Sanseviera cylindrica

Sanseviera cylindrica

For post number 2, I have chosen the succulent Sanseviera cylindrica.

The Sanseviera genus contains approximately 70 species, typically sharing mottled long spear shaped leaves.

The Sanseviera genus has a pretty cool naming story. It was named after Raimondo di Sangroan, an Italian Prince who was also an inventor, writer, scientist and alchemist (amongst other occupations). Raimondo invented a waterproof cape for the King of Naples, colour fireworks and an ‘eternal flame’ as well as a load of other crazy things (seriously, google this guy). I am not sure why the Swedish botanist (Carl Peter Thunburg) named the genus after Raimondo, but I 100% approve.

The Sanseviera genus contains Sanseviera trifasciata, known as ‘Mother-in law’s tongue’, which is a pretty well-known succulent.

Anyway, I digress. Back to Sanseviera cylindrica, commonly named the ‘African spear plant’, ‘skyline spear sansevieria’ or ‘cylindrical snake plant’.

This weird species originates in African and has cylindrical leaves which spike up from an underground rosette. The leaves are dark green, with pale green stripy patterns. Mine is approximately 30 cm tall, but they can grow much bigger (~80cm tall apparently!).

I picked up my Sanseviera cylindrica as an impulse buy from Ikea, around 6 months ago for £6. I re-potted it into a pot 3 times the size of its original pot, into cactus potting mixture, with a heavy layer of grit at the bottom of the pot to assist with drainage.

Care instructions: Sanseviera cylindrica prefer temperatures above 15°C, however mine’s been kept in a conservatory which I am sure will drop below that temperature at night, and it’s done fine over winter.

Sanseviera cylindrica like indirect sunlight, but still bright areas. If the leaves turn yellow, that means the light is too bright. If the leaves are dull/dark in colour, that means too little light.

Sanseviera cylindrica should only be watered when the soil has dried (to prevent root rot), and very sparingly (if at all) over winter. If you under-water it, the roots will remain shallow, which while not being ideal, is better than a fatal over watering. You can use ½ strength fertiliser ~every month or so in summer, but if the leaves start to fall over, it means you have over fertilised it (perhaps the plant equivalent of drunk?).

It grows by rhizomes, which means the plant has nodes in the soil that it sends new stems from. If one of these nodes is separated from the plant, it can still grow new shoots, which is cool. Since a lot of the growing occurs under the soil, Sanseviera cylindrica can break pots if it becomes too big. As a result, I plan to re-pot mine annually.

Apparently Sanseviera cylindrica is toxic if eaten… I am not sure why you would try to eat it though; it looks too spiky to be delicious.

Overall Sanseviera cylindrica is a nice robust succulent, that is striking in appearance and grows to a lovely big size. It lets you know when it is not happy, and it thrives when it is happy, like me really! 😅

Any questions/corrections- please comment below 😁