The snake plant is one of the most resilient plants, it can survive both inside and outdoors. It also needs very little attention, which is great for those who are not gardeners. The snake plant benefits are not only in the caring of the plant, but it has known health benefits.
Table of Contents
Snake Plant Benefits
Snake Plant Air Purifier
The main benefit of the snake plant is its air purifying qualities. Don’t take my word for it, NASA have written a paper on it, which I have highlighted segments from below.
Nasa wrote a research paper on Interior Landscape Plants for Indoor Air Pollution Abatement in 1989 which showed the following:
| Chemicals found in Air | Total Plant Leaf Surface Area | Total Micrograms Removed by Snake Plant |
|---|---|---|
| TCE | 3,474 | 9,727 |
| Benzene | 2,871 | 28,710 |
| Formaldehyde | 2,871 | 31,294 |
If you aren’t aware of what these chemicals are, don’t worry, I didn’t either. These are chemicals that are found in the air of homes in America and trust me if you can get rid of them as much as you can you will want to. On average the amount of each of these in our homes is:
Benzene and TCE- typically around 5 micrograms per cubic meter (mcg/m3) in the indoor air of homes
Formaldehyde – the average air concentration in homes is typically 41.4 μg/m3 (range 8.1–77.8 μg/m3)
They are all known to be carcinogenic to humans, and although the amount in the air at your home is not enough to do too much damage. It is certainly best to try and limit the amount you breathe in.
The good news is the Snake Plant is air purifying. As the table above shows the Snake Plant removes all three of these from the air we breathe.
Snake Plant Benefits in Bedroom
The reason the snake plant, sansevieria is so good in the bedroom is it is one of the only plants that can convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into oxygen at night. This definitely will improve the quality of your sleep by helping your nerves relax.
Snake Plants absorb Carbon Monoxide
As the snake plant can clean the air inside a house better than most other plants, it has the capability of absorbing harmful carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is a real killer, on average 430 people in the US die from this deadly gas every year, and over 50k are hospitalized. So although snake plants absorb some carbon monoxide, they are absolutely no substitute for a carbon monoxide detector.
Effective against Allergies
As the snake plant can absorb toxic gases as mentioned above, it can absorb some airborne allergens too.
Snake Plants Feng Shui
Once considered a bad plant for feng shui, the opposite is actually true. The snake plant has strong protective energies and will shield you against negative Chi. The best place to put snake plants for feng shui would be in the southern, southeastern or eastern corners
Low Maintenance
The snake plant is one of the easiest house plants to have. If you go on holiday for a couple of weeks, no problem. If you completely forget to water them for a month, no problem. It is best practice though to let the soil dry completely before watering it, as they can suffer from root rot.
Not only are they very easy to look after, they can tolerate pretty much any light source. They can handle full sun and low light, however, they prefer indirect sunlight.
The snake plant can handle temperatures of 55℉-90℉, but prefers between 70℉ and 90℉. If the temperature drops below 50℉ the snake plant will suffer, so if it is outside bring it in over the winter.
Snake Plants Look Amazing Outside
Snake plants are perfect for pots in the hot, humid and wet Florida sun. The middle snake plant is about 6 ft tall and looks amazing. It completely breaks up this swimming pool area. Personally I wouldn’t grow them in the ground as they are known to spread. But in planters, they look so striking.
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