Beginners Care Guide to Sansevieria Patens (with Propagation Methods)

Sansevieria Patens is a hardy, low-lying succulent that is perfect for all levels of gardening expertise. With the proper care, they can thrive in a variety of conditions.

Sansevieria Patens Quick Care Summary

Getting to Know Sansevieria Patens

To successfully grow and own a Sansevieria Patens, we find dedicating a bit of time to understanding their origins goes a long way.

It helps you appreciate their natural environment so that you can replicate the conditions in your home and allow them to thrive.

Name

Scientific Name: Sansevieria Patens ‘Variegata’

Common Name(s): Acyntha Patens, Sansevieria ‘Ed Eby’

Origin

Natively growing in the eastern regions of the African continent, the Sansevieria Patens is a unique-looking member of the snake plant family.

They grow in dry, arid conditions where rainfall is sparse and unpredictable. To combat the sporadic rain, the Sansevieria Patens (like other succulents) developed the ability to store water in its leaves. It is these properties that make them drought-resistant and tolerant of varying conditions.

Appearance and Flowers

The Sansevieria Patens is a unique-looking plant similar to the Sansevieria Cylindrica. Like the Cylindrica, they have conical-shaped leaves due to the leaf edges curling so much that they form tubes.

When grown outdoors, the foliage can reach an impressive 3 feet (91 centimeters) in length. However, if you plan to grow your Patens indoors, expect the size to be slightly smaller (around 2 feet in length).

Their colors vary from grey-green to the more common dark bottle-green we are accustomed to seeing in the snake plant family.

The Sansevieria Patens can produce flowers. However, conditions need to be optimal – even then, they may not have any blooms. Snake plants do not flower annually, so when they blossom, take plenty of pictures.

The flowers look like fireworks in suspended animation and develop on stalks that grow from the base of the snake plant. The dainty flowers can range from cream color to off-white, sometimes with a pinkish hue.

Sansevieria Patens Detailed Care Instructions

Now let’s get into the detailed care instructions for your Sansevieria Patens.

Water Requirements

Allow the soil to dry before adding more water to your Sansevieria Patens.

Although this sounds straightforward, it can be more challenging than you think.

The easiest way to determine when the soil is dry is to use a finger soil moisture test or a soil moisture meter from your nursery or online at Amazon.

The longer you care for your Patens, the easier it will be to understand their water needs. Especially since the watering frequency changes as the season’s change.

We’ve put together a guide on water frequencies in different seasons to make things easier. Check out our article HERE.

Lighting Requirements

Sansevieria Patens require plenty of bright indirect sunlight to thrive.

Indoor Patens can tolerate sunlight. However, only in short 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 Patens 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

As succulents originate from the Eastern parts of the African climates, your Sansevieria Patens will thrive in warm weather.

The recommended indoor temperature for Sansevieria Patens is between 50-90° Fahrenheit (10-32° Celsius).

We caution all snake plant owners to be careful of extreme temperatures. At freezing temperatures, water expands when frozen. This means the water reserves in the Patens leaves can freeze, causing irreparable damage to the leaf cells.

If your area is susceptible to freezing temperatures during winter, we recommend bringing your snake plants inside the house, where the temperature is at more acceptable levels.

Humidity Requirements

Keep your Sansevieria Patens in between 30 and 50% relative humidity.

Humidity isn’t spoken about much when it comes to snake plants. However, it is essential for regulating your snake plant’s internal processes, such as transpiration.

Not enough moisture in the air (low humidity) accelerates the transpiration process, quickly dehydrates your plant, and causes water stress.

At the other end of the spectrum, too much moisture in the air (high humidity) will prevent transpiration at the other extreme, and your Sansevieria Patens will suffocate.

We have written an in-depth article discussing how humidity affects snake plants.

Soil & Fertilizer Requirements

The properties of the soil you use for your Sansevieria Patens can have profound effects on the health of your houseplant.

Choosing the best soil for your Sansevieria Patens can significantly impact your plant parent experience. Quality soil will reduce the frequency of your watering, facilitate the uptake of nutrients by your snake plant, 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 Patens, 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 Patens. 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 and become an infestation.

You can read more about symptoms of pest infestation HERE.

Pot Size

Like other snake plants, Sansevieria Patens 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 Patens root system.

Sansevieria Patens Propagation Techniques

To preserve the stunning variegated patterns and colors, we recommend only propagating your Patens using the propagation method by plant division or by splitting snake plant pups.

Propagating your Patens with a cutting in water or soil risks the new plant reverting to a regular pattern on the foliage, similar to the Sansevieria Trifasciata.

To propagate by plant division, follow these steps:

1. Remove the root ball – lift the mother snake plant root ball out of its container.
2. Clean and prepare the root ball – rinse your snake plant’s roots under warm water to clear the soil away.
3. Identify the rhizome – find the rhizome attached to the baby Patens snake pup. Cut the rhizome as close to the main root ball of the mother plant as possible. You want to retain as many thin roots as possible with the rhizome.
4. Re-pot your Plants – re-pot your mother snake plant into the original pot with some fresh potting mix. At the same time, fill your propagation containers a third up with a good-quality potting mix (discussed above). Place each pup into the pot and backfill with quality potting mix until the soil level covers the white parts of the rhizome and pups. Give all your plants good watering and ensure all excess water drains out.

You can find step-by-step instructions HERE if you prefer to propagate using cuttings.