Saturday, April 5, 2014

Sansevieria cylindrica blooms!

Sansevieria is a very popular genus of semi-succulent plants, because they are tough and can grow in relative shade without much water. They do like the sun, however, as they come from southern Africa and Arabia. If they are grown with adequate sunlight, they do indeed bloom! I grow 3 kinds of Sansies outdoors, but my favorite is S. cylindrica, often called the African Spear Plant. This one has tripled in size in one year, and now really needs to move out of its pot. But where to plant it?? It's huge!
Sansevieria cylindrica, "African Spear Plant", MR 2014
The thick, nearly cylindrical leaves grow from multiple fan shapes at the base. Here are the lovely blooms:
Sansevieria cylindrica blooms. MR 2014

Soil for Sansevieria should be porous and well-draining. Occasional supplements of cactus fertilizer help it grow and bloom. Watering should be the same as for other succulents. The soil should never be wet for long periods, but prolonged drought is not good, either. Mine get water once a week, which is the same schedule that my cacti have. They send out offshots from the soil, and the small new clumps of spears can be split off from the mother plant and put straight into the ground. They root and grow quickly. Sansies can tolerate high temperatures and sun, and some cold, but not hard freezes.

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