Sansevieria Futura Superba Care & Propagation

Last Updated on April 14, 2022 by Admin

The Sansevieria Futura Superba is a snake plant variety that looks very much like the common plant. But it is shorter, and the leaves are wider.

Its scientific name is Sansevieria trifasciata “Futura Superba”.

That said, its leaf colors, texture and yellow borders are as close as you can get to the original snake plant.

It is a native of Africa and perfect for beginners because of its size, low maintenance, hard to kill and ability to tolerate lots of neglect. It also has a long lifespan.

The plant is drought tolerant as well.

How do your care for the Sansevieria Futura Superba? It can take just about any lighting condition include low light indoors.

This makes it easy to care for even if you don’t have windows in your home or office. It will be happy with fluorescent ceiling lights like those you see in offices.

Keep the plant in warm location with humidity of around 40%. Only water when the soil is almost completely dry.

Table of Contents

Sansevieria Futura Superba Plant Care

Light Requirements

The Sansevieria Futura Superba tolerates a very wide range of lighting conditions. As with most houseplants, it enjoys medium to bright, indirect light.

But one of the things that make this plant easy to care for is that it does well in low light.

Often when people tell you low light, they are referring to shade which is outdoor lighting. Keep in mind that light outside is always brighter than inside your home or office.

That’s because the indoors are covered with walls and ceilings.

So, the only light that comes in is through windows or other accesses.

What’s great about the Sansevieria Futura Superba is it will do well with low light indoors.

Better yet, it does not need natural light. You can use fluorescent light and it won’t mind at all. This is why it is often found in homes, apartments, offices, hospital rooms, hotel lobbies and areas with enclosed spaces or rooms with no windows.

The only thing it has a problem with is very strong light.

Intense direct sunlight coming from the south or west window during noon and mid afternoon can scorch its leaves.

These are the hottest times of the day. And the Sansevieria Futura Superba cannot tolerate more than a couple of hours or so of this kind of exposure regularly.

Outdoors, it will grow best in partial shade. Avoid full sun.

Temperature

The Sansevieria Futura Superba is a tropical plant. As such, it enjoys temperatures between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

The plant can also tolerate higher temperatures without any problems.

But when doing so, make sure to keep it well-hydrated. If it gets dehydrated it will have a harder time with high temperatures.

Because of its temperature preference, the Sansevieria Futura Superba is perfect for indoor growing.

It easily adjusts to just about any home since most indoor environments maintain temperatures between 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

However, the outdoors is a different story.

That’s because outdoor temperature can vary a lot depending on where you live.

If you live in tropical, subtropical or Mediterranean climates, then there is no problem. The weather stays fairly constant. And you regularly get sunshine and warm conditions.

So, if you live in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11, the Sansevieria Futura Superba will love the outdoors. And it can stay there all year round including from November to March.

However, if you live in colder regions where there are winters, then the plant is better off indoors as a houseplant.

You can still take it outside once the warm weather comes around mid Spring. But make sure to bring it back indoors once temperature near 45 degrees around mid-Fall.

The plant’s temperature tolerance is 45 degrees Fahrenheit and it will have a hard time with anything below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Humidity

The Sansevieria Futura Superba enjoys humidity of 40% and higher. It does not need much higher than that to thrive though.

This is why it is easy to care for indoors.

Most homes have humidity between 20% to 50%. This means that it falls within the average range.

The only places where it will need some help are if you live in the desert or desert-like locations. States such as Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico are some examples.

And they are the three lowest humidity states.

There humidity can average in the high 20s to low or mid 30s, depending on your microclimate.

Of course, some areas in those states have higher humidity as well.

But outside of these, the Sansevieria Futura Superba will easily be happy with humidity. Even offices with heaters or air conditioning have humidity between 30% to 40%.

So, it does well there too.

How Often to Water Sansevieria Futura Superba

The Sansevieria Futura Superba is drought tolerant. And it can tolerate going a month without watering.

On the other hand, it does not like being overwatered.

In fact, when many people say that snake plants are “indestructible”, that’s actually a myth.

And their number one weakness is excess water.

Therefore, never water this plant too much. You can actually end up killing it with generosity.

As such, the best ways to water the Sansevieria Futura Superba is to allow the soil to completely dry. Then add water.

Again, this is another feature that makes the plant easy to care for. It is low maintenance.

As such if you have a busy lifestyle, it is a good plant to have. This is likewise the case if you find yourself often forgetting to water your houseplants.

The Sansevieria Futura Superba does not mind underwatering as much as it does overwatering. And it can quickly recover from an underwatered state.

The key here is to just allow the entire root ball to dry, then water.

Avoid trying to be too nice to the plant and give it water before then. Your generosity can actually end up giving the plant problems.

Sansevieria Futura Superba Potting Soil

The Sansevieria Futura Superba needs well-draining soil. This is in order to avoid overwatering.

And the reason that overwatering can be very dangerous for this houseplant is that it can lead to root rot.

As such, excess watering not only turns the plant’s leaves yellow and mushy, it can also destroy the roots over time.

The worst part about this is that the roots are hidden under the soil. So, you won’t be able to see the damage until the symptoms reach its leaves.

By that time, there’s already some damage done to the roots.

The simplest way to find a good potting soil for the Sansevieria Futura Superba is to choose a cactus and succulent potting mix. This works great for the plant.

And you can easily get them from just about any plant store.

On the other hand, you can also make your own potting soil at home. When doing so, always make sure it contains some kind of drainage to get rid of excess moisture quickly.

Here’s a simple DIY potting mix for the Sansevieria Futura Superba which works really well. Just combine:

1 part potting mix
1 part peat moss (or if you’re environmentally friendly, coco coir)
2 parts of perlite (you can use coarse sand as well)

I’ve included substitutes so you can choose from different ingredients in case you already have one or the other at home.

Note that while sand will work for drainage, I do have a knack on it.

The downside to using sand is that it does get compacted over time. So, if you plan on repotting less than once a year, it is a good idea to replace the soil if you use sand.

That’ way you reduce the possibility of compacting.

Finally, it is important to use a pot with drainage. Otherwise, the excess liquid will have nowhere to exit.

So, what happens is that it ends up accumulating at the bottom of the pot keeping the soil wet.

Fertilizer

The Sansevieria Futura Superba will appreciate fertilizer. However, it only needs very little.

Therefore, depending on the kind of soil you use, you may not need to feed the plant at all.

To give you an idea, feeding and not feeding the plant makes just a little difference. The main thing would be slower growth. But not much else.

So, you want to be very careful about giving it full doses or lots of fertilizer.

In fact, if the soil mix you use already contains organic compost, you won’t need to feed it extra fertilizer. That’s because the compost has all the nutrients its needs.

If this is the case, you can add a new layer of compost on the top of the soil every spring. this will give it what it needs.

That said, if you’re using regular potting mix or a peat-based mix, these will have no compost or organic matter added to them.

In this case, you’ll want to give the plant a little bit of fertilizer.

You can use a general purpose fertilizer and dilute it. Or you can likewise use liquid cactus fertilizer. Only feed once a month during spring and summer.

Stop feeding by fall. The plant does not need fertilizer during the fall or winter.

Pruning

The Sansevieria Futura Superba usually grows to between 1 and 2 feet tall. In most cases, it will end up somewhere in the middle of that range.

The plant is likewise a slow grower.

And its growth rate varies depending on how much light it gets. The lower light you give it, the slower it will grow.

However, with proper care (which is very little) it will live for a very long time. It can live for 25 or more years as long as you give it what it needs.

Even better, it does not need much repotting. I’ve seen many growers keep their Sansevieria Futura Superba in the same pot anywhere between 4 to 10 years.

Again, this makes it easy to care for and very low maintenance.

Similarly, there is no pruning needed.

Of course, you do want to remove any discolored or damage leaves. You can likewise prune to encourage more growth if you want it to look thicker.

How to Propagate Sansevieria Futura Superba

The Sansevieria Futura Superba can be propagated in many ways. Therefore, it is your choice on how to do it.

These are the 4 common ways to do it.

Leaf cuttings
Rhizome cuttings
Division
From offsets or pups

The easiest if taking the pups from the mother plant. You’ll see these at the base of the plant. But don’t just take them all.

Instead, look for the bigger ones at least a few inches long. These have a better chance of surviving on their own.

You can separate them from the parent and plant the pups in their own container.

Use well-draining soil and leaves the pot un bright indirect light to grow. In time, they will grow into small Sansevieria Futura Superba plants.

Unfortunately, the downside of propagating from pups is that the plant won’t always produce them.

So, your timing will depend on the plant.

This is why the other propagation methods are more reliable. Although, they take a bit more work.

For home gardeners, the most popular way to propagate Sansevieria Futura Superba is via leaf cuttings.

With leaf cuttings, you can propagate in water or soil.

To propagate the Sansevieria Futura Superba from leaf cuttings.

Choose a larger leaf that is healthy with no damage.
Take a sterile pair or shear and cut the leaf close to the base.
Place the cut end of the leaf in a container filled with water. Only let about a quarter of the leaf submerge in the liquid.
Put the water container in bright, indirect light. And change the water every few days.
In a while, you’ll see roots develop from the leaf. Once they get a bit longer, you can move the leaf and plant it into a pot with well-draining soil.

How to Repot or Transplant Sansevieria Futura Superba

Again, the Sansevieria Futura Superba is very low maintenance when it comes to repotting.

The plant likes to be pot bound. So, you can take your time.

Additionally, the plant is s a slow grower. And if you leave in in low light, it will grow even slower.

In general, the Sansevieria Futura Superba only needs repotting once every 3 to 5 years. And its roots will happily take their time filling the plant.

Once the pot gets crowded, then it is time to repot.

This is a strong plant whose roots can really fill pots. I’ve seen them break pots as the containers become too small for it.

Obviously, if this happens, to you, it means you’ll need to repot to a slightly bigger container.

When repotting, only go up one container size.

Carefully take the Sansevieria Futura Superba out of its pot and remove the old soil. You’ll also see plantlets or babies.

If they’re large enough, you can separate them from the mother plant can plant them in their own pot with similar kind of soil you used for the parent plant.

These offsets or plantlets will eventually grow into full sized Sansevieria Futura Superba. As such, this is the easiest way to propagate the plant.

Then repot the mother plant into a slightly larger container and fill it with well-draining soil.

Is It Toxic/Poisonous to Humans, Cats & Dogs

Yes, the Sansevieria Futura Superba is toxic to both humans and animals including cats and dogs. Therefore, keep the plant away from their reach as they may accidentally chew on its leaves.

Pets especially like to nibble or eat its unique looking foliage out of fun or curiosity.

Sansevieria Futura Superba Problems & Troubleshooting

Pests

The Sansevieria Futura Superba is susceptible to pests. The most common are mealybugs and spider mites. However, it can likewise get other bugs including aphids, thrips and even moths.

Therefore, it is very important to keep an eye out for these insects.

Many of them are sap suckers. Therefore, can damage the leaves of the plant.

When they turn into infestations, you may end up having to discard your plant altogether. As such, don’t take these small bugs for granted.

They grow very quickly in number.

Diseases

Root rot is the biggest thing to watch out for. That’s because the Sansevieria Futura Superba does not like being overwatered.

And doing so will cause it to get into trouble.

To ensure this, it is a good idea to take a 3-pronged approach. This includes:

Waiting until the soil completely dries before adding water.
Using well-draining soil
Using a pot with drainage holes

Together, they’ll help you avoid overwatering and waterlogged soil. This way you won’t have to worry about root rot.