Species · genus Dracaena · Asparagaceae

Iguanatail

Sansevieria hyacinthoides (L.) Druce

Also known as: African Bowstring-hemp · Bowstring Hemp · Mother-in-law’s Tongue

Growth habit

rhizomatous geophyte

Reference · S. hyacinthoides

Cultivars of S. hyacinthoides

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under S. hyacinthoides yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

Sansevieria hyacinthoides is a rhizomatous geophyte that stores water in thick leaves and a fleshy rhizome, so it tolerates drought far better than standing wet. Let the mix dry out almost completely and water only when the top several inches feel dry, then water deeply in a gritty, fast-draining medium. It accepts a range of light but holds up best in bright indirect light, and an overwatered rhizome rots readily.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 14-28d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 28 days

Humidity

Low — average room

Temperature

15–29 °C

Soil mix

Free-draining sandy or succulent mix

Propagation

Division of rhizomes or offsets

Fertilizing

Light succulent feed once or twice in the growing season

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Occasionally sends up small fragrant blooms

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs

Snake plant — saponins; nausea, vomiting, drooling. This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 14-28d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ASPCA

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Iguanatail yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.