Sansevieria kirkii, also identified as star sansevieria, is a snake plant variety that is a bit harder to find. It’s a fantastic indoor houseplant, but also provides an amazing outdoor gardening experience if you’re in the right climate.
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If you’re an enthusiast of this popular species, it’s worth the effort to hunt one down and learn how to care for it.
Recommended Products:
- Espoma Organic Cactus MixEspoma Organic Cactus Plant Food
Quick Care Guide
It’s native to the East African region, especially Tanzania. The leaves are upright, sturdy, and lance-shaped with a wavy and undulating brown and yellow margin and a pointy tip. It does flower, and the scented, greenish-white blooms of star sansevieria grow in clusters on the tapering edge of the foliage.
As far as varieties go, sansevieria kirkii silver blue is the prettiest variety with the most style. It has gorgeous and thick silver blue leaves that have patterns of dark angular streaks. It is an acaulescent plant, i.e., it has no visible stems above the ground surface.
Sansevieria kirkii ‘Friends’ is another popular variety with a bit more of a bushy appearance, the leaves are very close together.
Sansevieria Kirkii Care
This sansevieria is an easy but slow grower, tolerant of a range of growing conditions. It takes a few years to mature and form offsets – identical daughter plants that grow on the body of the original, which you can then use to propagate!
Light & Temperature
This succulent grows best in moderate or slightly filtered sun. Bright, indirect light will bring out the color in the leaves. Make sure it’s not exposed to full sun as that will damage the leaves and turn them yellow. While it can survive in shade, it’s not recommended.
Make sure to place your Sansevieria kirkii plants in an average temperature environment; it will happily grow in temperatures ranging from 59 to 73°F. Your sturdy Sansevieria can also survive in temperatures as low as 50°F, but that is not the ideal temperature to expose your plants to for longer periods of time.
Make sure that you do not leave your Sansevieria kirkii in areas with temperatures below 50°F, as it cannot survive in cold atmospheres.
Water & Humidity
Allow soil to fully dry before watering again. Give it a deep and thorough watering, waiting until you see water dripping out of your container before you stop. Don’t allow standing water, and drain the saucer of any runoff.
Decrease your watering as you move into fall and winter as the plant grows slower.
Soil
A well-draining cactus mix helps this plant to thrive. If the soil is excessively soggy, it will lead to root rot. You can also mix your own soil by adding perlite, compost, and sand together in a 1:1:1 ratio.
Fertilizer
These are are low-maintenance plants that don’t require excessive additional feeding. In fact, excessive feeding will ruin the leaves of the plant! Just make sure to give your Sansevieria kirkii a weak, diluted feed of a general-purpose fertilizer once a month or after every three weeks during summer, as it puts out flowers and needs more energy during that time.
Repotting
To repot your snake plant, make sure you dry it out when you take it out of its current container. Next, use a wide, medium sized planter with drainage holes and put some free-draining soil at the bottom of your pot. Place your plant in the new pot and fill the outstanding space with more soil. Keep the soil a bit loose and water it. A pro tip is to wait until roots have entirely filled up your current pot before repotting it…it likes to be a bit root-bound!
Propagation
A fast way to propagate your snake plant is via division. Simply wait for it to outgrow its current pot, and then when you take it out to repot, keep an eye out for any root or stem offsets. If there are any, just separate them from the parent plant and plant both the offset and the mother Sansevieria kirkii in different pots.
Pruning
Use a thin knife to prune and spruce up your mature plant to make it look fresh and brand new. Simply cut the longest leaves of the plant – they usually grow on the outer sides – at the soil line. You can use those cut up leaves to propagate via leaf cuttings.
Growing Problems
The only problem you’ll run into is overwatering, which causes roots to rot, which will eventually lead to the plant’s death. Ensure that the soil is well-drained and you will not face this common houseplant care issue.
Also, try to keep your Sansevieria kirkii away from direct, bright light as that will discolor its leaves. Make sure you place it in front of a lightly curtained window so that it is exposed to bright, but filtered light.
Pests
Sansevieria kirkii are virtually pest free plants, thanks to their sturdy, thick leaves and strong base.
Diseases
Besides overwatering, there aren’t many diseases to worry about.
Q. Is sansevieria kirkii toxic?
A. This plant can be toxic if eaten, so make sure to keep it away from your kids and pets!
