Snake plants, also called “Mother in law’s tongue” are one of the most popular house plants you can own. They’re one of the easiest house plants to care for, and boast some awesome air purifying powers. If you look closely at your friends’ plant collections, you’ll start to realize that there are SO many different types of snake plants out there.
From the most well-loved varieties to the ones you’ve never heard of, I think all snake plants possess a striking, architectural beauty unlike any other house plant. So, let’s explore the widely varied world of snake plant types together and maybe you’ll find one you just have to add to your collection!
Understanding Snake Plant Types
Let’s start with a little disclaimer, shall we? Classification of snake plants can be confusing because they recently switched from having their own genus, “sansevieria,” to joining the dracaena genus, under the same family as asparagus (wild, right?!) This gets extra tricky when you’re trying to figure out which one to group together for, I don’t know, a blog post? They also take on nicknames based on the individual variety’s characteristics, and these varieties can often get mislabeled or altered slightly.
Keep those details in mind as you search for your dream houseplant- you may want to try searching under each different name to increase your chances of finding the one you’re looking for. That said, I’ve gathered a list including from some of the prettiest, most popular, cutest, and rarest types of snake plants you can add to your house plant collection. I don’t know about you, but this really makes me want to start collecting them! So… let’s dive in!
Dracaena trifasciata (previously Sansevieria trifasciata)
Dracaena Trifasciata are what you probably picture when you think of snake plants. These are well loved as house plants and make excellent decorative additions to your indoor garden. There are many types of snake plants within the Sansevieria Trifasciata category- check out some of our favorites below.
1. Sansevieria / Dracaena Trifasciata ‘Laurentii’ (Golden Snake Plant)
Known for its yellow-edged, upright leaves, this one might be the most popular snake plant of them all.
2. Sansevieria / Dracaena Trifasciata ‘Black Gold’
Dark green leaves with bright golden-yellow edges, the ‘black gold’ snake plant is similar to the Laurentii, but with more contrast.
3. Sansevieria / Dracaena Trifasciata ‘Futura Robusta’
This little guy is a great addition to your indoor garden collection and looks great on a shelf next to your favorite decor. This compact variety has beautiful silvery-green leaves.
4. Sansevieria / Dracaena Trifasciata ‘Hahnii’ (‘Bird’s Nest’ Snake Plant)
The bird’s nest snake plant doesn’t fit the mold of the rest of the trifasciata varieties- this one forms a rosette of green leaves with gray-green horizontal stripes. I think this one is so cute!
5. Sansevieria / Dracaena Trifasciata ‘Moonshine’
The moonshine snake plant boasts silvery-green leaves that can almost appear fluorescent under certain lighting.
6. Sansevieria / Dracaena Trifasciata ‘Twisted Sister’
This variety features uniquely twisted, green leaves with yellow variegated edges. Perfect to add some wild vibes to your plant collection.
Dracaena Cylindrica
Tubular, cylindrical leaves are the hallmark of Dracaena Cylindrica. These types of snakes plants are generally more rigid than the trifasciata types and cannot be bent, however they are often grown into a braided shape gradually for a decorative effect.
7. Sansevieria / Dracaena Cylindrica / Angolensi “monster fingers”
Their tubular, upright leaves grow straight out of the ground in a line, as if they belong to a hand reaching out of the earth.
8. Sansevieria / Dracaena Cylindrica ‘Angolensi’ (‘African Spear‘)
The “African Spear” snake plant looks similar to the monster fingers, but with leaves that grow a bit wilder instead of straight and rigid.
9. Sansevieria / Dracaena Cylindrica “Sansiam Shabiki”
For a cute, compact snake plant that’ll fit in with your succulent collection, opt of the Sansiam Shabiki.
10. Sansevieria / Dracaena Cylindrica Boncel “Starfish”
This one fits its name quite well! The Starfish snake plant’s leaves grow plump and out into a star pattern, so it ends up looking more like the sea creature than a houseplant.
11. Dracaena Cylindrica “Black Diamond Snake Plant”
The Black Diamond snake plant looks more like a typical snake plant than rest of the cylindrica varieties, and really brings the drama with its deep green coloration.
Dracacena Pethera (Sansevieria ‘Kirkii’)
These types of snake plants are a bit harder to come by than most, but worth the search for their unique pattern and coloration.
12. Dracaena pethera var. pulchra (Sansevieria ‘kirkii’) ‘Coppertone’
This plant’s wide leaves have a beautiful pattern to them. Yes, I do think the ‘Coppertone’ type looks a tiny bit… sickly. BUT, I do think it’s got a unique beauty to it, and would be great to add some color variety to your plant collection.
13. Dracaena Pethera (Sansevieria kirkii) ‘Silver Blue‘
Similar to coppertone in pattern, the ‘silver blue’ variety has dusty, muted blue-green color that is absolutely gorgeous.
More Types of Snake Plants
There are more beautiful and intriguing types of snake plants to choose from, don’t you worry! The rest of these did not fit into any of the above categories but just had to join the list because they are so pretty!
14. Sansevieria / Dracaena Fernwood Mikado
With a grassy growth habit, the Fernwood Mikado snake plant is sure to add some lush, dense greenery to your home.
15. Sansevieria Ehrenbergii / Dracaena hanningtonii (‘Samurai Dwarf Snake’ Plant)
Known for its blue-green leaves and red-tinted edges, this little cutie looks great amongst a collection of succulents.
16. Sansevieria / Dracaena Zeylanica
Though this one looks like many of the snakes plants in the Trfasciata group, it stands alone as far I could find (please let me know if you know otherwise!). This variety features dark green leaves with lighter green cross banding.
17. Sansevieria Dracaena Bacularis ‘Mikado’
If you want a similar look to a Sansevieria/Dracaena Cylindrica, this snake plant could be rich for you. It’s got upright cylindrical leaves with dark green coloring, and while it looks similar to the Fernwood Mikado, it tends to stay a bit tidier in its growth habit.
18. Sansevieria / Dracaena Masoniana (Whale Fin Snake Plant)
Known for its uniquely wide, paddle-like leaves, the whale fin snake plant is aptly named. Those large leaves are great for making statement amongst other houseplants in your collection.
19. Sansevieria / Dracaena Patens
The leaves of the Dracaena Patens are round and plump, growing in random direction from a central rosette. This makes for a fun and wild growth habit in an otherwise compact snake plant variety.
20. Sansevieria / Dracaena Parva (Kenya Hyacinth)
This smaller variety has narrow leaves, and when it blooms, a wonderfully pleasant fragrance. It’s pretty rare to get your snake plants to bloom, but if you can mange it with any variety, try to make it this one!
Where to buy snake plants
Most of the more common types of snake plants can be found at Home Depot or Lowe’s, any plant shop, and sometimes even the floral department at the grocery store.
If you’re looking for some of the more rare varieties, I would suggest first stopping by a local plant shop. I you don’t see what you’re looking for, simply ask! You never know what they might be getting in soon that just isn’t stocked yet.
Where to buy rare types of snake plants
Ready to really go down a rabbit hole? If you want to find rare types of snake plants, online shops might be your best bet. I really like Etsy for finding any kind of rare and different plants, seeds, or bulbs. It’s fun to support small businesses, but you also have to remember to check reviews and make sure you’re buying from a trustworthy seller. I included links to many Etsy sellers in the photos of snake plants throughout this post if I could find the variety, so check above first!
Another option is to check some online plant shops. A few I like include The Sill, Lively Root, Horti, Bloomscape, and Rooted.
Share your indoor plant collection!
I hope you feel inspired to grow your collection of house plants with some more types of snake plants! They can add some really fun colors, patterns, and shapes to any collection. We’d love to hear about your favorite snake plants in the comments below, and share photos with us on social!
Looking for more indoor plant inspiration? Check out our list of easy DIY indoor greenhouses to give your plant babies a luxurious new home, then head on over to our list of best low light indoor plants to find some low maintenance additions. And be sure to check out our tips on winter houseplant care to ensure they thrive through the cold!