Snake Plant is a Survivor

The awesome snake plant is loved for many reasons. It has beautiful leaves, can be large or small, can handle (with varying degrees of success) different types of light, looks good with just about any decor and is easy to take care of. When I staged homes, I often used them to add life and interest to my listings.

Years ago, one of my clients fell in love with one of my snake plants I used for staging his home. He used his puppy eyes to ask me to gift it to him. How could I resist? He happily took it to his new home.

A few months later, this same client asked me to sell and stage one of his investment properties. Of course, I used my own plants, and my client brought the snake plant I had gifted him to help in staging. I told him how great the plant looked. I also told him to not worry about watering, that I would water it along with my own plants.

My client looked at me surprised. I asked him what was wrong, and he said he thought the plant was artificial! He had never watered it these many months (had been maybe 3-4 months). I laughed out loud. I then checked the potting soil, and it was obviously dry. But the plant itself was pretty well off!

This experience taught me a lot of things about the snake plant. It really CAN go a couple months without water. And maybe it should now and then. Maybe it rests the plant. Perhaps best to not do this in the growing season, though. With the right light, I think it can deal with a fair amount of neglect now and then. Makes me love it even more and never ever want to neglect it!