Black Coral Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata 'Black Coral') in a 4 inch Nursery Pot
Sansevieria trifasciata 'Black Coral' · Snake plant
- 30-day returnsNot happy with your plant? Bring it back within 30 days for an exchange or a refund.
- Pick up any time we're openOpen 11:00 am to 6:30 pm, seven days a week, at 3742 West 10th Avenue, Kitsilano. You can come in right after you order. Pickup is always free. For delivery, add it to your cart: $35 plus GST and PST, or free on orders of $98 or more.
Deep green leaves banded with silvery grey-green, standing straight up from the pot. A small snake plant that wants water less often than most.
- Stiff, upright leaves in deep green with silvery grey-green bands, so it has a strong shape even in a 4 in pot.
- Needs water less often than most houseplants. Darrell lets snake plants dry about halfway down the pot first.
- Toxic to cats and dogs if chewed. Keep it out of reach, and read the pet note below.
- Care notes below are written for Vancouver's dark, grey winters and dry heated rooms.
- Deep green, silver bands
- Small, 4 in nursery pot
- Toxic to cats and dogs
- Water when half dry
Sending it as a gift?
- Add it to your cart and choose delivery at checkout: $35 plus GST and PST, or free when the order is $98 or more.
- Enter their address in Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Richmond or Burnaby as the delivery address. You can place the order from anywhere. We deliver only to these five cities.
- The receipt comes to your email only, and we email you when it has been delivered.
- After you pay, we email you, not them, to confirm the delivery day. Write your gift message, and whether it is a surprise, in the notes at checkout.
- Not sure which plant suits them? Send a gift card and let them choose at our Kitsilano shop.
- Not for a home with cats or dogs that chew plants. For a home with cats or dogs, see our Money Tree.
Our shop is at 3742 West 10th Avenue in Kitsilano. Pick it up any time we're open, 11:00 am to 6:30 pm, seven days a week, even right after you order.
What you get
- One Black Coral snake plant growing in a 4 in (10 cm) green plastic nursery pot.
- No decorative pot is included. You can set it inside a cover pot as it is.
Size and details
| Plant | Black Coral snake plant, Sansevieria trifasciata 'Black Coral' |
|---|---|
| Container | Green plastic nursery pot (no decorative pot) |
| Pot size | 4 in (10 cm) nursery pot |
| Plant size | Small and upright, a tight clump of leaves |
| Light | Bright, indirect light, puts up with less |
| Water | Let the soil dry about halfway down the pot |
| Pets | Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA) |
| Pick up | 3742 West 10th Avenue, Kitsilano. Any time we're open, even right after you order |
About this plant
This is a Black Coral snake plant. Its leaves are a deep green, banded across with silvery grey-green zigzags, and they stand straight up from the soil in a tight clump. It grows in a 4 in (10 cm) green nursery pot, so it's a small plant, but the stiff, upright leaves give it a strong shape for its size.
Snake plants are one of the more forgiving houseplants, and when one does struggle, it is usually from too much water. That's why the water note below is the one to read first.
If you'd like a snake plant with pale, silvery leaves instead, have a look at our Moonshine snake plant. Same pot size, same care.
If you have a cat or a dog, please read the pet note below. Snake plants are toxic to them if chewed.
Not sure which spot it should go in? Ask us at the counter.
Care in a Vancouver home
Light
Bright, indirect light is best. An east window works well, or a few feet back from a south or west one. A snake plant will put up with a dimmer spot, but it grows very slowly there. In December Vancouver gets only about eight hours of daylight, and a lot of it is grey. So in winter, move it as close to your brightest window as you can, with the leaves off the cold glass.
Water
This is the part that matters most. Darrell has more than 25 years of growing behind him. For most indoor tropical plants he lets the top quarter of the soil dry before watering, but snake plants go in their own group. In his words, they “like being a bit more on the drier side, like 50% between their watering.” Push a finger into the soil. If it is dry about halfway down the pot, water at the sink until water runs out the bottom, and let it drain. If it still feels damp, wait. If it sits in a cover pot or a saucer, tip out any water left in the bottom. Soggy soil is the quickest way to lose a snake plant. From November to February it needs water much less often, because the soil dries slowly.
Soft or wrinkled leaves
Leaves that go soft, yellow or mushy near the soil usually mean too much water. Check the soil first. If it is still damp, let the pot dry out more before the next watering. A leaf that has gone soft at the base won't firm up again, so cut it off at the soil with clean scissors. Leaves that wrinkle or curl in, on soil that is bone dry, usually mean it has gone too long without water.
Temperature
A normal warm room is fine. Keep it out of cold drafts, like a door that opens to the outside, and off cold window glass at night. Keep it away from heater vents too.
Feeding
Spring and summer only, and not much. Weak houseplant food a couple of times in the season is plenty. Nothing from November to February.
Repotting
Not often. Snake plants grow slowly and don't mind a snug pot. When roots fill the pot or start pushing it out of shape, go up one pot size and no more. When Darrell repots any plant, he keeps to one size up: “Nothing too big right away. Just to get a good one size up.” Use a mix that drains fast.
Pets and kids
Please keep this one away from pets that chew. The ASPCA lists the snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata, also called mother-in-law's tongue) as toxic to cats and dogs. Black Coral is a variety of the same plant. It contains saponins, and chewing it can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. If your pet has chewed it, call your vet.
A plant on a table, a windowsill or a low shelf is easy for a dog to reach, and cats can jump onto most of them. A tall shelf in a room your pets stay out of is the spot we suggest. Pick up any leaf that comes off, too. If you'd rather not take the chance, ask us at the counter about plants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic.
Source: ASPCA, Mother-in-Law's Tongue
Not sure it suits your spot?
Send a photo of the corner you have in mind. Darrell, who has grown plants for more than 25 years, will tell you honestly if this plant will be happy there.
Goes well with
Moonshine snake plantThe pale, silvery one, in the same 4 in pot. Same care, so the two look good side by side. Check each pot's soil before you water.
Green ZZ plantAnother plant that likes to dry out between waterings. Darrell lets ZZ plants and snake plants dry about halfway down the pot between waterings.
Braided money treeA small tree with a braided trunk, in a 5 in pot. It wants water more often than a snake plant.
Questions people ask
Is a black coral snake plant toxic to cats and dogs?
Yes. The ASPCA lists the snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata, also called mother-in-law's tongue) as toxic to cats and dogs, and Black Coral is a variety of the same plant. Chewing it can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Keep it out of reach, and call your vet if your pet has chewed it.
How often should I water a black coral snake plant?
Go by the soil, not the calendar. Let it dry about halfway down the pot, then water at the sink and let it drain. Don't leave it sitting in water. In a Vancouver winter that can be a lot less often than in summer, because the soil dries slowly.
How much light does a black coral snake plant need?
Bright, indirect light is best, like an east window, or a few feet back from a south or west one. It will live in a dimmer spot, but it grows very slowly there.
Why are my snake plant leaves going soft or yellow?
Soft, yellow or mushy leaves near the soil usually mean too much water. Check the soil, and if it is still damp, let the pot dry out more before the next watering, and tip out any water sitting in a cover pot or saucer. A leaf that has gone soft at the base won't firm up again, so cut it off at the soil.
How big does a black coral snake plant get?
This one is a small plant in a 4 in (10 cm) pot. Snake plants grow slowly indoors, slower still in low light, so it stays small for a while. Over time new leaves come up from the base and it gets taller and fuller.
What is the scientific name of the black coral snake plant?
Sansevieria trifasciata 'Black Coral'. Botanists now list snake plants under Dracaena, as Dracaena trifasciata, but many grower tags and shops still use Sansevieria.
What's the difference between Black Coral and Moonshine?
They're the same kind of plant with the same care. Black Coral has deep green leaves with silvery grey-green bands. Moonshine has broader, pale silvery green leaves with a thin dark edge.
Does it come in a decorative pot?
No, it comes in its 4 in green nursery pot. You can set it inside a cover pot as it is, or move it into a pot one size bigger when the roots fill this one.
Do you deliver this plant?
Yes, to Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby. Add it to your cart (shop.dhgardencentre.com/cart) and choose delivery at checkout: $35 plus GST and PST, or free when the order is $98 or more. Pickup at our Kitsilano store is always free. After you pay, we email you to confirm the delivery day.
What if my plant doesn't do well?
Bring it back within 30 days and we'll exchange it or give you a refund.
Where can I buy a black coral snake plant in Vancouver?
At DH Garden Centre, 3742 West 10th Avenue in Kitsilano. We're open 11:00 am to 6:30 pm, seven days a week, and you can pick this one up in store any time we're open, even right after you order online.
See it before you buy
Every plant on this page is in our shop right now. Come and pick the one you like best, or let us choose a healthy one for you.
DH Garden Centre
3742 West 10th Avenue
Vancouver, BC V6R 2G4
Open 7 days, 11:00 AM to 6:30 PM