Get some good books, as many as you can. All the information will not be in one book. If you come across any good ones let me know. Most of them are not completely accurate. None of us here are experts, professionals or taxonomists. What books are you using now, and I have a few other forums I depend on. Norma

I don't have any books now, that's what I was asking. :) Which to get since the one mentioned in the post before mine wasn't recommended. When I did on line searches I only came up with names, no pic's. I have id'd some now, but I have one I can't find anything about. The leaves are thick and flat and only about 4 or 5 inches long.

Hi Katkin,

You might try Google image searches, being sure to spell it correctly (easy to mistake it), Sansevieria. After the initial search, isolate the search to Images & go into some of those sites to see if there are more pix.

Also try Desert-tropicals.com, it's been a while, but I suspect it some will have some pix & names (tho' they do make mistakes sometimes).

Try searching for Hermine Stover's book, which tho' out of print, I believe is now available to print in PDF format.

Hermine Stover's book is out of print, like Karen says, it is available on her web site which I believe is Endangered Speies ask Pirate girl. I dont have any other information in regards to this book, many names have changed since the book was published in l983. Hermine is on my forum. The new Succulent Handbook has a small chapter on Sansevieria but just a few pictures, and is regarde the most up to date and accurate. There is also the Sansevieria Journal which most of us belong. Alan Butler England, alanbrookside@tiscali.it or Sue Haffner regarding membership such@csufresnol.edu. I would post pictures here but don't how to use this format. I have a CD with pictures on the subject, which hasn't been corrected yet.
Also available are two books by Juan Chahinian:
The Sansevieria Trifasciata Varieties, and The Splendid Sanssevieria. The second book is in print I don't know about the the first book. There are also pictures of San. at The Ameature's Digest. There are mistake in every book I have searched so far. You need to know somthing in order to know the difference. I hope this will answer your questions. Norma

Glasshouse Works has a good sans section. search google.

Katkin, I found another location where they have pictures of San. would you believe Ebay, Sansevieria.home.search something like that I didn't get the rest of it. Good luck in finding this location, they do have pictures and the dealers that are selling them are pretty accurate. The buy it now is the best deal, but the postage for sending may be just to costly. If you choose to buy anything question the dealer, how big is the plant, the common plant specues will grow rapidly. The price will tell you who is who. Norma

Just clicking around and found the forum on Sansevieria. Discussing this house plant with family over the Thanksgiving Holiday. Mine is 43 years old. Was originally my Mothers plant (a gift in a floral arrangement). It has been frozen, has flowered at least three times (strong perfume), been divided and passed on (many times), actually saw the rhizomes break through a light-weight plastic pot. This is one durable plant. Does not have a deep root system. Would love to see it growing in it's natural habitat. The area must be impassable! Please find a link attatched below.........Dianne

Here is a link that might be useful: Sansevieria

Diane,
My father also has a plant that I remember from over forty years ago, and which has also withstood just about everything. When I found out a few years ago what it was, it was the beginning of my interest in Sansevierias.

Norma,
I don't know whether you'll see this, but now I know how to get hold of the Sansevieria Journal (I put the question in another thread). I buy my plants from Alan Butler: his nursery is here in Italy.

Melissa

Melissa- you are very lucky to be able to buy from Alan B.! I've seen his website and all I could do was salivate over the incredible varieties of Sans. Happy Growing!

GH

Growhappy,

Believe me, I know I'm lucky. If it weren't for Alan Butler and Ziad Al-Witri having moved their nursery to Italy a few years ago, it would be I who'd be salivating over all the Sansevierias you folks in the U.S. can get hold of, because here, otherwise, there's nothing but about four varieties of S. trifasciata that I've ever seen.

My interest in Sansevierias started just a couple of years ago, and is in great contrast to my dominant plant interest, which is roses and other hardy garden plants. I'm still in the experimental phase, just seeing whether I can keep my Sansevierias alive through the year and then get them to grow. So far the plants have been doing okay. I may proceed in time to more difficult or more expensive cultivars once I have a better idea of what I'm doing. At the moment, they have to get through four cold, dark months indoors before I move them outside, probably in late April. They enjoyed last summer under the wisteria pergola.

Melissa

Melissa,

Have you considered growing under lights during the winter months? It would be a great idea and your Sans would appreciate it! Just remember that Sans like to be kept on the drier side, especially during the winter months. I would love to be able to grow mine in a mix that contains pumice, but it's a pain trying to get it to the East coast! They do sell it at several California nurseries and I will buy some next Spring.

I've only been growing them for a little over one year, so don't have much experience. The ones I have have survived and some even thrived under my care, so I'm pleased. They really are easy plants to take care of. I've killed only one, I believe. LOL That was a temperamental S. Hahnii 'golden'. I still have one and am trying to do right by it so that it lives to see another year! Anyway, I have several trifasciata and hahnii varieties. You have to be careful not to get water into the crowns of the hahnii or else they will rot. Some cvs., such as 'Golden' Hahnii, need to be kept warm as well or they will die. I love them with all of their drama, though. LOL They pup as well, but they also grow more leaves through their centers.

I had to get my Sans winter fix before the cold weather set in. LOL So, in September or October?, I ordered from a California nursery: S. Patens, S. Hallii, S. Frosty Spears, S. Masoniana and S. Bantels Sensation. The Hallii was flowering when it arrived, so that was a special treat. I just noticed today that the Patens has a pup now. I love this one as the leaves look like sausages. LOL I still plan to get S. Pinguicula, which is spiky and somewhat blue, as well as some other varieties from Glasshouseworks next Spring. God, I love these plants!

You can see pics of my Sans here:

Here is a link that might be useful: Sansevieria Collection

Oh, Katkin, please try this website for pictures and possible ID help. I love the pictures!

Here is a link that might be useful: The Amateurs Digest

Growhappy,

I have thought about grow lights, but a combination of sloth, unhandiness, and a difficult spot to put lighting in have led to my not getting them, at any rate not yet. I know that I'll have to slow down on the watering, but this has been a warm fall and the Sansevierias, even indoors, are acting like they know it and are continuing to grow or flower. Even last year I watered my Sans and other succulents a little more often than I generally saw recommended, and at the worst it didn't seem to do any harm, i.e. everything lived and nothing got sick.

I'm a new Sansevierias grower as well, just two years or so (most of my plants acquired in the last year). I grow mine in a mixture made out of what's available to me: regular potting soil, coarse sand, and 'expanded clay', a construction material which is puffed dried clay, if you can imagine such a thing. I've never seen it in the U.S. Then I fertilize lightly with a slow-release fertilizer. I could probably do better, but I'm more interested right now in keeping my plants alive than I am in getting them to grow as fast as possible. Later I may become more ambitious and more exacting. But everything is alive and some plants are growing, so I'm pretty happy.

I got a Sansevieria fix in the fall, too! Six new varieties, which are now rooting in pots in the kitchen window. It's south-facing, and I know they don't like a lot of direct sun, but there's a deciduous pergola there and I figure that with the days so short it's probably better to put them where there's a fair amount of light and warmth, close to the stove. So far they seem to be doing okay. My procedure is heretical, I know, but I do believe in following one's intuition as well as reading up on cultural practices, and I do both.

You sound like you're having fun, too. Enjoy your Sansevierias!

Melissa

You asked how to ID them. I said "Get some good books?
Norma