Starfish snake plant (Starfish Sansevieria) Profile

Starfish snake plant is part of the Asparagaceae family, a group of plants whose best-known member is the garden asparagus. The ancient Chinese first cultivated Starfish snake plants. They believed the eight Gods bequeathed their virtues of Health, Strength, Prosperity, Longevity, Beauty, and Intelligence.

Starfish Snake Plant Picture

Starfish Snake Plant Info

Scientific name	Starfish Sansevieria
Common Name	Starfish snake plant
Brightness	Low to Bright. Prefers medium indirect light. Will tolerate low light well.
Sun Exposure	Indirect. Indirect light to dappled sun preferred.
Water	Allow potting mix to dry out completely between waterings. Think of a succulent.
Humidity	Any humidity level will work.

Ecological Habits of Starfish Snake Plant

Starfish snake plants are succulents with long fleshy, tubular leaves. The rod-like succulent leaves are a greenish-gray color with darker stripes wrapping around the cylinder leaves. The Sansevieria cylindrica species grows tube-like leaves up to 7 ft. (2 m) tall.

How to Grow and Care for Starfish Snake Plant

How to Grow Starfish Snake Plant

Sansevieria cylindrica 'boncel' will grow 'pups' from rhizome roots that can be removed by division and propagated to grow on their own. Sansevieria reproduce asexually via underground rhizomes that send up offsets. These offsets, or pups, can be separated using a clean knife or garden spade and potted into their own container. If dividing a snake plant, allow the rhizome to callous over for a few days before potting into fresh potting medium. Keep the soil lightly moist or provide a humid environment to encourage rooting.

How to Care for Starfish Snake Plant

• Light

Sansevieria 'Boncel' is an extremely tolerant and adaptable plant. It thrives in bright indirect light or dappled sun, and can even acclimate to a few hours of direct sun. Morning or evening sun is best, as intense afternoon sun can burn or bleach the leaves.

• Soil

The best soil for starfish sansevierias is a loamy potting mix with excellent drainage. To make a potting mix, combine two parts regular potting soil, one part perlite, and one part coarse horticultural sand. An ideal potting medium is a potting mix for succulent plants. The soil should be aerated so that it dries fast, and water drains quickly.

• Water

Water starfish sansevieria plants only when the soil dries out. In summer, water the succulents every week or two. During winter, water starfish sansevieria infrequently—every month or even less. Waiting for the potting mix to dry before hydrating the soil ensures you don’t overwater the drought-tolerant plant.

• Temperature and Humidity

Starfish sansevierias grow outdoors in hot, arid climates. The good news is that average room temperatures are excellent for growing spear sansevierias indoors. An ideal temperature range is 60°F to 80°F (15°C – 26°C)—as long as you protect the star-shaped succulent from temperature extremes. The minimum temperature for starfish sansevierias is 50°F (10°C). Generally, if your room is at a comfortable temperature, your sansevieria starfish will grow well.
The right care for Starfish snake plants means protecting them from fluctuations in temperature. For example, fan snake plants could suffer if they sit in drafts from open windows or air-conditioning airflow. During winter, a sansevieria starfish sitting near a hot radiator could start to wilt from the heat.
Sansevieria cylindrical starfish plants grow in USDA zones 10 and 11. If growing outdoors, make sure the temperature doesn’t drop below 50°F (10°C). If so, bring the containers indoors through the winter until the weather warms the following spring.

• Fertilizer

Starfish snake plants are not heavy feeders. The plants grow best in sandy soil without many nutrients. However, these spear sansevierias can benefit from monthly fertilization with a succulent fertilizer diluted to half-strength. Only fertilize starfish sansevieria succulents during the growing season, and don’t feed during winter.

• Pruning

Very little maintenance is required to keep these plants happy and thriving.  prefer to be root-bound and so can live in their pot for several years before repotting. As a rule of thumb, these plants should be repotted in a container that is 2”-3” wider in diameter, once every two to three years.

Uses of Starfish Snake Plant

Landscape Uses : Sansevierias can be used with equal effectiveness as an accent plant or in mass in planters or beds

Starfish Snake Plant Common Pests/Diseases

Beware of common houseplant pests, especially spider mites, mealybugs and vine weevils. Inspect the Starfish Sansevieria's leaves when watering.
Drop a tiny drop of alcohol on mealybugs to rid the plant of them. Remove spider mites by washing the leaves with a cloth and warm water or spraying organic Neem oil.
Reminder: The presence of pests probably indicates your plant is not well. Restoring starfish snake plant to health most likely will end pest and bug problems.

Starfish Snake Plant Uses

Rope and traditional uses

In Africa, the leaves of former Sansevieria species are used for fiber production; in some species, e.g. Dracaena hanningtonii, the plant's sap has antiseptic qualities, and the leaves are used for bandages in traditional first aid.

Ornamental purposes

Other former Sansevieria species are less common in cultivation. Another species is Sansevieria cylindrica, which has leaves which look quite different from D. trifasciata, but is equally tough.
In Korea, potted sansevierias are commonly presented as a gift during opening ceremonies of businesses or other auspicious events. In Barbados, sansevieria is also popularly referred to as the "money plant", with the belief that the person having it will always have money. The belief seems to be based on an association of the color (green) with the US bills.