How Tall Do Snake Plants Get? An Ultimate Guide to Growth of Snake Plants

Adding the Snake Plant to your Gardening collection is great as it is a popular houseplant that produces sword-structured leaves. Hey folks! I am Anna Scott, a Gardener with 15 years of gardening experience am here to help you out with the problems of snake plants. 

This aesthetic plant looks appealing as it adds a delightful appearance to the location. Though it is a low-maintenance plant but requires little care to grow taller. It is important to know how tall do snake plants get before planting them. A healthy snake plant will grow about 8 feet tall (indoors) and about 12 feet tall (outdoors). The overall weight of this plant ranges from 6 inches to 3 feet depending on the height of the plant. 

Folks, what are you waiting for? I am here with the proper guide to know how tall do snake plants get. So let’s get started without wasting any time to know about them and the whole guide regarding the growth of the snake plant. Let’s move forward. 

How Tall Do Snake Plants Get? An Ultimate Guide to Growth of Snake Plants

How Tall Do Snake Plants Get? 

Snake plants are also famous by their other name: mother-in-law’s tongue or Dracaena trifasciata. It is a popular plant that produces sword-shaped leaves in the plant. It comes in various varieties, different shapes, colors, etc. Some varieties produce striped leaves, some green banded, etc.

So do you know how tall do snake plants get? These easy-to-grow plants would be great additions, especially in the Offices. As compared to the other plants, these plants are known to be slow growers. 

A healthy snake plant will grow about 8 feet tall (indoors) and about 12 feet tall (outdoors). The overall weight of this plant ranges from 6 inches to 3 feet depending on the height of the plant.

Grow snake plants anywhere in your location as they will show you the desired results by growing from 10 inches to 24 inches every year. I hope you’re clear to know how tall do snake plants get. However, it is important to keep the plants in their favorable climatic conditions to see the outcome every year. 

Common NameSnake plant, mother-in-law plant, mother-in-law’s tongue
Botanical NameDracaena trifasciata
FamilyAsparagaceae
Plant TypeEvergreen perennial is typically grown as a houseplant
Mature Size6 inches to 12 feet tall in native habitat depending on variety; typically 2 feet tall when grown as a houseplant
Sun ExposureSun to part shade
Soil TypeSandy, well-drained
Soil pHSlightly acidic to slightly alkaline
Bloom TimeSpring
Flower ColorWhite
Hardiness Zones9–11 (USDA) 
Native AreaWest Africa
ToxicityToxic to cats and dogs

Caring Tips For Optimal Snake Plant Growth

Growing the snake plant in yoru area is good but what about maintaining the caring routine of the plant? So, follow the Below are the caring tips for optimal snake plant growth. They are as follows: 

How Tall Do Snake Plants Get? An Ultimate Guide to Growth of Snake Plants

Choose a Tall Variety

  • When the plant receives proper care, then it exceeds its limit to grow at its best. 
  • Snake plants will grow about 6 feet tall or even more. 
  • If you choose the tall variety, then you can make use of growing Sansevieria Bacularis, Sansevieria Stuckyi Sansevieria Cylindrica, and Sansevieria laurentii.

Have Patience

  • Be patient with your plant, especially with the large cultivars as they will take more time to reach their maximum height.
  • On average snake plants grow about 1 to 3 inches every month when it is actively growing.
  • There will be about 2 to 4 new leaves in the plant every month. so be patient while caring for your plant to see healthier results in the future. 

Go Easy With Watering

  • What’s next? Keep a check on the watering routine, so water the plant for about every 10 to 14 days. 
  • When the soil becomes fully dry, then only water the plant. Keep watering the plant until the water flows out from the drainage holes. 
  • It will only work when the plant attains a good amount of sunlight so that the process of photosynthesis takes place. 

Note: Check the moisture of the soil by inserting a finger inside the soil 2-3 inches deep. If it feels dry, then water the plant. It will provide nutrients to the plant which helps the plant grow more tall. 

How Tall Do Snake Plants Get? An Ultimate Guide to Growth of Snake Plants

Improve their Diet

  • Fertilizer is needed by various plants to grow vigorously. But when it goes in excess, the roots get harmed. 
  • So, avoid this to see the taller snake plants. Make use of liquid fertilizer and dilute it to  1/4 to 1/6 of the recommended strength. 
  • Provide the fertilizer after every 10 to 14 days in its growing season. The best ratio of NPK is 3:1:2. 
  • Do not fertilize the plant during winter as the plant is in its dormant period. 

Keep it Root Bound

  • When the plant is in its root-bound stage, then do not worry as it shows that the plant is in its growing conditions. 
  • It will help in increasing the height of the plant at its best. It will steadily grow in the location. 
  • If you are looking to repot the plant, then gently separate the roots with the fingers to encourage new growth in the plant. 

Provide Sufficient Light

  • Snake plants are often considered Low-light growing plants as they can grow in any light conditions either low or moderate. 
  • To grow them taller, move the plant to a window where it receives filtered sunlight near the east-facing window or balcony. 
  • Do not expose the plant to the full sunlight. You can keep the plant in the morning sunlight for about 3 to 4 hours in a day. 

Temperature

  • Snake plants like to grow in the hot environment. It is suggested to keep the potted snake plants outside or on a window hedge. 
  • The temperature should not go below 50 degrees Fahrenheit as it is not good for the plant. 

Re-potting

  • Last but not least, repot the plant when it becomes overgrown and its roots are coming out from the drainage holes. 
  • However, they are slow growers, they are not demanding when it comes to the repotting needs of the plant. 
  • Usually, this plant likes to be repotted after every 4-10 years when it is overgrown. 
  • When the plant is located in bright indirect sunlight, then it will speed up the plant’s growth, so repotting will be needed every 2-6 years. 
  • The ideal time to repot the plant is in the spring season before the new growth cycle of the plant begins. 
  • During repotting, Make use of sharp and sterilized scissors and fresh potting mix. 
How Tall Do Snake Plants Get? An Ultimate Guide to Growth of Snake Plants

Why Is Your Snake Plant So Short?

Are you worrying about the short height of the snake plants? Do not worry. Snake plants are considered slow growers. They tend to grow in the spring and summertime. During this time, you will observe the plant will grow at its best. 

A few factors that play an important role in the growth of the plant is the direct sunlight and repotting. Other than these requirements of the plant, to make the plant taller, you have to be patient with the plant. Let the plant grow at its best, it will stimulate its growth. 

How Do You Encourage Your Snake Plant To Grow?

There are various ways to encourage the snake plant to grow at its best. One of the best ways is to repot the plant when the plant grows larger and its roots are coming out from the drainage holes. 

Give ample direct sunlight to encourage the snake plant to grow. When they are grown indoors, then they become slow growers as compared to the outdoor snake plants. The more sunlight the plant gets, the more it grows. 

Repotting will help in removing the overcrowding of the roots. It will help in growing roots when you repot the plants. When the roots become larger, then the plants grow more larger. 

How Tall Do Snake Plants Get? An Ultimate Guide to Growth of Snake Plants

Do Snake Plants Like Small Pots?

Snake plants will grow best in the ideal pot. The size of the pot depends on the roots of the plant. If the roots fit in the pot. When the plant is a baby plant or is small, then the small pot will be good for the plant. 

When you’re looking to grow the snake plants in yoru area, then the pot size will increase naturally by about a few inches when the roots grow longer in it. 

Do Snake Plants Like To Be Crowded?

Yes, snake plants like to be crowded but they will be able to survive when the roots are not crowded. However, they will not grow as tall as other plants with crowded roots. 

During winter, the plant’s roots will become overcrowded after the departure of spring and summer time.

Common Problems With Snake Plants

Snake plants are easy-to-grow plants that grow slowly in the area. There are various problems faced by the plants. It is important to prevent these problems, and for that, let’s throw some light on those problems so that you prevent these issues. They are as follows: 

Foul-smelling Soil

  • When the soil produces a foul smell, then it shows that the plant is facing fungal infections like root rot. 
  • So, remove the plant from its container, and check the roots to see if the roots can be saved. 
  • Then remove the brown roots from the plant and repot the plant in a new container and new potting mix. 
How Tall Do Snake Plants Get? An Ultimate Guide to Growth of Snake Plants

Yellow or Brown Leaves

  • Yellow or brown leaves show the plant is unhealthy because of pests, root rot, overwatering, etc. 
  • To avoid such conditions, maintain a good watering schedule and water the plant only if the soil becomes fully dry

Curling Leaves

  • Curling leaves are one of the problems faced by snake plants. Thrips tend to cause issues in the plant. 
  • These pests need to be removed away from the plant. So, remove all the affected elaevs from the plant. 
  • You can make use of neem oil to keep these pests away from the plant. 

Leaves Falling Over or Drooping

  • Last but not least, if the plant is healthy, then the leaves will grow upwards when the snake plant is healthy. 
  • When the water is in excess, lack of sunlight, poor soil mix, etc, then it causes droopy leaves in the plant. 
  • Move the plant to a bright location, reduce the water level, and replace the soil mix. 

Summing up the context 

In this guide, you come to know that A healthy snake plant will grow about 8 feet tall (indoors) and about 12 feet tall (outdoors). The overall weight of this plant ranges from 6 inches to 3 feet depending on the height of the plant. A healthy snake plant will grow about 8 feet tall (indoors) and about 12 feet tall (outdoors). The overall weight of this plant ranges from 6 inches to 3 feet depending on the height of the plant. 

Grow snake plants anywhere in your location as they will show you the desired results by growing from 10 inches to 24 inches every year. I hope you’re clear to know how tall do snake plants get. However, it is important to keep the plants in their favorable climatic conditions to see the outcome every year. I hope you are clear with the guide. Read the whole guide properly for its good understanding. I will come back with another informative guide soon. 

Thanks for reading! Happy Gardening! 

FAQs

How tall do indoor snake plants grow?

Snake plants are slow growers that will attain a height of 5 feet when it is grown indoors. They will grow taller occasionally. If the plant receives good climatic conditions for its growth, then the plant becomes taller. 

Do snake plants ever stop growing?

Yes, these plants will stop growing in the winter. At that time, the plant does not need any waiting to survive. Its leaves will become 2-3 inches bigger every month. 

Can a snake plant get too tall?

Yes, a snake plant will grow taller about 4 feet long as an indoor plant. For that, the plant needs to be repotted after every few years. This plant will need good soil mix and drainage soil for its good growth. 

Anna Scott

Anna Scott loves gardening and has been doing it for a long time. She wants to help new gardeners learn from her experience. Through her writing, she shares tips and advice on how to make gardens beautiful. Anna hopes her words will inspire new gardeners to succeed.

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