Sansevieria parva

Kenya hyacinth
Long, thin, pointed leaves. Succulent spreads into dense colonies in dry shade, cascades from pots with time. Infrequent pale flowers are night fragrant. Hardiest of the sansevieria.
Sansevieria parva
height 12–18in
width 12–18in
tolerates Cool Summers, Drought, Pots, Neglect
water
needs		 When soil is completely dry.
water
info		 Sanevieria are some of the toughest plants out there, as long as you let them go dry between waterings. Generally indoors this will mean watering every three to five weeks. We know a grower who swears by watering their Sansevieria “whenever the rent is due.“
hardy
to		 35F
exposure Bright Indirect
indoor
outdoor		 Indoor
drainage In Ground: Cactus Mix, In Pots: Cactus Mix
fertilizing All Purpose
origin East Africa
california
native		 No
sunset
zones		 17, 21–H2

Sunset Zones Map

Indoor Exposure Guide

INDOOR EXPOSURE GUIDE

Direct Sun
Beams of light hitting the plant near a window four or more hours a day. The most intense light. If you're in a direct sun spot, you can feel the warmth of the sun on your skin.

Partial Direct
Occurs when you have a plant that is in less intense direct sunlight. This happens when a plant is in a few hours of direct morning sun, or an hour or less of direct afternoon sun. It also happens when a plant is in direct sun, but more than six feet from a window, where the light is diffused.

Bright Indirect
This is just beyond the direct beam of light (or through cracked blinds or a sheer curtain filtering direct sun). Bright indirect areas are characterized by a place where you can sit and read a novel comfortably without artificial light.

Moderate Indirect
Beyond the bright indirect light. In these areas you wouldn't turn on a light walking through the room, but if you were hanging out there you would probably have the lights on, even during the day.

Low Light
Dim spots, usually the backs of rooms or hallways where you would always turn lights on, even if just walking in to grab something.

SUNSET ZONES MAP

Growing Notes

Good drainage is critical to Sansevieria care.
The leaves of this plant last years, even decades. They will over time get dull looking and show physical damage; when they do you can thin them out at or just below the soil surface.
Most sansevieria are rhizomatous, meaning that they spread by thick underground (or sometimes above ground) shoots called rhizomes. It’s very easy to propagate your sansevieria by finding a growth point and following the fleshy rhizome back to the previous growth point. Cut it there and replant the rhizome, with roots and all. Those with above ground shoots can be removed and planted once you see roots forming along the rhizome.
This plant tolerates low light more than almost any other plant, but would prefer to grow in as bright a room as possible as long as sunbeams are not directly hitting the leaves.

Special Interest

Occasionally Sansevieria will bloom with delicate waxy flowers that have a strong pleasing scent, the source of the common name, Kenya hyacinth.

More Info

This plant has been raised to live indoors; however, it can also grow outdoors in mild areas of California. Keep in mind that the plant will go through a stressful transition, especially if moved outside in particularly hot, cold, or wet weather. Even if this plant will eventually thrive in direct sunlight, it has not been grown in this level of light, so if you plant it in direct sun, just expect that the leaves may burn at first, then happily regrow as they acclimate to the new levels of light. Planting in the spring or fall will help with this transition.