Dracaena trifasciata, or the snake plant, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, and native to West Africa. It gets its name from its elongated shape which is upright and has patterns that resemble that of a snake.
They may appear to be a houseplant, as they do not remain flowering throughout the year.
Snake plants, like any other plant, do flower – only, it’s difficult to catch them at it. Usually, it’s just a white bud that may or may not open during early spring. Unlike a lot of summer plants, snake plants do not immediately die after flowering and can be maintained for years to come.
Read on to know more!
Why Is My Snake Plant Flowering?
Snake plants flower once a year during the month of spring. It’s rare to see them bloom, but they do it whenever their living conditions are met and they have reached maturity (at least over a year old).
It is more likely that your snake plant will grow buds as an adult, though on rare occasions, you can find baby flowers as well.
Though beautiful, their blossoms are more of a negative sign, as it means that your plant is most likely under some sort of stress.
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When the Snake Plant gets enough light but not other living requirements, it can start growing its roots and fixating itself to the pot in search of more nutrients.
This can cause the plant to bloom and produce flowers, so they are more like warnings that something is wrong. Hence, snake plants do not live long once they have bloomed and you should ensure proper care.
How To Make Your Snake Plant Flower?
As mentioned, snake flowers often bloom when they are under stress. This is because its receptors think they are about to die and would like to pass on their genes through seeds.
Hence, if you do want to make your snake plant flower bloom, you can keep it in a spot that gets a lot of light – the best is a south-facing window.
You can also make it bloom by completely forgetting about it since stress makes these flowers bloom. However, you do want to ensure that they live later on, so it’s not the best method to go for. What you can do instead is just increase the amount of care and nutrients you have been giving your plant.
Following are the most important factors of Snake Plant care that you should look into to make sure it flowers.
1. Water
Snake plants are known for their hardiness, and require a smaller amount of water to survive, so they are often considered succulents. Their leaves are designed to store water for when there is a drying up period and prefer drier soil due to the risk of root rot, so you can imagine how easy it would be to even forget about it at times.
It is a slow grower, so if you do want to make it bloom, you will have to boost the amount of water you give it. Naturally, you will also have to shift it to a place that requires a lot of suns to balance out the amount of water you will be giving it.
Never overwater your snake plant – go by the rule of thumb of water every time you feel the soil is running dry. This should change according to the weather as well and how much more or less should be given must be adjusted regarding it.
In case you are a beginner and are worried about overwatering through this step, you can skip this process and instead not water it enough to stress the plant into bloom.
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2. Temperature
Snake plants prefer a tropical temperature, as the place of their origins is West Africa where the surroundings are humid and sunny.
The best USDA zones for this plant are from 9 – 11, but since most places would not be able to imitate its natural surroundings, all snake plants should be brought indoors during winter.
While it is true that you can stress the plant into flowering, the temperature is not one of the factors you can play into with this. Cold temperature (anything lower than 50 Degrees Fahrenheit) can kill your plant.
3. Age
Age is also important when it comes to determining why your snake plant is not flowering. Though buds can appear in younger plants, there is more of a chance for adult plants over a few years to blossom comparatively.
Snake plants are forced into flowering when under a lot of stress as they feel they are about to die and need to pass on the genes. Since older plants are more fully developed, they can grow their roots better and have more of a chance to be pot-bound. Hence, do not try to strain a baby snake plant into flowering.
4. Light
Light is the most important factor in making a snake plant blossom. Though they can grow in both shade and full sun, to grow flowers, it requires more light than its average requirement. Its ideal light arrangement is in direct sunlight at all times, since energy comes from light.
Hence, if you want to boost its growth, you might want to keep the snake plant in the sun.
5. Soil
Soil conditions for snake plants are a very bare minimum. The plant requires well-draining, dry soil as it tends to develop root rot from too much water.
This does not mean that it can do without additional nutrients and fertilizing, and adding some once in a while can really help improve the quality of your snake plant.
Adding some river sand in your pot soil, or some high phosphorus fertilizer can improve the nutrient provision from the soil and help your plant flower.
It is also good to move your snake plant into a bigger pot once the previous one has become too small, as it will be trying to become root bound with the pot.
If you want to highly improve the quality of your soil for your snake plant, you can mix in some river sand as it does not make the surface very wet while also keeping it adequately damp.
Why Is My Snake Plant Not Flowering?
When a snake plants flowers, it does not grow directly on the stem, but instead, a rhizome is pushed up with a cluster of leaves. This cluster is called a rosette and each of its green buds blooms an individual flower. Give the plant 2 – 4 more weeks and soon enough you will have white blossoms.
Snake plants require adequate pot conditions as well as a lot of sunlight in order to bloom. If some of these requirements are not met, or the rhizome is already out but not flowering, it is possible that your snake plant is under some stress. Flowering is a sign of a problem as it is, since snake plants do not actually bloom.
When one of its living conditions is not met, snake plants tend to attach their roots to the pot more deeply, which can cause them to start producing flowers. It is a sign that you need to check the pot and fix whatever is wrong, or the plant might die.
Hence, do not pressure the plant to grow. If you want it to blossom, you might want to shift it to a spot that requires a lot of light and increase the amount of water you give it. Just make sure the transfer is slow.
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How Old Does A Snake Plant Have To Be To Bloom?
Snake plants have an average lifespan of about 5 – 10 years, and with proper care, they can go about 25 years more. Baby snake plants can mature within the first 6 months of their life and it is unknown exactly at what age they start to bloom. Even younger snake plants can grow flowers at least once a year during spring.
Hence, there is no particular age at which you can wait for the stalk to show up, but the chances of flowers blooming on your plant will increase the more mature it is.
Remember to be up to date with the care because unfortunately, though they can blossom, their life span shortens after they bloom, and can die after they do.
What Does A Flowering Snake Plant Look Like?
Occasionally, when the Snake Plant flowers, it might look similar to a lily, with its elongated leaves and protruding stamens.
It is white in color and the small buds grow alongside the length of the flowering stalk. It can grow up to 3 feet tall and there will usually be at least more than only one stalk.
The flowers are tiny, growing in clusters and their petite looks might resemble that of tiny lilies or honeysuckles.
At other times, there will be no stalks and you might find some flowers blooming at the base. Snake Flowers bloom only once a year, during the month of spring.
Their lifespan is short-lived, but a few weeks in, your snake flowers might also develop berries when the plant will start to wilt. Keep treating them with care so that your snake plant thrives past its blooming stage.
Is Snake Plant Flower Lucky?
According to Chinese geomancy, Feng Shui, snake plants are considered lucky decorations to keep at home.
Not only do they improve the air quality of the place they are being kept, but NASA has also proven that they can absorb various toxins in your household, indirectly affecting the mood of your house too.
Feng Shui believes that keeping snake plants at home will bring you more peace, prosperity, and good energy, and attract money.
They have also been used for medicinal purposes, like treating inflammation and strengthening your immunity, so you will have a multi-purpose flower at home.
Chinese geomancy works according to the position of the item you have kept at your house. Keeping the snake plant in the bathroom would make the good vibrations go away.
Putting it in an office would fuel your work mind and creativity and keeping it in the living room can balance the energy of the household.
The best spot to keep a snake plant, however, is near your door, as they keep negative vibes outside your home and attract wealth.
Related Questions
How Often Does A Snake Plant Flower?
Snake plants bloom only once a year – usually during spring. Fortunately, even after flowering, the overall plant can stay healthy with proper care.
Is It Rare For A Snake Flower To Bloom?
While it is not rare for a healthy snake flower to bloom, it is rare to see one do as their appearance and disappearance do not have a certain timing.
Does The Snake Plant Die After Flowering?
The snake plant does not have to necessarily wither after flowering, but it is a fate you should consider when it blooms.
These plants blossom once per year in the spring, so if they have sprout buds out of the blue, you should check that nothing is wrong. Otherwise, it will bloom in its particular season and then return to a stalk.
How Long Can A Snake Plant Flower?
Snake plants flower once a year during spring, develop berries and then wilt away by the end of the season.
Final Thoughts
There is a reason that snake plants are such popular household plants – they are hardy, easy to take care of, and capable of giving you blossoms at least once a year.
It is rare for them to grow flowers, and when they do, it is typically out of strain and maybe a warning to check all their living conditions.
The flowers can either be grown out of stressing them, or taking extremely good and extra care, so the freedom to choose between both methods completely depends on you.
Though they may look tall and hardy, remember to give this upright plant enough care and attention so that it remains thriving throughout!
