The snake plant needs less care and it is almost hard to kill. This is the reason new growers like to have snake plants in their plant collection.
It can tolerate a variety of temperature and humidity levels.
But snake plants cannot survive in extreme conditions. There is a temperature tolerance range for this plant.
Below or above this range is deadly for the plant’s survival.
The general recommended temperature range for the survival of snake plants is 70 to 90 degrees F. It can tolerate low temperatures up to 10 degrees C for a limited time. Wrinkled leaves, cracking leaves, yellow leaves, and brown leaf edges are some common signs of snake plant temperature stress.
In this post, you will know what is the best temperature range for snake plants and how will you know if your plant is under temperature stress.
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What Temperature is Too Low for Snake Plant Survival?
Snake plants are hardy plants means they can tolerate very low temperatures for a long period of time.
But if the temperature drops below 10 degrees C, then your mother-in-law’s tongue will die in a few hours.
There is a temperature limit for every plant.
70% of the Sansevieria varieties need warm weather to grow healthy. Dark leaves and brown spots on leaves are the two early signs of cold damage in snake plants.
Immediately change the location of your plant and keep it in a warm room for some days. Cut the dead and damaged leaves with a sterilized knife.
Do not water without checking the soil moisture.
Your plant will regain its health in 7 to 12 days.
What is the Ideal Temperature for Snake Plants?
The temperature range of a plant depends upon its natural growing environment. It is an African native plant.
We all know Africa has long hot summers. The general temperature of African countries is between 20 to 30 degrees C.
This means your snake plant needs warm weather. In North America, you need to keep the temperature between 65 degrees F to 95 degrees F.
This is the best temperature range for all types of snake plant species.
Houseplants grow healthy and rapidly in the optimum temperature range. Therefore, maintaining a good temperature in grow room is highly important.
How to Grow Snake Plants in Extreme Temperatures?
Houseplant lovers want snake plants in their indoor plant collection at any cost. They do multiple arrangements to give comfort to their growing plant.
Below are the simple tips for protecting a snake plant in extreme temperatures:
- Move your plant pots to the shady patio or grow them under the large plants for sun protection.
- Always use a thick layer of mulch to cover the potting soil. Mulch acts as a insulate that protect plant roots from heat and cold.
- Arrange some shade for grounded plants. Especially in the afternoon to protect your plants from highly intense sharp sun rays.
- Use row covers that are light in weight and cover the plants of your outdoor garden.
- In hot summer water your snake plants in the evening.
- In the winter season stop fertilizing and water your plant less frequently. Do not place them near the doorways and open windows.
What are the Signs of Extreme Temperature Stress in Snake Plants?
Hot temperature, cold weather, heatwave, and cold drafts can significantly damage the leaves of your snake plant.
Below are the warning signs of high-temperature stress:
Curled or Wrinkled Leaves
Leaves are the first part of plants that face high-temperature stress. Snake plant leaves get curled or wrinkled when exposed to high temperatures.
The water stored in the leaves gets evaporated. This shrinks the size of the leaves and gives wrinkles.
At high temperatures, the potting soil becomes dry in a few hours. The respiration Process of plants also uses lots of water.
In the absence of adequate moisture in the soil, the plant starts using water stored in the leaves.
It uses every single drop that is left in leaves for its survival.
This put your plant under survival stress and you see curled leaves with lots of wrinkles. There are two reasons responsible.
One is high temperature and the second is you forget to water your plant for a long period of time.
Sunscald
In simple language, it means a high degree of sunburn in plants. This is a result of continuous exposure to hot and sharp sun rays.
Early signs of sunburn are brown leaf edges and scorched leaf surfaces. In some cases, you will see dark patches on leaves with redness.
Later, the foliage turns brown, crispy, and hard.
You will also observe dry soil because in direct sunlight snake plants use lots of water to make moisture balance in their leaves.
Once the soil loses all its moisture your plant becomes unable to protect itself from harsh sun rays.
Other signs are:
- White or bleached leaves
- Brown edges
- Slower growth
- Burned leaf edges
- Dark patched on the leaves
- Less yellow variegation
To save the sunscald snake plant, immediately move it to a less bright place. Where harsh sunrays cannot touch its leaves.
Also, give some filtered water to give it instant comfort.
After 2 days you should cut the brown and crispy snake plant leaves.
Dark Black Spots or Foliage
Healthy snake plant foliage is green with silver and yellow variations. The beautiful patterns on the leaves are signs of good health.
Dark spots on leaves and blackened foliage are the signs of heat stress or heat damage.
In too high temperatures the leaves lose their water and turn crispy brown.
Root rot and overwatering are also responsible for blackened foliage. But you can figure out whether it is due to excessive water or extra heat.
This is the reason I always advise growers to install a room temperature monitor near plants.
To avoid black leaves, make sure your plant is not getting direct sunlight. Place it a few feet away from the sunny window.
Rotate the pot for the equal distribution of light. Otherwise, one portion of the plant gets more light than the other.
This imbalance results in overexposing half of the plant to light.
Cracking leaves
If you are observing the splitting leaves of your snake plant. This indicates that your lovely plant is suffering from heat stress.
Actually, at high temperatures, the plant loses its moisture. This shrinks the plant leaves.
When you water the soil the roots send a high amount of water to plant cells.
This sudden overflow to shrink leaf tissues results in leaf splitting due to cell wall damage.
Other causes of leaf splitting are:
- Excessive use of water
- Dry potting soil
- Boron deficiency
- Pest infestation
- High heat stress
Brown Leaf Tips
Brown and crispy leaves are the first signs of heat stress in snake plants. Excessive water or underwatering can lead to brown tips.
Another major reason is the high temperature and hot air in grow room.
Hot weather burns the leaf tissues as a result leaves get dark brown spots.
These spots do not have specific shapes or sizes. Their size depends upon the degree of tissue damage.
Can You Grow Snake Plant Outside in winter?
Snake plants cannot tolerate extremely cold temperatures and cold winds. Temperature below 10 degrees C is harmful the plant health.
Therefore, you should not try to grow snakes outside in the winter season.
It is best to grow snake plants in pots and place them in an outdoor garden. Once the temperature gets cold move the pots indoors.
This way you have the option to move your plant to any location of your choice.
Is it Possible to grow a snake plant in the Ground?
You can grow all species of snake plant family directly in the ground. Just make sure they get a good amount of indirect bright light.
Water them regularly in hot weather, and arrange shade for them to protect them from summer hot waves.
But there is one problem with grounded snake plants. You cannot move them indoors in too cold a temperature.
Your plants will die if you live in cold areas.
Moreover, the snake plant is a decorative plant and most people grow them in containers and place them indoors and outdoors as per the requirement.
