How does a snake plant reproduce? You asked this kind of question probably because you wanted more snake plants in your house. Well, you can buy the plants at the plants store or grow your own baby snake plant. Snake plants are such unique plants. As succulents, they are different from your average houseplants. For example, the way they reproduce.

Once they have grown tall and produced many leaves, you can propagate them by cutting the leaves into horizontal sections. New shoots appear at the end of each leaf, emerging from the plant’s underground rhizomes. These plants can be separated from their mother plants and potted separately. 

Is seed starting reliable?

There’s no doubt that you can grow snake plants from seeds, but is it feasible?

Generally, no. In many cases, cultivars will only stay true to type after splitting the rhizome and roots. Plant seeds typically produce plants similar to those used to make the hybrid, not the hybrid itself. It’s possible to grow Sansevierias from seed, but the seeds are hard to find and likely won’t give you what you want in terms of leaf shape or coloration. If you want to try growing sansevieria from seeds, carefully clean the fresh seeds of their fruit. Make sure the potting mix is moist and well drained before planting the seeds. 

The germination rate of seeds is also unreliable. The germination rate of snake plant seeds tends to be very low. There may be a way to get a plant to start, but if you need a lot, division or cuttings might be a better option. Make sure that you purchase your seeds from a reliable source if you decide to start from seeds.

A reputable seed company will give you a better chance of germination, but you may have to spend a bit more. It is possible that seeds sold by individual sellers were harvested incorrectly. In addition, there are a lot of seed scams out there. Those seeds will never germinate,  resulting in a lot of wasted time and money!

Then, is there any other way for snake plants to reproduce? The good news is yes, there is a way you can have many baby snake plants in your pot easily! As mentioned before, the process is called propagation. Here are the details of three easy-to-follow methods to propagate your snake plants.

Growing Snake Plants in Water

How does a snake plant reproduce? Now you can do and see it yourself. In order to duplicate a snake plant, you need to root it in water. Choosing a container is the first step. For the leaf to fit, the container should be tall enough. Make sure you cut off a leaf that is healthy and not too old using clean, sharp shears.

You only need to cover the lower quarter of the leaf with water. Make sure that the water is changed every couple of days and that the container is placed in indirect light. Soon, you will see little roots growing and ready for planting. The rooted leaves of snake plants must be planted in peat moss or sand.

Dividing Snake Plants

Another method of replicating snake plants is by dividing rhizomes into sections. Rhizomes are the underground organs of the mother-in-law tongue plant. They store the energy needed to grow leaves and stems. Use a handsaw or sharp shears to cut the base of the plant into sections. When we cut them, we usually cut them in half, unless they’re very old or have many rhizomes. It is generally recommended that new plants have at least three healthy rhizomes and one healthy leaf. Then plant each of those new plants into a fresh potting medium.

Propagating Snake Plants With Cuttings

The next method that will answer your question of how does a snake plant reproduce is by propagating the plants with cuttings. The difference between this method and the water method is that it skips one step. It is best to leave the cut end of the leaf to callus for a day before putting it in lightly moist sand. Wait, and you will witness the roots grow from it in a couple of weeks.