Sansevieria ‘Black Coral’

Black Coral snake plant
Black Coral has very dark green leaves with contrasting bands of grey-green. Fills pots over time. Maybe the toughest, most forgiving houseplant. Tolerates low light, drought.
height 2–3ft
width 1–3ft
tolerates Pots, Neglect
water
needs		 When soil is completely dry.
water
info		 Sansevieria are some of the toughest plants out there, as long as you let them go dry between waterings. Generally indoors this will mean watering every two to five weeks. We know a grower who swears by watering their Sansevieria “whenever the rent is due.“
hardy
to		 30F
exposure Bright Indirect
indoor
outdoor		 Indoor
drainage In Pots: Cactus Mix, Requires Perfect Drainage
fertilizing All Purpose
origin West Africa
california
native		 No
sunset
zones		 13, 22–H2

Sunset Zones Map

Indoor Exposure Guide

INDOOR EXPOSURE GUIDE

Direct Sun
Beams of light hitting the plant near a window four or more hours a day. The most intense light. If you're in a direct sun spot, you can feel the warmth of the sun on your skin.

Partial Direct
Occurs when you have a plant that is in less intense direct sunlight. This happens when a plant is in a few hours of direct morning sun, or an hour or less of direct afternoon sun. It also happens when a plant is in direct sun, but more than six feet from a window, where the light is diffused.

Bright Indirect
This is just beyond the direct beam of light (or through cracked blinds or a sheer curtain filtering direct sun). Bright indirect areas are characterized by a place where you can sit and read a novel comfortably without artificial light.

Moderate Indirect
Beyond the bright indirect light. In these areas you wouldn't turn on a light walking through the room, but if you were hanging out there you would probably have the lights on, even during the day.

Low Light
Dim spots, usually the backs of rooms or hallways where you would always turn lights on, even if just walking in to grab something.

SUNSET ZONES MAP

Growing Notes

Good drainage is critical to Sansevieria care.
The leaves of this plant last years. They will over time get dull-looking and show physical damage; when they do you can thin them out at or just below the soil surface.
These flat-leaved Sansevierias don’t like direct sunlight and will often yellow when placed in too much direct sun. The leaves will also curl in on themselves and get brown tipped edges.
Sansevieria are rhizomatous, meaning that they spread by thick horizontal shoots called rhizomes. It’s very easy to propagate your sansevieria by finding a growth point and following the fleshy rhizome back to the previous growth point. Cut it there and replant the rhizome, with roots and all. Those with aboveground rhizomes can be removed and planted once you see roots emerging from them.
This plant tolerates low light more than almost any other plant, but would prefer to grow in as bright a room as possible as long as sunbeams are not directly hitting the leaves.

Special Interest

Occasionally Sansevieria will bloom with delicate waxy flowers that have a strong pleasing scent, especially at night.

For more on this plant read the wonderful linked article below by our own Tyson Curtis.

More Info

Typically this plant is thought of as a houseplant, but it also grows well in warm frost free areas outdoors, especially where winter rainfall is light. See our Sunset zones to see if you can grow this plant.