Sansevieria Sayuri is a hardy succulent, charming gardener with its erect green and grey metallic leaves.
Like all the Sansevieria plant varieties, this is also called Snake Plant.
Sayuri is less fussy about how and where they are grown. But there are certain things to look after for it to stand upright.
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Overview of Sansevieria Sayuri
Sansevieria Sayuri is an uncommon variety native to tropical western Africa.
Along with all the Sansevieria plants, this silver snake plant has also been reclassified into the genus Dracaena.
Features | Descriptions |
---|---|
Scientific Name | Dracaena aubrytiana 'sayuri' |
Common Name | Silver Siam, Sansevieria Metallica, Mother-in-law's Tongue |
Family | Asparagaceae |
Plant type | Evergreen perennial, Succulent |
Growth Habit | Upright |
Growth Size | 2-3 ft |
Growth Speed | Slow |
USDA Zone | 11-12 |
Leaf | Blade-shaped Silvery, Metallic grey and green |
Flower | Pale green to whitish rare bloom, Ovoid-shaped flowers grows in cluster |
Grown For | Decorative foliage |
Toxicity | Toxic to human and pets |
Sansevieria Sayuri: A Detailed Guide
Metallica snake plant is fairly adaptable in most climates and thrives indoors and outdoors.
This plant loves summer and grows actively from spring through fall when provided the basic care.
1. Sunlight and Temperature
Sayuri performs their best in moderate to bright sunlight, but they can adapt to a wide range of temperatures.
These are suited for the USDA zone 9-12. Only 5 to 6 hours of filtered light is enough for the Snake plant to produce energy for new growth.
Meanwhile, direct sunlight has a harsh effect on the plant. Discoloration, leaf burn, and stunted growth are its consequences.
Signs of Low Light | Signs of Excessive Light |
---|---|
Slower growth rate or absence of new growth | Presence of brown patches on the leaves |
Loss of stripes on the leaves | Dry pale and burnt leaves |
Changes in the leaves color and discoloration | Yellowing leaves |
Placing them near the east-facing windows or using the grow light help maintain the requirement. Also, winter is the time for Sayuri to go dormant.
However, a slight temperature drop below 40℉ causes frostbite on the leaves and freezing the roots. Wrap your plant with a fleece blanket to keep them warm.
2. Water & Humidity
Unlike other high-maintenance plants, this Snake plant is incredibly drought-tolerant.
Silver Snake plants can go for 10-14 days without watering with an average humidity of 40-50%, depending on the growing condition.
However, adjust the watering frequency to once every 3-4 weeks during the inactive colder months.
You can use a thin stick or a hygrometer to check moisture before overwatering your beloved plant.
And when the atmosphere is dry, your plant will gradually wilt. It would help if you could place the plant in a high-humidity area, like a bathroom.
Lightly mist the plants or group them with other house plants to form their little biome.
3. Soil & Fertilizer
Your plant can flourish in a wide range of soil as long as the medium is nutrient-rich and facilitates proper drainage.
Soggy soil is a big NO for your Siam Silver, as it can cause root rot.
Cacti or succulent mix that drains fast could help if you do not want to go for typical indoor potting soil.
Further, frequent fertilization in the winter does no good to the plant.
Instead, root burn risks persist as the plant won’t use most nutrients while hibernating. This eventually creates wilting yellow leaves, brown leaf tips, and stunted growth.
To fulfill the Snake plant fertilizer requirement, you can DIY your potting mix by adding pumice, coco coir, or perlite with 50% pure soil.
4. Potting & Repotting
Sansevieria Sayuri must be repotted once every year to allow the roots enough room until they reach full growth.
Repotting is done during the active period from the spring to summer.
That said, immediate repotting is necessary if you witness the roots of your plant bulging out.
Adding to this, water running right through the drain holes, yellowing of lower leaves, and stunted growth could be indications of repotting urgency.
While repotting, choose a pot more significant than the previous ones, preferably a terracotta pot with few drain holes.
5. Occasional Pruning
Sansevieria Sayuri doesn’t need regular pruning unless you have to remove the damaged and dead foliage.
The damage and discoloration of leaves may result from fungal infections like rust and blight.
Meanwhile, oval-shaped masses covered with a white or gray mealy wax may also appear due to the attack of mites and mealybugs.
It would be best if you acted immediately on the situation by rubbing the affected part with alcohol or neem oil.
In case when the situation doesn’t subside, use a pruner or garden knife to remove the affected part immediately.
Nevertheless, pruning goes beyond removing the dead foliage and allows room for new bushier growth.
Sansevieria Sayuri: All About Growth Rate
This Snake plant is a tropical succulent with slow growth when placed indoors.
As they grow up, they make up to have a vertical stripe pattern, and foliage portrays a silvery, metallic gray streak and green blend.
Although they are known to be flowering plants, Sansevieria Sayuri blooms on rare occasions.
The flowers are green-white, with a fruity scent developing directly from the stem.
Once in a while, Sansevieria Sayuri also fruits small berries which are reddish-orange.
Toxicity of Sansevieria Sayuri
As much as we have heard about Snake plant benefits, you might want to reconsider having Sayuri in your home as they are poisonous to pets and humans.
According to ASPCA, Sansevieria Sayuri contains saponins, a natural chemical to shield them from insects, microbes, and fungi. Saponin, when injected, causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea to your feline and canine buddies.
Eventually, the chemical has a numbing effect that can cause the tongue and throat to swell and cause inflammatory disorders. If you have a mischievous toddler running around, keep it away from their reach.
You should immediately contact the vet nearby or the hotline below for any mishaps.
- ASPCA Poison Center: (800)426-4435
- America’s Poison Helpline: (800)222-1222
Propagation Methods for Sansevieria Sayuri
Sansevieria Sayuri is pretty hard to find in the market. They are also equally pricey, depending on their size. Propagating it at home could be fun and easy in your pocket.
For the propagation of this plant, you have two methods leaf-cutting and division.
1. Leaf Cutting in Water/Soil
To propagate Sansevieria Sayuri, leaf-cutting is one of the uncommon, time-consuming, and complex methods.
This propagation method does carry a high risk of hurting the mother plant.
- Use a disinfected blade or gardening spear to cut a 6-inch leaf near its base.
- Then, take a glass and fill it with clean water.
- Put the cutting in the water and make sure to change the water once every week.
- Let the leaf sit in the water until roots develop in about two months.
- Finally, transplant the rooted leaf into the soil.
If you find out that your cutting has turned slimy, you can run them under warm water and scrape off the slime with your hand.
Similarly, you can directly plant the leaf-cutting into the soil by facing the cut side into the well-draining soil.
Your anticipation should end in about three to four months as your new plants begin to root. After rooting, they will grow into tiny buds and later form fresh leaves.
2. Root Division
The division method is the fastest, safest and easiest way to propagate Sansevieria Sayuri. Here is how you do it.
- Carefully remove the plant from the pot and shake off the excess soil from its roots.
- Locate the visible separation between the foliage rosettes and the rootlets.
- Following it, separate them using a disinfected blade and plant the individual plants into new pots.
- In about four to eight weeks, you will finally start seeing some new growth of roots.
Where to Buy Sanseviria Sayuri?
You might be lucky to get the plant from the nearby nursery. But for the remaining of us, we can buy it online from the following.
Shops | Shipping Time |
---|---|
Frond & Folia | Within 1 to 4 business days |
Amazon | Within 4 to 6 days |
Etsy | Within 10 to 12 days |
Planterina | Within 4 to 7 days |
Dahling Plants | Within 2 to 4 days |
Wrapping up…
Sansevieria Sayuri could be an excellent addition to your home or office for its air purifying quality and easy-to-care.
And because of their forgiving nature, the Chinese treasure them as a symbol of good luck, prosperity, and strength.