Field ManualAll plants

Photo: Fanti Salms, via Wikimedia CommonsLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0

Snake Plant

Dracaena trifasciata

Family: Asparagaceae

  • Low Light Tolerant
  • Low Maintenance
  • Drought Tolerant

Pet & Human Safety

People: Not researchedPets: Toxic to pets

People: not researched yet.

Toxic to pets
Toxic to pets

ASPCA lists Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) as Toxic to Dogs and Toxic to Cats: species-level/common-name match, no naming-trap concerns. Toxic principle: saponins. ASPCA's clinical signs are mild/GI-only: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea: same low-severity group with gardenia and lavender, not the cardiac-risk group named for azalea. NC State's independent listing adds detail ASPCA's page does not include: occasional blood in vomit, depression, anorexia, hypersalivation, and dilated pupils specifically in cats, plus a note that the sap itself can cause skin irritation on contact, and that all plant parts (not just leaves) are considered poisonous. ASPCA's page does not address horses for this species (only dogs and cats are listed), unlike some other plants in PlotAndPetal; NC State separately names horses and children among those at risk, which is worth treating as supplementary information since it isn't the ASPCA companion-animal verdict.

PlotAndPetal cannot tell you whether a plant you found can be eaten. Only someone who can see the plant can identify it.

Poison control

If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.

Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.

Naturalist Lore

Historical Background & Breeding Lore

The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.

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Care

Hardiness zones

USDA hardiness 10a-12b outdoors; grown as a houseplant well outside that range (NC State Extension).

Mature size

Leaves to about 4 feet long and 2-4 inches wide on the standard form; the 'Hahnii' cultivar stays compact/dwarf (NC State Extension).

Where it comes from

Central Africa / West and West Central Africa (NC State Extension).

Soil & Drainage
Pruning & Flush Rhythm
Feeding Schedule

How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.

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Anatomy & Guilds

Botanical Anatomy & Characteristics

How the flowers and leaves are built and which pollinators visit, where we have them.

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Field Doctor

Field Doctor

What can go wrong with this plant and what to do about it, where we have them.

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Vintage Plates

Vintage Plates

Old botanical drawings from public libraries are in the app, for plants where we have them.

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Sources

  1. NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, Dracaena trifasciata
  2. Clemson HGIC, Indoor Plants: Watering
  3. Clemson HGIC, Indoor Plants: Soil Mixes
  4. Clemson HGIC, Common Houseplant Insects & Related Pests
  5. ASPCA, Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Snake Plant
  6. Royal Horticultural Society

How we choose sources

Wishlists live in the app

Wishlists are part of the Plot & Petal app, which is coming soon. Nothing is added to a wishlist from this page.

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