Growing Snake Plant Seeds – Complete Beginner Guide

There is nothing more rewarding than growing snake plants from seeds. Watch and nurture baby snake plants to full maturity using this simple guide.

Growing snake plants from seeds is a straightforward process similar to growing other seeds. It involves:

1. Germinating the seeds
2. Nurture the seedlings through their vulnerable initial stage
3. Maintain water and optimal conditions until well established.

Easy as pie, right?

So why don’t you hear more about people growing snake plant seeds? The process requires A LOT of patience, especially with the growth rates of snake plants. Plus, there are more time-efficient ways of expanding your snake plant collection. We’ll discuss these later.

Firstly, let’s walk through a more detailed guide on the steps involved with growing snake plant seeds.

How to Grow Snake Plant Seeds

For those who are adamant about growing snake plants from seed, here is the complete process broken down into easily digestible steps:

1. Germinate the Seeds

Many find this process the hardest part, primarily because it is hard to tell if you are on the right track with seeds that seemingly do nothing. Rest assured, your seeds are processing. It just requires self-control and patience.

Soak your seeds in some room-temperature water for an hour. This will help to soften the outer shell.

Thoroughly rinse the seeds after their soak and place them in a sealed ziplock bag with a moistened kitchen paper towel.

The trapped moisture will stimulate the germination process. To facilitate the process, keep your ziplock bag at a temperature between 65-80° Fahrenheit (18-26° Celsius). Place it under a grow light if necessary.

Within a few days, you should see roots protruding from the shell.

2. Potting your seeds

It is now time to give your seeds their first taste of soil. Use soil with good drainage but a high organic material density so enough moisture is retained to keep the seeds moist.

Space your seeds 10 inches apart or in separate pots. Create a hole with your finger half an inch deep and gently place the seed inside the newly created hole. Backfill the hole and softly pat down the soil.

Give the soil good watering with filtered or distilled water, and ensure any excess can freely exit the drainage holes.

3. Caring for your seedlings

Snake plants are hardy succulent plants, and so are the seeds. They flourish in dry, arid conditions, so the seeds can absorb water to sustain their growth.

That said, you shouldn’t neglect them; they should be watered roughly once a week.

The most significant risk is overwatering your seedlings. So it is critical to understand when you should water your seedlings.

We use the soil moisture finger test to determine when we should top up their water. Read more about the finger test HERE.

Keep your seedlings safe in temperatures between 65-80° Fahrenheit (18-26° Celsius). Freezing or scorching temperatures will stress your seedlings, which are unlikely to survive.

The same applies to lighting. Position them in a position that receives plenty of bright indirect light. But not direct sunlight.

Once the seedlings have established themselves, you will begin to see foliage emerge from the soil. This is the exciting part of growing seeds. Proof that you have successfully nurtured a snake plant from seed!

Snake Plant Seeds: The Facts

Now you know the process of growing snake plants from seeds. Let’s learn a bit more about them.

What Do Snake Plant Seeds Look Like?

Like other plants, snake seeds develop after the sansevieria flowers die off. Small round orange and red berries form in place of the flowers.

The berries eventually harden and dry into brown, round shriveled balls. Ready to fall to the ground or harvested by collectors.

How Long Does it Take to Grow a Snake Plant from Seed?

If you attempt to grow snake plants from seeds, you can expect the entire process to take between 4-6 weeks. The speed of each stage of the process will be determined by the conditions such as temperature, moisture, and light.

Why Don’t More People Grow Snake Plants from Seeds?

We don’t see snake plant seedlings very often because it is rare to see a snake plant flowering.

They do not flower annually like other plants, and the conditions must be optimal before they even consider blooming.

When you consider the infrequency of snake plant flowers and the growth rate of snake plants, it makes sense that gardeners and snake plant cultivators turn to other propagation methods.

Here are the other (quicker) ways to propagate snake plants:

• Root division through rhizome – snake plants will develop rhizomes under the soil’s surface for emergencies. When the rhizomes mature, they use the stored energy and water to build snake plant pups (baby snake plants). These pups can easily be separated from the mother plant and re-planted to create a new snake plant.
• Snake plant cuttings – a popular way to cultivate new snake plants is by cuttings. It is a relatively simple process achieved with distilled water or soil. The good thing about propagating via cuttings is you have an instant plant and don’t need to wait for it to mature (as is the case when growing from seeds).

Closing Comments – Snake Plant Seeds

Growing snake plant seeds is easy for any gardener or indoor plant enthusiast to master. Not only is it simple, but it can also be gratifying – when you can source the seeds.

Snake plants need to flower before they can produce seeds. Unfortunately, snake plants rarely flower, so sourcing seeds is not as easy as for other plants.

We recommend propagating your snake plants from existing mature plants for quicker results.