Many varieties of Snake Plants (botanically known as *Sansevieria*) are famous for those striking, upright leaves that add a cool architectural vibe to any room. But here’s the thing: if you’re waiting for yours to hit its max height, you’re going to need some patience. These plants are definitely not in a rush to grow!
Growth Habits
When it comes to Snake Plants, you can generally group them into two different growth styles:
- Tall, upright varieties
- Low-growing, rosette-shaped varieties
Tall Varieties
The leaves on these *Sansevierias* grow straight up toward the ceiling. Depending on the specific type, they can get surprisingly tall—even as houseplants, some can reach over 5 feet! Here are a few popular tall-growers:
- Sansevieria bacularis (up to 67 inches)
- Sansevieria cylindrica (up to 40 inches)
- Sansevieria liberica (up to 40 inches; grows upright to nearly upright)
- Sansevieria longiflora (up to 60 inches tall and about 3.5 inches wide)
- Sansevieria raffillii (up to 60 inches)
- Sansevieria trifasciata (can reach 63 inches, though some dwarf cultivars stay around 12 inches)
**Low-Growing Varieties
Many of the shorter *Sansevierias* grow in a rosette pattern (where the leaves circle out from a central point). Most still maintain an upright habit, but they stay much closer to the ground. This group includes:
- Sansevieria burmanica (rosette growth, up to 30 inches tall)
- Sansevieria concinna (rosette growth, up to 10 inches tall)
- Sansevieria francisii (stem-forming, up to 18 inches tall)
- Sansevieria hyacinthoides (stemless, up to 24 inches tall)
- Sansevieria parva (stem-forming; starts upright but spreads out as it ages, up to 20 inches tall)
- Sansevieria senegambica (rosette growth, up to 28 inches tall)
- Sansevieria subspicata (stemless, upright or slightly arching, leaves up to 24 inches long)
Growth Rate
To be totally honest, Snake Plants aren’t exactly “speed demons.” In fact, for the taller varieties, it can take years—some gardeners even say decades—to reach their full potential size.
How to Encourage Growth
If you want to give your *Sansevieria* a little nudge to grow a bit faster, here are a few tricks:
- Move it to a brighter and/or warmer spot.
- Use a fertilizer every two weeks from March through September.
- Water it regularly (don’t let it sit in bone-dry soil for too long).
Just a heads-up: don’t expect a miracle overnight. But with a little extra love, you might be able to move your plant’s pace from “barely moving” to “nice and steady.”
