How to Grow and Care for the African Spear Plant

The African spear plant, also commonly known as the cylindrical snake plant, is a succulent houseplant that consists of spear-like, pointy-tipped, gray-green, subtly striped leaves. African spear plants grow best in hot, dry climates with sandy, well-draining soil, preferring morning sun to afternoon sun and temperatures above 50°F. This plant is toxic to pets. Read on for our care guide.

African Spear Plant Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing an African spear plant:

• Thrives as a rootbound plant
• Needs little water and fertilizer
• Prefers neglect in winter
• Requires well-draining, sandy soil
• Give morning sun exposure instead of powerful afternoon sun
  

Light

These plants can tolerate somewhat low light conditions but prefer full sunlight or bright filtered light. Outdoors, these plants appreciate the morning sun but should be protected from the direct hot afternoon sun. Indoors, they like a bright north-facing window. Strong light can cause the leaves to yellow around the edges, and too little light can result in subpar leaf growth.

Soil

Like most succulents, these plants prefer sandy soil that has excellent drainage and doesn’t retain water. A potting mix made especially for succulents or cacti is ideal.

Water

African spear plants can survive prolonged periods of drought. Being left in soggy soil or standing water for too long can cause the roots to rot. Let the soil dry out between waterings, then water the plant deeply. Watering every week to every other week is generally enough.

If you’re growing your plant in a container, empty the saucer of any excess water that comes through the drainage holes.

Temperature and Humidity

These succulents grow naturally in hot, dry climates, and cold temperatures can damage or kill them. Make sure they remain in temperatures above 50°F. That includes protecting them from cool drafts, such as those from air conditioners. Humidity usually isn’t an issue as long as the soil isn’t saturated.

Fertilizer

African spear plants can live in lean soil, and they don’t require much fertilizer. Feed them with a succulent fertilizer diluted to half strength monthly from spring to fall.

Types of African Spear Plant

When grown in an environment that mimics its native habitat in Angola, African spear plants might send up a long flower spike from their center that's full of tiny, delicate, white blooms. There are just a few varieties of African spear plants available, including:

• Dracaena cylindrica 'Spaghetti': This cultivar features especially thin leaves.
• Dracaena cylindrica 'Skyline': This cultivar sports large, erect leaves.
• Dracaena cylindrica 'Patula': This plant's leaves grow outward and bend down more than most other varieties.

Pruning

You typically won’t have any pruning on this plant, but you can remove leaves that have yellowed or otherwise discolored for aesthetic purposes. Cut them at their base with sterilized pruning shears. The long spear-like leaves of this plant can also be braided for an aesthetically pleasing look.

Propagating African Spear Plant

African spear plants can be propagated by planting seeds, division, or replanting offshoots or "pups" as they emerge from the parent plant. They are best planted at the start of the growing season in the spring. In the wild, they grow in dense groupings, spreading by creeping rhizomes under the soil.Here's how to divide African spear plants:

1. You will need two containers with fresh, well-draining potting mix.
2. Remove the plant from the pot.
3. Gently separate a clump of stems from the main rootball.
4. Repot both clumps into pots with fresh, peat-free compost. Put at least one inch of fresh soil at the bottom of the pot. Put the new root section in the middle of the pot and fill in the sides around the new root section.
5. Give water, watching it drain out of the drain holes. Do not water again until the soil is completely dried out.
   

Pups or offshoots that emerge from the base of the parent plant can also be removed and replanted into a new container, the same way as you would if you were dividing the plant. Wait until these baby plants are at least 6 inches high before cutting them off from the main plant and planting them separately.

How to Grow African Spear Plants From Seeds

Seed propagation is more complex than division, mainly because seeds are harder to come by and have low germination success. Germination can take up to six weeks if it occurs at all. Here's how to grow African spear plants from seeds:

1. To prepare seeds for planting, soak them in room-temperature water for three to five days.
2. Fill a small pot with seed starting mix, moistening the substrate.
3. Sprinkle the seeds over the top of the mix.
4. Lightly cover with a thin smattering of mix.
5. Place the pot on a warming mat or in a warm spot at 68 to 80°F with bright, indirect light.
6. Cover the pot with a plastic bag or wrap to create a greenhouse-like atmosphere.
7. Once a day, open the plastic covering, giving fresh air to the plant for about an hour.
8. Upon noticing growth, entirely remove the plastic.
   

Potting and Repotting African Spear Plant

African spear plants can thrive being root-bound in a pot. If you’re growing your plant in a container, you likely won’t have to repot it more than every few years once the roots start noticeably growing out of the pot.

Move it to just one container size up, as its roots still will like being a little cramped. A heavy pot that is shallow and wide is best, as it will anchor the weight of the leaves; otherwise, your plant might easily tip over. Also, be sure the pot has ample drainage holes.

Common Pest & Plant Diseases

African spear plants are hardy succulents that don’t typically have problems with diseases or pests. Their most common disease is root rot, a fungal disease that affects plants that do not like wet soil. The best way to avoid this disease is to plant African spear plants in fast, well-draining soil, give water only when the soil is dried out, and ensure the pot has ample drainage holes so the plant does not sit in standing water.

African spear plants rarely get bug infestations; however, mealybugs and spider mites will occasionally bother this plant. Use an insecticidal soap on its leaves to remove and kill the insects.

Overwintering

African spear plants go dormant in the winter. During the winter months, wait longer between your waterings than you did during the growing season. Watering roughly once a month should be fine. You'll also want to skip fertilizer in the winter.

How to Get African Spear Plant to Bloom

African spear plants will occasionally to rarelybloom in a container.

Bloom Months

An African spear plant blooming is a sporadic event, not tied to a month, but may occur in winter in anticipation of the spring growing season.

How Long Does African Spear Plant Bloom?

If it blooms, African spear plant blooms for about two weeks. It's never a guarantee they will bloom, and they may not bloom again the following year.

What Do African Spear Plants Flowers Look and Smell Like?

When it blooms, an African spear plant shoots up a flower stalk from its base. It appears like a lone, unbranched, 2-to-3-foot long stem with numerous little, 1-inch long white flowers all along its stem. They don't look unique or remarkable, although they have a sweet vanilla or jasmine-like fragrance.

How to Encourage More Blooms

To encourage blooms, consider giving a phosphorus-rich fertilizer. Phosphorus spurs plants to produce flowers and fruits, while nitrogen encourages more leaf production. Deadheading does not do anything for this plant.

Common Problems With African Spear Plants

African spear plants are generally low maintenance and not overly picky about their growing conditions. They are slow-growing succulents that will survive if you forget to water or feed them.

Leaves Turning Yellow

Leaves turn yellow when given too much water, inadequate or too much light, or cold temperatures. To prevent these conditions, only water when the soil is dry. Keep the plant in temperatures above 50°F, and keep the plant in a sunny spot with indirect light.

Plant Topples Over

African spear plants can get top-heavy since they have fleshy leaves, commonly small pots, and are kept in dry soil. Moist soils typically weigh down a pot, but this plant does not like soggy soil.

To prevent the plant from falling over, plant it in a heavier pot, like a clay or terra-cotta pot. You can also weigh down the pot by using rocks or a heavier sandy substrate.

From: thespruce