Introduction: Bird’s nest snake plant
Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Hahnii’ also known as Bird’s nest snake plant is ornamental foliage suitable for both outdoor and indoor environments. Bird’s nest snake plant is known for its beautiful foliage of various shapes, colors, and patterns (1).
Not only its beautiful aesthetic sense makes it the best indoor plant choice but also its air purifying capacity gives an additional point for why we should have this plant. Research conducted by NASA found that snake plants were capable of absorbing carbon monoxide and lead from the atmosphere. It is also reported that sansevieria could absorb many hazardous gases from atmospheres such as chloroform, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, benzene, and xylene in a significant amount (2).
General information
- Scientific name: Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Hahnii’
- Family: Agavaceae
- Common name: Bird’s nest snake plant, Dwarf snake plant
- Nature: Herbaceous and dense, vase shape rosette
- Origin: New Orleans, Louisiana (3)
Botanical description
1. Height: 0 to 0.5 feet
2. Spread: 0.5 to 1 feet
3. Habit: Upright
4. Growth rate: Slow
5. Leaf arrangement: Basal rosette
6. Leaf: Simple, entire margin, the shape is linear, variegated leaf color.
How to take care of Bird’s nest snake plant
Light requirement
The plant is known for its tolerance to low light. Thus this plan can grow in part shade and part sun. Suitable for indoor environment. Although occasional exposure to medium to bright light is good for its growth (4).
Soil preference
Grows well in alkaline, acidic, clay, and sandy soil.
Watering
Bird’s nest snake plant is high drought tolerance. Best to keep the plant dry in indoor condition. Too much water results in root rot.
Temperature tolarance
Tolerate a wide range of temperatures but should avoid too much low temperatures. And avoid overwatering in the winter season also.
Salt tolerance
The plant due to its desert nature and high drought tolerant quality also withstand salt level (4).
How to propagate Bird’s Nest Snake plant?
The propagation is done mainly via offsets. Separate the offsets and then plant them in the same containers.
Cultivars of Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Hahnii’ (5)
1. Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Hahnii’
Short and dark green in color. The plant leaves are arranged as a vessel-shaped rosette. This plant is well known for its beautiful leave orientation but is not famous for its flowers. The leaves have a similar banding pattern just like the original species.
2. Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Golden Hahnii’
These plants are having attractive green leaves with marginal or internal yellow stripes parallel with the veins. the growth rate is relatively slow.
3. Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Silver Hahnii’
The common name is Silver bird’s nest Sansevieria. It has medium silvery gray-green leaves with indistinct transverse green bands and fine dark green margins.
Possible fungal problems of Bird’s Nest Snake plant (5)
1. Red leaf spot
Occurs on new leaves initially. mainly because of the wet foliage and eventually spreads in all the leaves of the plant. The best control is to keep the plant dry and use fungicides.
2. Southern blight
Contaminate all the leaves. White coarse mycelium grows on the leaf as a fan-like pattern. Occurs because of stem rot.
3. Soft rot
A type of bacterial problem on the lower end of the cutting. Avoiding too much water and strict sanitation is the best method to treat this disease.