One of my favorite catalogs of tropical plants has a section entitled "Indestructible Houseplants."

Five species of Sansevieria, commonly known as Snake Plant or Mother-in-Law's Tongue, are listed in this section. I know from experience that Sansevieria are extremely durable plants. My mom has one that was purchased before I was born, and I remember the family dog yanking it out of its pot and running around the house with it when I was a little girl. She just stuck it back in its pot, and it was as good as new. The plant is still alive today, despite being neglected and sometimes downright abused over the years.

There are about 70 species of Sansevieria. They are native to tropical and sub-tropical regions of Europe, Asia and Africa. In Africa, these plants have been used for fiber production. Their leaves are evergreen and strap-like, anywhere from 8 inches to nearly 10 feet long. The plants spread via rhizomes along the ground or just under the soil surface.

The most common species of Sansevieria offered for sale is Sansevieria trifasciata, a native of tropical Africa which yields a strong plant fiber once used to make bow strings for hunting. Its leaves are dark green with light grayish green horizontal striping leaves. Leaves are 2 to 3 inches wide and up to 3 feet tall. Some cultivars have white or yellow variegation at the edges or tips of the leaves.

Sansevierias will flower occasionally during the summer, especially if the plant is under stress, as when it's potbound. I have only seen flowers on my Sansevieria trifasciata one time in the 10 years I've had it. The flowers are nice, but that's not why you grow this plant. Flowers are borne in clusters on a spike that is usually about as tall as the leaves. The flowers themselves are greenish-yellow, not particularly attractive, but they are fragrant and last several weeks.

Giving Sansevierias bright, indirect light and occasional watering will result in a vigorously growing plant that will reach its full potential in height and coloration. Although these plants are tolerant of poor conditions, remember that tolerating is not the same as thriving. Without adequate light, variegated cultivars may not develop much variegation, instead making more green tissues with the chlorophyll needed to harvest what little light is available for photosynthesis. Too little light also may result in weakened leaves that are stretched, too skinny and flop over instead of standing upright.