Snake Plant ‘Zeylanica’ (Dracaena trifasciata) Care Guide
Dark, bold, and battle-ready. The Snake Plant ‘Zeylanica’ trades flashy gold edges for deep greens and wavy silver streaks — and it’ll thrive just about anywhere. This one’s even tougher than its variegated cousin, built to take low light and low effort like a champ.
PLANT KING QUICK STATS
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Plant Noob
Dry Room Dealer
Cave Dweller
Mild Menace
Desert Monk
Chunky Boi
Rocky Rebel
Root Hack & Chop Prop
SCIENTIFIC NAME:
Dracaena Trifasciata ‘Zeylanica’ (dra-SEE-nuh try-fas-ee-AH-tuh)
FAMILY:
Asparagaceae (Asparagus family)
ORIGIN:
Native to West Africa (primarily Nigeria and Congo).
SIZE:
Height: Typically 2 to 3 feet (60–90 cm) indoors.
Width: Grows in dense, upright clusters — slow to spread, but dependable.
SOIL:
Total Rocky Rebel. ‘Zeylanica’ wants fast-draining, coarse soil that dries out fast. Our Plant King Premium Cactus & Succulent Mix is the move — sandy, gritty, and zero-nonsense.
Mixing your own? Combine one part potting soil, one part coarse sand, and one part perlite or pumice. No fluff. No waterlogging. Just airflow and survival..
LIGHT:
A true Cave Dweller. ‘Zeylanica’ lives for low light and survives in dim corners most plants would cry in. It can handle bright indirect light too, and will grow faster with it — but doesn’t need it to stay strong.
Direct sun will scorch those dark leaves, so skip the south-facing windows unless they’re filtered. Shade is survival. Indirect light is glow-up mode.
WATER:
Desert Monk behavior. This plant stores water in its thick leaves and goes weeks without a drink. Let the soil dry out fully between waterings — we’re talking dry to the bone. Overwatering is the fast track to rot..
HUMIDITY:
Dry Room Dealer. Doesn’t flinch in low humidity or heated winter homes. No misting, no drama — just good air and space to breathe.
FEEDING:
Not hungry. Feed every 6–8 weeks during spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer. Or toss in Nutricote at the start of the season and forget about it. No fertilizer in fall and winter — it doesn’t want it.
POTS:
Give it drainage and keep it snug. This plant prefers tight quarters and dry conditions. Clay pots help suck up excess moisture — a solid choice if you’re heavy-handed with the watering can.
WINTER CARE:
Growth slows to a crawl, which is normal. Back off the water, skip the food, and keep it warm. Come spring, it’ll fire back up without a fuss.
F.A.Q:
Yup. No golden edges like ‘Laurentii’ — just dark, silver-streaked blades. It’s even more tolerant of low light and slower to fade in shade.
Divide the base into clumps when you repot (Root Hack), or cut a healthy leaf into sections, let them callous, and root them in water or soil (Chop Prop). Simple — just slow.
Usually underwatering — but check the roots. If they’re fine, it’s probably just time for a drink. If they’re mushy, it’s root rot from overwatering.
It’s a Mild Menace. Not deadly, but enough to mess with stomachs if chewed. Keep it off the menu.
WANT TO LEARN MORE?
For deeper info on Dracaena and other members of the Asparagaceae family, check out the Royal Horticultural Society — one of the most trusted plant authorities worldwide:
www.rhs.org.uk/plants/dracaenaena
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