We love snake plants and that’s because a snake plant is a hardy and attractive plant that isn’t hard to look after and looks nice in most places too.
But how much light do they need and will a snake plant survive low light levels or even without sunlight at all?
Yes, A Snake Plant Needs Some Sunlight
We recommend snake plants as the among the best plants for a bachelor pad, among the best indoor plants, and even the best plants for bathrooms! And that’s because they don’t need huge amounts of care but that doesn’t mean these plants are immortal, either.
Bluntly, no plant can survive without any sunlight – or to be precise without the ultra-violet components of sunlight.
That’s because these components allow the plant to go through photosynthesis and thus produce food. Without food, just like us, a snake plant will starve to death.
Indirect Sunlight Vs Direct Sunlight
Snake plants, originally, come from dry arid places and don’t spend too much time in direct sunlight, and don’t tend to get that much water either.
That means your snake plant would rather spend time in indirect light and, in fact, if you give them too much light they can die.
However, low light can also cause health problems for a snake plant.
Check the leaves on a snake plant and if they are dropping, move it somewhere with a little more natural light.
Direct Sunlight Is Bad For Snake Plants And Mother In Law’s Tongue Plants
Mother In Law’s Tongue is a type of snake plant and just like any other snake plant, it’s not a big fan of bright light.
So, that means you want a light that is reflected off another source rather than shining direct light from the sun to ensure that your snake plants thrive.
If you have a snake plant indoors and you can’t achieve this by placing the snake plant in bright indirect light anywhere in the room that is practical, place a sheer curtain over the window to break up any direct sunlight.
Will My Snake Plant Die Without Sunlight?
Yes. Snake plants prefer less light than many other indoor plants but snake plants grow in light just like any other plants do.
If you really can’t get sunlight to your snake plant leaves then you may need to invest in a grow light that will provide the ultra-violet light that your snake plants require.
However, most snake plants can get enough light through careful positioning in a room and you don’t need to spend any extra money on lighting systems.
Low light houseplants like snake plants are awesome because they’re hardy plants that don’t need much more than filtered light and a bit of fresh soil to keep going forever. They see very few insect problems too and that’s also good news.
Where Should I Put My Snake Plant?
We like to ensure our snake plant care regime leaves the plant near the light that spills off a window sill. That means we tend to keep ours in the bedroom or living room.
They only need a few hours of light source each day to thrive. How many hours? That will depend on the exact level of sun exposure they’re getting. If you think you see slow growth in your plant – you might want to give them a little more sunlight each day.
Final Notes
Snake plants are super flexible and hardy plants that don’t need a whole lot of looking after but they do need some care and that means a little indirect sunlight each and every day. That way they can feed themselves and grow happily.
