Sansevieria Bacularis Beginners Care Guide (with Propagation Instructions)
Sansevieria Bacularis looks like a thin spikey succulent that looks more like a cactus than a snake plant. It’s a beautiful specimen that adds plenty of character to indoor plant collections.
TL;DR
Sansevieria Bacularis:
- thin cylindrical foliage with beautiful typical snake plant variegated patterns
- considered one of the larger varieties of snake plants, the Bacularis can grow up to an impressive 6 feet (although usually less when grown indoors)
- the unique look makes them a popular house plant that is easily propagated through division and cuttings
Sansevieria Bacularis Care Summary
| Description | Recommendations |
|---|---|
| Watering | Only water when soil is dry |
| Lighting | A position that receives plenty of bright indirect light |
| Temperature | 55-85° Fahrenheit (12-29° Celsius) |
| Humidity | Low–Med Humidity |
| Feeding | All-purpose houseplant fertilizer at the beginning of Spring |
| Soil | Loamy well-draining soil |
Images of Sansevieria Bacularis
Getting to Know Sansevieria Black Limon
As responsible snake plant owners, we feel it is essential to familiarize ourselves with the origins of our plants and get to know their roots (pun intended😉)
This section aims to learn about the natural conditions the Bacularis lives in, to mimic the requirements in your home.
Name
Scientific Name: Sansevieria bacularis Mikado
Common Name(s): Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, Snake plant
Origin
The Sansevieria Bacularis grows naturally on the African continent. Bacularis are generally found in parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, in hot areas that receive sporadic rainfall.
Due to the unpredictability of the water, the Sansevieria Bacularis stores water in the leaves (like other succulents). This ability enables them to survive periods of dryness and are drought tolerant.
They grow on a sandy substrate and are tolerant of varying light conditions.
Appearance
As we described earlier, the Sansevieria Bacularis has thinner foliage than other snake plants. Depending on the density of the foliage, the long leaves can grow vertically like a laser or in a fountain shape, with the outer leaves curling away from the center.
The growing pattern of Sansevieria Bacularis is so unique it can be trained into irregular shapes and designs.
Check out this video by Thera Plants creating a lantern shape from their Bacularis
The colors are varying shades of bottle green, the colors we usually associate with the Sansevieria family. However, the Sansevieria Bacularis has horizontal stripes of light green running along the foliage.
The Bacularis can produce flowers. However, like other snake plants, they only show when under ideal conditions. Snake plant flowers do not necessarily develop annually. It can be many years between each bloom, so take plenty of pictures if you are lucky enough to witness a blooming snake plant.
The Sansevieria Bacularis flowers look like little bushels of fireworks in suspended animation and develop on stalks that grow from the base of the snake plant. The flowers generally take on a cream to off-white color.
Sansevieria Bacularis Detailed Care Instructions
This section will expand on the care summary we provided earlier in the guide. We’ll look deeper into the care regiment required to get these beautiful plants flourishing at home.
Water Requirements
Sanseveria Bacularis prefers its soil to dry between each watering.
The tricky part is knowing when the soil is dry.
Using a finger soil moisture test is the budget-friendly and convenient way to tell when the soil is dry.
The accurate way to tell when the soil is dry is to use a soil moisture meter from your nursery or online at Amazon.
As you care for your Sansevieria Bacularis, you will begin to understand their water needs intimately. The watering frequency changes each season. For guidance on seasonal water frequency, check out our article HERE.
Lighting Requirements
Sansevieria Bacularis love an abundance of plenty of bright light.
Position your indoor Sansevieria Bacularis in a position that receives plenty of indirect light. Direct sunlight is tolerated, however, only in small doses. Midday and afternoon sun is too intense for indoor snake plants and will quickly dehydrate the leaves, causing leaf burn.
When grown outdoors, the Sansevieria Bacularis becomes hardened to the weather elements and has higher tolerances for direct sunlight.
Read more HERE for tips on lighting conditions for snake plants.
Temperature Requirements Sansevieria Bacularis
As succulents from Africa, your Sansevieria Bacularis will thrive in warm weather.
The recommended indoor temperature for Bacularis is between 55-85° Fahrenheit (12-29° Celsius).
We caution all snake plant owners to be careful of extreme temperatures. Water expands when frozen. This means the water reserves in the Bacularis leaves can freeze, causing irreparable damage to the leaf cells.
We recommend bringing your Bacularis (and other snake plants) indoors for the winter. It will protect them from the harsh cold temperatures and ensure they don’t experience frost damage.
Humidity Requirements
Keep your Sansevieria Bacularis in between 30 and 50% relative humidity.
Short-term fluctuations won’t bother your Bacularis. However, check the relative humidity with a hygrometer if your Sansevieria is beginning to suffer.
Humidity can be challenging to control. However, it is essential for regulating your snake plant’s internal processes, like transpiration.
Not enough moisture in the air (low humidity) accelerates the transpiration process, quickly dehydrates your plant, and causes water stress.
Too much moisture (high humidity) will prevent transpiration at the other extreme, and your Sansevieria Bacularis will suffocate.
We have written an in-depth article discussing how humidity affects snake plants.
Soil & Fertilizer Requirements
The quality of the soil you use for your Sansevieria Bacularis can profoundly affect your houseplant’s health.
Quality soil will reduce the frequency of your watering, facilitate the uptake of nutrients by your Bacularis, and reduce its susceptibility to pests and disease.
To be effective, your snake plant soil must be:
- well-draining,
- a sandy loam consistency (light and airy), and
- contain some organic materials with water absorption properties.
We have devised a recipe for the perfect snake plant potting mix. You can also watch our video on making snake plant soil below.
Pest and Diseases
If there is one disease that you should familiarise yourself with for your Sansevieria Bacularis, it is root rot.
Root rot is a fungal disease that can develop when your snake plant has been sitting in waterlogged soil from being overwatered. The process of eliminating root rot is straightforward. However, it is onerous. You can read our step-by-step guide for removing root rot in snake plants HERE.
Some leaf-borne fungal diseases, such as mildew and leaf spot, can infect your Bacularis. We explore these diseases and (more importantly) treatments HERE.
Snake plants are most susceptible to sap-sucking insects like mealybugs, spider mites, and thrips. These pests have the equipment to penetrate the tough outer layer of the foliage and access the nutrient-rich sap.
The best way to detect any signs of pests (or disease, for that matter) is to regularly inspect your potted plants and manually remove any pests you see. The key is not letting their population get out of hand, becoming an infestation.
You can read more about symptoms of pest infestation HERE.
Pot Size
Like other snake plants, Sansevieria Bacularis requires a tight root system to support its large leaves.
When placed in a container too large for their root system, they will refocus their energy on developing the roots rather than growing new leaves. While they are still growing (under the soil), they will appear to be experiencing stunted growth.
Your snake plant pot should also have adequate drainage with plenty of drainage holes. As we pointed out earlier, constantly wet soil rots your Bacularis’ root system.
Sansevieria Bacularis Propagation Techniques
For the Sansevieria Bacularis, we like to use the water propagation technique.
This is because the main attraction of this unique plant is its uniquely shaped leaves and growth patterns. Propagating cuttings with water will ensure rapid growth. Plus, you can propagate multiple cuttings at once.
To propagate by plant cutting, follow these steps:
- Identify and Cut Leaf – Choose a leaf that looks healthy and vibrant with no visible signs of pests or disease. Selecting the right leaf will give it the best opportunity for success. Cut the leaf towards the base with a sterilized pair of garden scissors (or a sharp knife). We like to use an upside-down V cut (or an arrowhead-shaped cut) for snake plants, as it will naturally prop the cutting up in your container, which will help to prevent rot from setting in. It also helps to prevent new roots from growing at unhelpful angles (usually with straight cuts).
- Air Dry Your Cutting – Allow your cutting to dry for 2-4 days in a safe place so that it doesn’t accidentally get knocked to the ground. Air drying your cutting allows the wound to form a callous, which helps to prevent any rot or disease from developing.
- Find a Container – find a tall and thin container to support your snake plant leaf cutting. We like to use glass containers like mason jars or small vases. The glass allows you to examine your cutting without disturbing it (such as lifting it out of the water to see if roots are growing).
- Begin the Rooting Process – The final step is to piece everything together. Place your cutting in the container and fill it with distilled water, so the bottom third of the cutting is submerged. It is essential to ensure the calloused wound is beneath the water line to encourage root growth.
We strongly recommend using filtered or distilled water for the propagation process. Where you live, tap water may have chemicals that inhibit the propagation process.