Mother in Law's Tongue

FAMILY: Sansevieria (Mother in Law's Tongue) is a member of the Dracaenaceae family.

VARIETIES: There are some seventy varieties of Sansevieria and they occur mainly in the tropical and subtropical regions of the ancient world. Virtually no Sansevierias are found in the Americas and Australia. The varieties currently differentiated at the Dutch auction are S. trifasciata, S. cylindrica and Sansevieria other.

SPECIAL FEATURES: Sansevieria has many of the same characteristics as a succulent. The sword-like leaves are fleshy and the plant has thick rootstocks or rhizomes, all of which means it can retain water well, making it a low maintenance product. The plant is also well known for its air purifying properties.

TIPS FOR CARE:
- Can withstand lots of light and sun; watch out in summer for strong sunlight on glass as this can cause a huge rise in temperature.
- Sansevieria tolerates the dry heat of central heating; the ideal temperature is 15 to 25° C.
- Never expose the plant to temperatures lower than 10° C.
- The plant can flower.
- Feed and water adequately during the growing period.
- Keep cooler and drier in winter (minimum 10° C).

TOP 10 CULTIVAR: Based on VBN sales August 2008 through July 2009:
- Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Futura Superba'
- Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Laurentii'
- Sansevieria trifasciata other
- Sansevieria trifasciata zeylanica
- Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Moonshine'
- Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Hahnii'
- Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Golden Hahnii'
- Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Black Gold'

EXPLANATION OF THE NAME:
The plant was named after an 18th century Prince, Raimondo di Sangro (1710-1771) from San Severo in Italy.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATIO:
Sansevieria is in the throes of a huge comeback. Fifty years ago Sansevieria trifasciata was already a very popular houseplant. Many older people will probably remember the plant standing on the classroom windowsill. It was one of the few plants able to survive the summer holidays without care. Tough but rather boring; Sansevieria slowly vanished from the scene until, some years ago, plant breeders suddenly rediscovered this amazing plant and went to work on it. New trendy types were developed in unusual shapes and colours and, as a consequence, demand for the plant began to rise once more.

Sansevieria trifasciata


Sansevieria cylindrica Skyline

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Sansevieria is in the throes of a huge comeback. Fifty years ago Sansevieria trifasciata was already a very popular houseplant. Many older people will probably remember the plant standing on the classroom windowsill. It was one of the few plants able to survive the summer holidays without care. Tough but rather boring; Sansevieria slowly vanished from the scene until, some years ago, plant breeders suddenly rediscovered this amazing plant and went to work on it. New trendy types were developed in unusual shapes and colours and, as a consequence, demand for the plant began to rise once more.