Warm greetings to another Snake Plant, famous for its resilience and attractive appearance! The Sansevieria samurai or Sansevieria ehrenbergii is currently known as Dracaena hanningtonii. It has been given various common names like Blue Sansevieria or the Sword Sansevieria plant.
This native of Asian and African regions was named in tribute to the German naturalist Christian Ehrenberg. It has thick, dark green pointed leaves growing in oppositely paired rows in a unique zig-zag pattern. Moreover, the brownish edges of these leaves further enhance the appearance of this eye-catching plant.
In good space and care, the leaves of this perennial plant can get up to 5 feet long. In addition, the plant has a famous dwarf cultivar, know as the Sansevieria samurai Dwarf. Want to know more? Keep reading to know further about the care and requirements of the Samurai plants.
Sansevieria samurai Classification
Family: Asparagaceae.
Genus: Sansevieria (known as Dracaena after 2017)
Species: D. hanningtonii or S. ehrenbergii.
Genus Sansevieria:
This is an ancient collection of more than 70 flowering plant species along with their cultivars. The APG III classification renamed or submerged these plants into another genus called Dracaena.
These natives of Africa, Madagascar, and South Asian regions grow in a variety of forms. These forms can be dessert succulents or thin-leafed tropical plants.
The pointed leaves of these plants associate several common names with all of Sansevierias. Moreover, these names include snake plant, mother-in-law tongue plant, Devil’s tongue, and many others. The resilience of these plants makes them popular for modern indoor and outdoor plantations.
Other Names
- Blue Sansevieria
- Sansevieria Oldupai
- Sword Sansevieria
- East African Wild Sisal
Features of the Sansevieria samurai Plant
Size:
The leaves of the plant can get as large as 5 feet long with a width of about 8cm. However, this large size is only attained after the plant lives a few years in ideal condition and wide space.
Toxicity:
Carrying the legacy of the genus, Samurai to is toxic for humans and animals. Ingestion can lead to serious effects like diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting. Thus, make sure you keep these Snake Plants out of the reach of kids and pets.
Air-purification:
Sansevierias are famous for air-purifying properties. So, this one too is known to remove toxins from the surrounding air. Doesn’t it make it more preferable for indoor plantation?
Sansevieria samurai Dwarf
This is a dwarf cultivar of the Samurai plant with a similar shape but a small size of foliage. Unlike the parent plant, this compact grower remains between 10 to 15cm tall with a similar spread.
Apart from the size, the appearance and all other requirements of this cultivar are pretty similar to the parent plant.
Sansevieria samurai Care
The Samurai Sensevieria and the dwarf cultivar Sansevieria samurai Dwarf both need a medium level of care. Not beginners though, people with a little experience about the genus are good to keep these plants.
Quick Guide:
Water: Moderate (Water and let the soil dry out between watering)
Light: Bright indirect light.
Humidity: Average.
Temperature: 60 to 80 °F.
Fertilizer: Mild doses in spring and summer.
Without any ado, let us have a detailed understanding of what these plants need to flourish.
Water Requirement
The plant comes with the common low water requirements of the Snake Plants. The watering frequency depends upon the weather and temperature. Moreover, the basic principle is to drench the soil and let it dry out between consecutive waterings.
In summer, an estimated frequency of once or twice a week is usually enough to keep the plant happy. On the other hand, the dormant winter Sansevierias need to be watered no more than once or twice a month.
Snakes plants show good tolerance for drought while being strongly sensitive to overwatering. So, make sure you never overdo with watering to keep your plant safe from issues like fungus and root rot.
Light Requirement
Bright indirect light with a little direct morning sun is ideal for this chap. Besides, this fighter can survive pretty well in shades as well, making it suitable for indoor plantation.
You can place it in any well-lit indoor spot corner. While a shaded or semi-shade place like under a tree or a wall is ideal for the outdoor plantation.
The growth and water intake are highly affected by sunlight availability patterns. A plant placed in ideal light will show enhanced growth rate and flourishing foliage.
Longer hours of direct sun can scorch and even kill these Samurai leaves. So, make sure you are smartly selecting the place for your plant.
Temperature Requirements
The Samurai Sansevieria plant will be happy to stay at a moderate temperature. A temperature keeping you comfortable will simply keep your plant settled as well. An estimated ideal temperature range for this and all other Snake Plants is between 16 to 26°C.
Humidity Requirements
Average humidity is just enough for the plant. However, a humidity level of around 50% is a nice estimate for the plant to stay happy.
No need to do any effort to maintain the humidity levels except on extra dry days. Placing the pot in a pebble-water tray helps it to maintain a good amount of moisture in the air. People also mist these long leaves. However, it is not preferable unless you make sure the foliage is in a well-ventilated place. This is necessary to avoid getting soggy when it can attract fungus and pests attacks.
Soil Requirements
Just like other Snake plants, a rich and well-draining soil providing plenty of aeration is ideal for the Sansevieria ehrenbergii as well. The normal soil of the growth zone will be fine for the outdoor plantation. Moreover, you can also add perlite or peat to enhance the drainage.
Packed or pre-mixed house plant mixes are better options for indoor plantation. This helps to avoid the potential germs in pests that might be present in common soil.
Fertilizer Requirements
Measured fertilizer doses of mild concentration in warm months result in speedy growth of your plant baby. A good quality 10-10-10 liquid houseplant fertilizer is enough to give to suffice the nutritive requirements of the plant. Use it every month from the middle of the spring to the middle of the summer.
Just like the excess of every other thing, this one too is harmful. Over-fertilizing is harmful resulting in scorched or even dead foliage. So, always follow mild doses and never fertilize in fall and winter.
Pot Requirements
Grow it in any clay pot commonly used for cactus or succulent plants. Just make sure there are drainage holes at the base to avoid any standing water at the base.
Repotting Requirement
This easy chap will be happy to go without the hassles of frequent repotting. Using a clay pot will further solve the issue which will eventually crackdown on the outgrowth of the plant.
Sansevieria samurai Propagation
It would not be wrong to say that Sansevierias love to propagate. This is surely one of the reasons behind the popularity and good availability of these plants. Division of the plant is a popular method of Samurai Snake Plant propagation. Other methods include:
- Propagation by Leaf-cutting.
- Propagation by Rhizome or pups.
Season
Spring and summer are ideal for plant propagation. Try your best to complete the process before the middle of the summer to enjoy successful results.
Propagation by Plant Division:
This is the quickest method to make more well-grown plants from your Sansevieria samurai.
- Choose a well-grown plant with healthy foliage. The best time to divide a plant is during the repotting process.
- Loosen the soil around the plant base and take it out very gently.
- Now look at the rhizome and divide it by separating about 1/3rd of it. Make sure you cut gently and keep the intact roots and shoots of each part with it. Larger plants can be further divided into more parts as well.
- Now, plant each part in your desired pre-set pot. Moisten the soil mildly and plants in indirect light.
- The newly potted plants should not be soaked deeply but watered mildly. This is to help the roots get stable in the new place. After about three to four weeks, you can simply follow the care as shared in the previous section.
Propagation by Leaf cuttings:
This is another easy method to make some new Snake Plants.
- Take a sterilized knife or gardening shears to cut a leaf or two from your Sansevieria Snake Plant.
- Chop this leaf further in several pieces, each about 3 inches in size.
- Plant or place each of the pieces in a moist growing mix. Make sure the lower end of the leaf piece is kept under the soil/growing mix; otherwise the cutting will not develop at all.
- Place the setup in indirect sun and maintain the moisture by watering it mildly every week.
- In about three to four weeks these cuttings will form baby roots. This will lead to the formation of baby shoots after about one and a half months. You can plant these cuttings at the desired place.
Related Posts:
Summary
Sansevieria samurai or the Sansevieria ehrenbergii is a unique plant from the famous Sansevieria (currently known as Dracaena) genus. The dark-green thick leaves with brownish edges grow in a unique form of two opposite rows in a zig-zag form. This Asian and African native can get about 5 feet tall. However, the cute little cultivar which got quite famous lately, the Sansevieria samurai Dwarf does not get taller than a few inches.
This easy-to-care chap needs infrequent watering after the soil gets dry. Moreover, it stays happy in the bright indirect sun to dappled shade. Make sure this attractive but toxic Samurai Snake plant does not harm the kids and pets around. Ingestion and close contact should be avoided at all costs. Also, contact the emergency health department in case of an incident.
