Sansevieria 'Laurentii'

Sansevieria trifasciata 'Laurentii'

Upright blades marbled in green and edged in gold: the graphic plant that asks for almost nothing.

Light: Full sun
Water: Very little water
Care: Easy
Heat: High heat
Pets: Mildly toxic

At a glance

Botanical name: Sansevieria trifasciata 'Laurentii'
Also known as: Langue de belle-mère · Snake plant · Dracaena trifasciata
Mature height: 70 to 110 cm
Growth: Slow growth
Environments: Indoor · Office · Balcony · Terrace
Pets: Mildly toxic to pets

Care

What this plant needs

For each area, the instruction specific to this plant, then the general principle that explains why.

Water

For this plant

Water only when the soil is completely dry, every two to four weeks. Less in winter.

The principle

Plants with very low water needs store reserves in their leaves, stems or roots. The risk is never thirst but excess: let the substrate dry through its full depth, water generously in one go, then wait two to four weeks. In winter, once a month is almost always enough.

Light

For this plant

Anything suits it, from full sun to shade; bright light deepens the golden margins.

The principle

Full sun means six hours or more of direct light a day. These plants build thick foliage and dense tissue to cope with it; in insufficient light they stretch, lengthen their internodes and lose their compact habit. After buying or repotting, reintroduce direct sun gradually over ten to fifteen days to avoid scorch.

Feeding

For this plant

A succulent feed twice a year, in spring and summer.

The principle

A slow grower consumes little: two or three half-strength feeds between April and August are enough. Over-feeding does not speed it up — it burns the roots and leaves a white crust on the substrate. Repotting every three years renews most of its reserves.

Temperature

For this plant

From 10 to 40 °C. Fears only frost and overwatering.

The principle

Good heat tolerance means the summers of Marrakech, Fez or Béni Mellal pose no problem as long as water follows. Days above 38 °C call for early-morning watering and, in a pot, protection of the west-facing wall: the root ball can reach 50 °C before the plant shows anything at all.

Yearly rhythm

Indicative calendar

Calendar derived from the plant's profile — water need, heat tolerance, environment and growth rate — applied to the Moroccan climate; adjust it to your city, your exposure and your substrate.

Indicative twelve-month care calendar
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Watering	Watering in January: Nothing to do	Watering in February: Nothing to do	Watering in March: Reduced	Watering in April: Reduced	Watering in May: Reduced	Watering in June: Regular	Watering in July: Regular	Watering in August: Regular	Watering in September: Regular	Watering in October: Reduced	Watering in November: Nothing to do	Watering in December: Nothing to do
Feeding	Feeding in January: Nothing to do	Feeding in February: Nothing to do	Feeding in March: Reduced	Feeding in April: Reduced	Feeding in May: Reduced	Feeding in June: Reduced	Feeding in July: Reduced	Feeding in August: Reduced	Feeding in September: Reduced	Feeding in October: Nothing to do	Feeding in November: Nothing to do	Feeding in December: Nothing to do
Pruning	Pruning in January: Nothing to do	Pruning in February: Regular	Pruning in March: Regular	Pruning in April: Nothing to do	Pruning in May: Nothing to do	Pruning in June: Nothing to do	Pruning in July: Nothing to do	Pruning in August: Nothing to do	Pruning in September: Nothing to do	Pruning in October: Nothing to do	Pruning in November: Nothing to do	Pruning in December: Nothing to do

IntensityNothing to doReducedRegularSustained

Morocco

Where this plant thrives in Morocco

Our observations city by city, crossed with the local climate. A city that is missing is not a refusal: it simply has not been documented for this plant yet.

Thrives

Marrakechinland · dry air · 45 °C in summer, 4 °C in winter
Casablancacoastal · moderate humidity · 33 °C in summer, 7 °C in winter
Agadircoastal · moderate humidity · 34 °C in summer, 8 °C in winter
Fezinland · dry air · 42 °C in summer, 2 °C in winter
Beni Mellalinland · dry air · 43 °C in summer, 3 °C in winter
Laayounecoastal · dry air · 42 °C in summer, 9 °C in winter

Well suited

Rabatcoastal · moderate humidity · 33 °C in summer, 6 °C in winter
Tangiercoastal · humid air · 31 °C in summer, 8 °C in winter
Oujdainland · dry air · 41 °C in summer, 1 °C in winter
Dakhlacoastal · dry air · 34 °C in summer, 12 °C in winter
Meknesinland · dry air · 41 °C in summer, 2 °C in winter

Possible with care

Tetouancoastal · humid air · 32 °C in summer, 7 °C in winter

We deliver to all of these cities.

Diagnosis

Three signals worth reading

The three most common disorders on a plant with this profile, and the move that corrects them.

1
What you see
Soft or brownish stem bases, translucent leaves, substrate still damp a week after watering.
Likely cause
Too much water. On this profile, crown rot beats drought as a cause of loss by a wide margin.
The right move
Stop watering entirely, unpot, cut away brown soft roots, air-dry the root ball for a day, repot in a very free-draining mix and wait ten days before the first watering.
2
What you see
Stems stretching towards the window, long internodes, new leaves smaller and paler.
Likely cause
Not enough light. A full-sun plant three metres from a window receives less than a tenth of what it asks for.
The right move
Move it to the brightest glazing or out onto a balcony, reacclimatising it to direct sun over two weeks. Cut back the stretched shoots: it will regrow compact.
3
What you see
Grey dust on the foliage, growth slowing with no obvious cause.
Likely cause
A dusty blade captures markedly less light, and city dust in Morocco builds up fast.
The right move
Wipe the leaves with a damp sponge every month, upper and lower surfaces. Avoid leaf-shine products, which block the stomata.