green to greyish in colour. Young plants often have dark green transverse bands. With increasing age, the leaves often become somewhat furrowed. There are various cultivated forms of this bow hemp such as "Spaghetti", "Skyline" or "Patula".

  • lots of light
  • sunny location
  • outdoors in summer
  • water evenly
  • tolerates short periods of drought
  • at least 60% humidity
  • Temperature 20°C
  • Fertilize from spring to fall
  • cactus fertilizer
  • Liquid fertilizer for succulents

S. francisii

This bow hemp is originally from Kenya and grows in a trunk-like manner with leaves pointing upwards. The growth height is 30 centimeters. These are marbled in dark to light green and taper towards the end. The plants form stolons with various daughter plants. These can be used to propagate cuttings.

Juan Ignacio 1976, Sansevieria francisii - Flickr - Juan Ignacio 1976, crop from Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 2.0
  • sunny to partially shaded location
  • also tolerates blazing sun
  • pour little
  • let the soil dry out beforehand
  • no waterlogging
  • Fertilize from spring to fall
  • Temperature all year round 20 °C
  • not below 15 °C
  • Substrate: cactus soil
  • Mixture of potting soil, fine sand, clay granules
  • Propagation: Leaf cuttings, runners

S. hyacinthoides

As the name suggests, "African bow hemp" comes from Africa. There it grows in dense, small groups in the shade of the trees. The leaves can reach a length of up to 120 centimeters. They are medium green in color with dark green transverse bands, very broad and on short stalks. They stand loosely together in a wide rosette. The plant forms long rhizomes.

James St. John, Sansevieria hyacinthoides (snakeplant) (Captiva Island, Florida, USA) (26117053976), crop from Plantopedia, CC BY 2.0
  • sunny to shady location
  • at least 4 hours of sun a day
  • Temperature 20 to 30 °C
  • water moderately
  • permeable substrate

S.liberia

This Sansevieria species originally comes from the Central African Republic and West Africa. Up to six strap-shaped to lanceolate, leather-like leaves stand together on a shoot. Its growth is almost upright. They can grow 45 to 110 centimeters long and are dark green in color with pale green cross bands. The end of the leaf is slightly pointed and turns white with age. The somewhat cartilaginous leaf margin is slightly reddish brown. White flowers are loosely clustered together. The flower stem can be between 60 and 80 centimeters high.

  • prefers shady locations
  • pour little
  • no waterlogging
  • Let the soil dry out
  • Temperature 20 to 30 °C
  • Substrate: well drained, dry, somewhat granular

S. longif.webplora

His homeland is also Africa. There this bow hemp grows primarily in Angola, Namibia and the Congo. The dark green leaves are lightly mottled or irregularly banded with a smooth leaf surface. They reach a length of up to 150 centimeters and are between 3 and 9 centimeters wide. At the leaf tip there is a 3 to 6 mm long brown spine. The leaf edge is hardened and colored reddish brown to yellowish. White paniculate flowers appear.

WJ hooker Peter A. Mansfeld for the filtred image., Sansevieria longif.webplora pm, crop from Plantopedia, CC0 1.0
  • sunny to shady location
  • water moderately
  • no waterlogging
  • better let it dry out a bit
  • Temperature 20 to 30 °C
  • Substrate: sandy and well drained

S. parva

This Sansevieria species mainly grows in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. The dark green leaves with dark or lighter transverse bands are linear to lanceolate. White to pink flowers appear. The plants are quite easy to care for. They are very suitable for beginners.

Ji-Elle, Sansevieria parva-Jardin botanique de Berlin (2), crop from Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
  • lots of light
  • sunny location
  • also tolerates partial shade
  • Temperatures 20 to 30 °C
  • Substrate: slightly grainy and permeable
  • pour little

S. raffillii

This Sansevieria species is native to Kenya and Somalia. Upright, lanceolate leaves with a length of up to 150 centimeters and a smooth leaf surface grow from rhizomes that are up to five centimeters thick. Yellowish-green spots or irregular transverse bands are present on the green leaf base. The drawing can fade on older plants. The edge of the leaf is hardened and colored reddish-brown. The inflorescences are paniculate and greenish-white in color. They reach a length of 90 and 120 centimeters.

Peter A. Mansfeld, Sansevieria raffillii pm, crop from Plantopedia, CC BY 3.0
  • shady location
  • water sparingly
  • Avoid waterlogging
  • Temperature 20 to 25 °C
  • Substrate: loose, well drained, sandy

S. senegambica

Its homeland is in West Africa. Up to four leaves stand loosely together in a rosette. They grow upright, taper to a point and bend back slightly. The leaf surface is dark green in color with barely visible transverse bands. The underside is lighter, but the cross bands are clearly visible. The leaf length is 40 to 70 centimeters. The leaf edge is green. The white flowers are in panicles. They glow purple in the sun. The flower stems are 30 to 50 centimeters long.

Peter A. Mansfeld, Sansevieria senegambica pm, crop from Plantopedia, CC BY 3.0
  • prefers a shady location
  • water moderately
  • no waterlogging
  • Temperature 20°C
  • Substrate: well drained and loose

S. subspicata

This bow hemp originally comes from Mozambique. The lanceolate leaves grow erect and are slightly recurved. They are 20 to 60 centimeters long, taper to a point and are green to slightly bluish in colour. The leaf edge is green and turns white with age. The greenish-white flowers are in panicles. The inflorescences are 30 to 40 centimeters high.

Salicyna, Sansevieria subspicata 2022-12-13 6413, crop from Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
  • sunny to partially shaded location
  • pour little
  • no waterlogging
  • Temperature 20 to 25 °C
  • Substrate: slightly sandy, loose and well drained

S. trifasciata

This is probably the best-known Sansevieria species. It comes from tropical West Africa. In this country it is also known as snake plant or mother-in-law's tongue. Linear-lanceolate leaves grow from creeping rhizomes. They reach lengths of 40 to 60 centimeters and are grass green with white to light green transverse bands. The "Laurentii" variety with golden-yellow longitudinal stripes along the leaf edges is very popular. There are various cultivated forms of this species, such as the "Hahnii" with colourful, rosette-like, funnel-shaped leaves or the "Golden Flame" with golden-yellow stripes. This bow hemp grows particularly well in pots that are a little too narrow.

  • sunny to partially shaded location
  • no blazing sun
  • Temperature 20 °C, not below 14 °C
  • keep moderately moist
  • tolerates drought for a short time
  • Avoid waterlogging
  • Substrate: Potting soil with 50% loamy and sandy additives
  • Fertilize from spring to fall
  • cactus fertilizer
  • Liquid fertilizer for succulents
  • Propagation: seeds, leaf cuttings, daughter rosettes

S. zeylancia

The home of this Sansevieria species is Sri Lanka. There, the hemp grows in sandy and rocky dry areas. They have an upright habit and can reach a height of between 60 and 70 centimeters. The green-white leaves are somewhat leathery. Green, slightly wavy lines run through the leaf surface. The plants form a shallow root system. Repotting is only necessary when the roots threaten to burst the pot. Then the plant can be divided.

Yercaud-elango, Sansevieria zeylanica-plant-yercaud-salem-India, crop from Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
  • sunny to partially shaded location
  • pour little
  • Soil should be completely dry
  • Fertilize once a month
  • cactus fertilizer
  • Liquid fertilizer for succulents

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Indoor plants