What Are the Benefits of Snake Plants - Everything You Need to Know

Dec 16 2022 Written by Ivy

Air-purifier quality, carbon dioxide, home decor, feng shui, and other advantages are frequently attributed to snake plants. This particular plant is special because it is one of the few living things that can change carbon dioxide (CO2) into oxygen at night. Due to its ability to control healthy airflow, this characteristic makes it the perfect plant for bedroom décor.

Benefits of Snake Plants Overview What is a Snake Plant?Benefits of Snake Plants 1. Filter Indoor Air, Even at Night 2. Remove Toxic Pollutants 3. Mental Health Booster 4. Low Maintenance and Easy to Care For 5. Effective Against Allergies 6. a Little Feng Shui Can Go a Long Way 7. Relieves Minor Physical Ailments 8. Great Feng Shui Caring for a Snake Plant The Takeaway FAQs What's the Snake Plant Benefits Feng Shui What 't the Snake Plant Benefits in Bedroom What Are the Snake Plant Disadvantages

Benefits of Snake Plants Overview

Filter indoor air
Remove toxic pollutants
May help boost mental health
Easy to care for
Effective against allergies
May help enhance the "energy" of a space, according to feng shui
Can help with minor ailments
Great Feng Shui

What is a Snake Plant?

A common houseplant, the Sansevieria trifasciata is native to Its upright, sword-shaped, evergreen leaves almost resemble artificial foliage, and it is found in Asia and Africa.

Because they are visually appealing, simple to maintain, and require little water to survive, snake plants are frequently used as home décor.

Benefits of Snake Plants

1. Filter Indoor Air, Even at Night

Snake plants assist in filtering indoor air, just like other household succulents. What's unique about this particular plant is that it's one of the few plants that can convert carbon dioxide (CO₂) into oxygen at night.

Due to its ability to control healthy airflow, this characteristic makes it the perfect plant for bedroom décor.

2. Remove Toxic Pollutants

As a means of removing harmful air pollutants, snake plants are also well known. In small contributions, snake plants can absorb cancer-causing pollutants, including:

CO₂
benzene
formaldehyde
xylene
trichloroethylene
toluene

Snake plants may provide a powerful barrier against allergies brought on by airborne toxins thanks to their capacity to absorb and remove these toxins.

3. Mental Health Booster

Research from 2018 shows that the idea that plants have a positive impact is well established, even though the advantages of indoor plants on mental health still call for more scientific study.

Because of its healing properties, horticultural therapy is even used in the treatment of mental illness.

As a low-cost and low-risk way to enhance these environments, indoor plants can be added to workplaces, educational institutions, and healthcare facilities.

4. Low Maintenance and Easy to Care For

There are many reasons why snake plants are popular indoor plants. One benefit is how simple it is to maintain.

"Potted Sansevieria plants are common for all continents," explains Botanist Halina Shamshur from NatureID. "They are frequently grown on windowsills in homes, apartments, and various public buildings because they are so low maintenance."

Shamshur claims that snake plants can withstand both shade and direct sunlight, as well as underwatering, drafts, and dry air. Additionally, they rarely get infested and don't need to be replanted frequently.

5. Effective Against Allergies

Snake plants can aid in reducing the impact of airborne allergens like dust and dander by releasing oxygen and adding moisture to the air.

This is unquestionably advantageous because low indoor air quality has been associated with a number of health problems, including allergies and asthma.

6. a Little Feng Shui Can Go a Long Way

"The Chinese love the snake plant for its ability to absorb negative energy," says Shamshur. "According to feng shui, placing Sansevieria in a classroom facilitates learning."

According to Shamshur, snake plants are thought to neutralize negative energy and get rid of resentment and jealousy. She suggests putting them in a room where people frequently argue or close to radiation-emitting devices.

Even though there is no scientific support for this, there is no harm in trying.

7. Relieves Minor Physical Ailments

Shamshur mentions a number of additional advantages of snake plants that, while not supported by science, are generally acknowledged by botanists.

For instance, snake plants are said to:

Heal skin wounds and burns
Reduce inflammation
Support standard blood pressure
Help strengthen the immune system
Help flush out parasites
Relieve headaches

"You can apply the sap from the plant's leaves to wounds, burns, and inflammation," she says. "You can get rid of a headache with the aid of aromatherapy."

Shamshur reminds us that when utilizing snake plants for medical purposes, we must exercise caution.

Large amounts of saponins, which are poisonous compounds, are present in their leaves. Numerous laxative, choleretic, and diuretic medications frequently contain saponins.

8. Great Feng Shui

Snake plants are excellent examples of the inspiring yang wood element, which stands for expansion and life-giving qi. A snake plant's shape and growth are perfect examples of how the upward-moving nature of wood qi can be seen. The sword-shaped leaves also dispel bad energy, which in many cases is advantageous.

Best Feng Shui Placements

Snake plants are great for lifting qi or boosting energy because of their robust, upward-growing leaves. Additionally, they can be a warm addition to any rooms in your house that you feel have stagnant, stale energy. Injecting vivacious, uplifting wood qi, a snake plant can cut through this energy.

The feng shui bagua recommends placing a snake plant as well. The feng shui bagua is a conceptual map that is placed over a space with eight areas or directions circling a central point. Although the meaning of each section of the bagua is complex, on a fundamental level, each one is related to a certain aspect of life. You might want to put a snake plant in your home's Family, Wealth, or Fame areas. A snake plant is a great way to add more wood energy to these areas of the feng shui bagua, which are all supported by the wood element. It's always preferable to add a new plant to your space rather than moving an existing one if you're adding one to support a specific feng shui intention.

A Good Feng Shui Plant: What Makes One?

What distinguishes a plant as a feng shui plant may be on your mind. The plant variety itself is not the solution; rather, it is your intention. A feng shui plant is any healthy plant that has been added to your area for feng shui purposes. If you are aware that you don't have a green thumb, pick a plant that requires little maintenance so that you can more easily maintain its health and happiness.

Another low-maintenance plant with sharp leaves that can be used to clear negative qi is the yucca palm. Chinese palms can tolerate shadier environments than snake plants and share a similar energy. Look up your plant's light, humidity, and water requirements so you can give it the care it requires.

Choose a real plant rather than an artificial one if you're unsure of your ability to maintain a plant. Start out small, with just one plant, and get a sense of how it feels to look after another living thing. It might be simpler than you anticipated to maintain this one plant's health by giving it care and attention.

Caring for a Snake Plant

The fact that snake plants are low maintenance and require little attention to grow may be one of the most common reasons people include them in their décor. They are tough, adaptable plants that can live both indoors and outdoors in relatively dry environments.

If you plan to have a snake plant in your home, here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

Don't overwater. The weakness of this plant is an excess of water. To prevent overwatering, which can lead to rotting, put a snake plant in a pot with good drainage. When the soil is completely dry, only water it.
The best sunlight is indirect. Snake plants do best in partial sunlight, but they can also grow in dimly lit nooks or near windows. If completely shaded, the plant may lose its color and its leaves may start to droop.
How to propagate. Snake plants are not only simple to maintain, but they also proliferate quickly. Just follow these directions:
1. Make an upside-down V cut at the bottom of a healthy leaf after trimming it off close to its base.
2. Then, put the leaf in a fresh water container. Permit the water to slightly overflow the V cut.
3. You can either keep the plant in water or transplant it to soil once roots have begun to form (3 to 5 weeks).

The Takeaway

It has been demonstrated that snake plants are as beneficial as they are beautiful. They require very little upkeep and can be grown both indoors and outdoors.

Additionally, snake plants can filter the air in your home, which can help to keep you safe and healthy. For hygienic and aesthetic reasons, think about bringing a snake plant indoors.

FAQs

What's the Snake Plant Benefits Feng Shui

According to a NASA study, snake plants, also called sansevierias (Sansevieria trifasciata in botanical terms), can clean the air in your home by absorbing various toxins through their leaves. They are also, according to Feng Shui teachings, the perfect plants to attract money, prosperity, and good energy.

What 't the Snake Plant Benefits in Bedroom

Similar to other household succulents, snake plants help to filter indoor air.

What Are the Snake Plant Disadvantages

Toxic for humans and pets
Easy to overwater
Not cold hardy
Slow growing plant
lacks regular flowering.