Starfish Snake Plant Care

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Starfish Snake plant plants are extremely rare, but they’re well worth looking for if you can find them. As the name suggests, they are a small hybrid of the more common easy to look after indoor plant Snake plant. This type of snake plant features fan-shaped, light green foliage with dark green concentric circles from top to bottom of a leaf.

The plant is a native of South America. New plants can be propagated by transplanting young “pups” that grow from the plant’s base.

Like other kinds of Snake plants, the Starfish snake plant is also very easy to look after. As a variant of snake plants, they are also very suitable for even newbie gardeners to cherish their gardening goals. They just need to be cared for in some issues like watering, repotting, and indirect lighting setup.

Apart from these, no issues are getting a natural air purifying machine just for a little effort.

Starfish Snake Plant Care

Some Basic Info about Starfish Snake Plant

Native to Angola, the Snake plant cylindricum or starfish snake plant is an ephemeral plant. The plant is also a common houseplant in China, which is said to symbolize the Eight Gods’ attributes and is highly regarded. Gray/green, striped, smooth, elongated leaves are seen on this highly hardy shrub.

They can grow up to 7 feet in length and have a diameter of about 1 inch (2.5 cm) (2 m.).

Growing in a fan shape, its stiff leaves emerge from the base rosette, and it has a yellow flower. Rather than strap-shaped leaves, it features subcylindrical leaves.

Only once every two weeks does it require irrigation, making it drought resistant. In full sun, the plant produces inch-long (2.5 cm) greenish-white tubular blooms that are tinted pink.

A miniature version of the starfish snake plant is Cylindrica Boncellensis. This dwarf starfish snake plant only grows to a height of 3 inches tall (7.5 cm). Cylindrica Boncellensis Snake plant is a small, compact plant with lime-green, cylindrical leaves with darker green markings on them.

The snake plant ‘Boncellensis’ needs the same care as the starfish snake plant.

How to Care for Starfish Snake Plant

Starfish succulent plants grow well in bright indirect sunlight and with well-draining sandy soil, for your indoor gardening. You should also look for a pot with a better drainage system of drainage hole to give the process a boost.

The plant requires water only when the soil in the potting mix is completely dry. It does not require you to add extra indoor humidity like most succulents.

You should strive to give the plant an indoor environment with constant temperature and add some fertilize it every month during the growing season to ensure optimal results for both you and your plant.

What is the Lighting Requirement for Starfish Snake Plant

Starfish Snake Plant

Sansevieria starfish plants or starfish snake plants should be placed in a bright room with plenty of natural light. On a sunny windowsill, compact spear Snake plants thrive. You should also consider using a sheer curtain to shield the fleshy succulent from direct sunlight or bright light source.

Your starfish sansevieria cultivars would do well in partial shade or complete shade, however, they are desert plants by nature. You need to keep in mind that if your starfish plant gets deprived of light for too long, it may become leggy or lose its color.

Sansevieria starfish aren’t fast-growing plants, but in the dark, their growth will be even slower.

If you notice that your plant isn’t growing well, place the plant in a place where it can get some bright, indirect light for a while and see the result.

What is the Best Soil Mix for Starfish Plant?

You can treat your starfish snake plant like a normal snake plant in regards to searching for the perfect soil mix.

As a snake plant is allergic to wet soil and tends to refrain from waterlogging, it’s better for you to use dry well-draining soil for your starfish snake plant. A soil with great drainage capacity, aeration, and nutrition will help you get some healthy greenery beside your bed. 

Succulent potting mix and cactus soil mixtures are ideal for snake plants since they do not retain water for lengthy periods and are extremely drainage-friendly.

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You can simply make a better version of the soil mix of your plant by yourself. It’s easier than you think to get the perfect soil mix for your starfish snake plant.

You will just need to mix 3/4 of the ready-to-use potting soil with 1/4 of the succulent soil. This will ensure that the soil is well-drained and aerated. The soil will be obviously richened by adding a handful of compost to it as well.

You may also use organic potting soil but do keep in mind that your soil mix should be able to pass through the excess water your plant doesn’t need. otherwise, your plant would deteriorate from root rot due to damp soil.

What kind of Pot to Get for Starfish Snake Plant?

Starfish Snake Plant pot

Starfish Snake plants love it when they are kept in dry condition. And a pot with sufficient water draining capacity helps a lot to maintain a suitable environment for your plant. To make this possible, you should look for a pot that has a good water drainage system with a huge drainage hole. 

If you are looking to report a plant that was previously bursting out of its pot, you ought to get a pot that is bigger and more spacious than the current one.

However, keep a note in your mind about the drainage matter while choosing a pot for your plant.

How to Water Starfish Snake Plant?

Like other drought-tolerant plants, Sansevieria cylindrical should only be watered when the soil is completely dry. In the summer, water the succulents once every week or two to help them to stay alive. Make the frequency a few times a month during the winter as the water requirements fall at that time of the year.

It’s best to wait until the potting mix has dried before adding water to the soil to avoid drowning this plant.

Start by checking the soil for dryness before watering starfish. The growing medium should be thoroughly moistened with room-temperature water if it is bone-dry. Allow the succulent to dry completely before relocating it to a sunny location.

Using the “drench and dry” watering technique is the best way to care for starfish succulents in the home. This ensures that the roots receive enough moisture. As the soil dries, the succulent’s natural habitat in hot, arid climates is replicated which would give the plant a homely feel.

You should keep in mind that starfish snake plants have thick, cylindrical leaves that are excellent at storing water. As a result, the plants will go without water for several weeks before they finally get it.

As a rule of thumb, less watering of starfish sansevierias is preferable to frequent watering.

What is the Best Temperature for Starfish Snake Plant

If the temperature in your room is comfortable, your starfish will thrive. In hot, arid climates, starfish snake plants can be found growing outdoors. However, the average room temperature is ideal for spear growing indoors.

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The ideal temperature range for the star-shaped succulent is 60°F to 80°F (15°C to 26°C), as long as you protect it from temperature extremes. Starfish require a minimum temperature of 50°F (10°C) which you should keep an eye at.

Starfish snake plants need to be protected from temperature fluctuations to thrive. Plants that are exposed to drafts from open windows or air-conditioning airflow, for example, could suffer. If a starfish is placed near a hot radiator during the winter, it may begin to wilt.

Keep the temperature above 50°F (10°C) if you’re growing them outdoors. Assuming this is the case, you’ll want to store them indoors until it warms up the following spring.

What is the best Humidity for Starfish Snake Plant?

Low humidity is necessary for Sansevieria cylindrical to flourish. Starfish Snake Plants require dry air and adequate aeration to thrive. You won’t have to worry about interior humidity because domestic air is often dry.

If you water the succulents properly, the fleshy fan-shaped succulents will have ample moisture to survive.

When to Fertilize Starfish Snake Plant?

Fertilize

Starfish snake plants don’t eat a lot. The plants thrive in sandy, nutrient-depleted soil. These plants, on the other hand, can benefit from monthly fertilizing with half-strength succulent fertilizer. Feed starfish succulents just during the growing season and not during the winter.

Starfish plants, like other succulents, take a long time to grow. Overfertilizing the plants can result in a mineral salt buildup, which is just as dangerous as overwatering.

Choose a good organic fertilizer or organic houseplant fertilizer if you prefer to provide additional nutrients.

Is Pruning Necessary for Starfish Snake Plant

Pruning starfish snake plants is usually unnecessary. These kinds of snake plants are low-maintenance and make stunning ornamental houseplants with their fan-shaped, thick fleshy leaves.

The only time the starfish snake plant needs to be pruned is to remove yellow leaves or propagate the plant.

How to Repot Starfish Snake Plant?

Repotting is only required every other year or so for starfish plants. Starfish snake plant species are slow-growing succulents that thrive when they are rootbound. Always use a pot one or two sizes larger than the present one when repotting a Starfish snake plant.

The finest pots for growing sansevieria starfish plants are terracotta pots. These succulents can grow top-heavy due to their huge, fat cylinder leaves and fan form. As a result, a clay pot will provide some stability. In addition, because the soil dries faster in clay pots, most succulent species thrive more when they are potted in clay pots.

At first, remove the fleshy plant from its existing container to repot a starfish succulent. Examine the roots for symptoms of root rot and, if required, cut off them. After that, half-fill a fresh, larger container with a moist potting mix and put the plant into the pot with well-draining soil.

Fill the remaining space with soil and tamp it down to keep the plant in place. Water the soil a bit to help them set up properly.

Allow the soil to dry up completely after repotting a starfish and only then water them again. This allows your newly potted starfish snake plant to acclimate to its new surroundings. After that, you can care for your starfish plant as usual.

How to Propagate Starfish Snake Plant?

Starfish plants are propagated by separating their roots, which are known as rhizomes through plant division. Pups, or smaller plants, sprout at the base of starfish snake plants as they mature. Take a sterile knife and separate the pups from the mother plant, then place them in a new pot.

Sansevieria cylindrica can also be grown by grafting a cut leaf onto the plant. A Sharp knife is needed to remove a leaf from the plant’s base. Place the cylinder leaf on a paper towel for a few days to allow the cut to heal or form a callus on it.

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After that, simply plant the clipped leaf in a moist cactus soil mix about 2” to 3” (5–7.5 cm) deep. For a few weeks, keep the soil moist until the cutting produces roots.

After new roots are developed, treat the plants like mature plants and water them only when the soil is dry.

What are the Common Diseases of the Starfish Snake Plant?

Starfish succulents are not prone to disease. The most common types of sansevieria diseases they face are fungal infections due to root rot. Overwatering sansevierias is usually the reason for roots that start to decay.

To prevent root rot in your starfish snake plant, you should always be aware of watering issues of your plant and only water the plant when the soil is completely dry.

What are the Common Pest Attacks for Starfish Snake Plant?

Vine weevils and mealybugs are common pests that attack starfish plants. Plant roots and leaves are the main food sources for vine weevils, which are little beetles. In the starfish snake plant, mealybugs seem like small white bugs that leave behind a white cotton wool-like fuzziness on leaves.

When growing, your cylinder snake plant needs to be free from houseplant bugs. You might feel assured to know that you would not require to use any chemicals or potentially harmful pesticides to free your beloved plants of insects.

Even though they do not contain hazardous chemicals, many natural, organic pesticides are highly effective in eliminating plant pests.

Starfish snake plants with vine weevils or mealybugs can be treated with neem oil. You can mix neem oil and liquid dish soap with warm water to make a spray. Spray your plant with the anti-bug solution after shaking it well to kill weevils or mealybugs.

If you use the neem oil solution once a week, you can keep pests away from your houseplants for good.

Final Words

Starfish sansevieria plants are premium indoor plants that would give you more and ask you less. Even someone beginning his or her quest as a garden can also keep good starfish snake plant care beside a hectic life.

You just need to check the plant once in a while and enjoy the tremendous benefits of air purifiers, oxygen plants, indoor greenery, and much more from this beautiful plant.