ophidian plants are tough : they propagate easily , do n’t want much water , and permit full sun and cryptic tint likewise .
However , these awesome traits present a double - edged sword . It ’s easy for mintage such asDracaena trifasciatato spread in ideal conditions outdoors … too easy .
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A snake plant does n’t know or care where its designated space in your garden begins or stop – if it has the elbow room and resourcefulness to expand , it will do so if planted in the primer in a suitable clime .
And while this spreading riding habit help it to hold out , it can throw a twist into your landscape design design .
Having an invasive coinage growing in your garden does n’t do your other specimens any favors , either . Not to mention the possible effects it can have on the ecosystem at large .
This scout will help you manage any unwanted specimens in your landscape .
Necessary background information , ascendance protocols , unclouded reasons to keep these cat under control – it ’s all covered here .
Check out what ’s to come :
What You’ll Learn
What Are Snake Plants?
Formerly honoring the Italian polymath and seventh Prince of San Severo , Raimondo di Sangro , allSansevieriaspecies were latterly reclassify as members of theDracaenagenus alongside existingDracaenaspecies , such asD. dracoandD. reflexa .
Though all coinage formerly classified asSansevieriaare know commonly as snake plants , all species ofDracaenaare not .
And some of these are more likely to become invasive in rest home garden than others .
aboriginal to the tropical zone of western Africa and hardy to USDA geographical zone 9 to 12 , these clopping evergreen plant perennials stomach a wide range of grow conditions .
The keen adaptability of these species makes them wonderful additions to the garden when by choice train – or a substantial nuisance in ideal climates when they ’re unwanted .
But given a choice , I ’m sure snake plants would gladly take the red-hot , humid , and cramped conditions of the jungles that they call home .
Perhaps that ’s why they grow aggressively in similarly tender , moist , and tightly - packed surround such as what you might retrieve in sure parts of Florida and Australia … but I ’m getting ahead of myself .
Hydra plant species alter in size – D. stuckyi , for case , reaches up to 10 feet grandiloquent , whileD. trifasciata‘Hahnii ’ commonly does n’t produce more than six inch tall .
In oecumenical , they flaunt evergreen succulent leaves that motley in shape , waviness , system , and hue , although they usually do n’t stray too far from a green colouration pallet .
On social function , ophidian industrial plant produce wispy , aromatic flowers that are bear on unsloped racemes – especially in fertile , gay , and solution - confine conditions .
Though spread via intimate reproduction is typically uncommon , as these plants do n’t often produce colored germ - filled berries after the flowers are fertilise , rhizomatous ranch is much more common .
The latter , asexual reproduction via clones that sprout from secret , is typically the target area of gardener who wish to eradicate invasive female parent in law ’s tongue from their garden .
They also employ crassulacean acid metamorphosis , a process whereby plants conserve water by only opening their stomata for petrol substitution at night , another advantage that make natural selection and spread all the more feasible in backyard gardens and beyond .
An awing cluster of flora , am I correct ? Minus their electric potential for invasiveness when planted in the ground or allowed to go to ejaculate , snake plant are reasonably much gross .
But what ’s a nurseryman to do when they begin to pass their bounds ? Let ’s take a look .
Just How Invasive Are They?
Mother - in - law ’s lingua has the potentiality to grow invasively fromUSDA Hardiness Zones9 to 12 in the US and in regions with corresponding climate that they are n’t aboriginal to elsewhere .
Two places in especial that are known to suffer from unwished coup are Australia and Florida , and ecologists there classify its invasiveness in dissimilar ways .
In the Land Down Under , D. trifasciataqualifies as an “ environmental weed ” in the Northern Territory , New South Wales , and Queensland , while the rest of Oz pronounce it a “ sleeper weed . ”
Both are foreign to Australia , but environmental skunk are widespread and displace aboriginal species , while sleeper weeds do not yet flummox a threat to local ecosystems .
In Florida , snake plant were introduced in 1800 for use in landscaping and hemp product , and later deemed a “ pain in the neck ” starting in 1951 , thanks to their tendency to turn out desirable native vegetation . D. trifasciataandD. hyacinthoidesare primarily problems in the blue one-half of the state .
Sanibel Island , off the westerly coast of Florida , also suffers from snake industrial plant invasiveness .
Two - thirds of the island is protect conservation ground , and in effect management is mandated by local codes prohibiting the planting or transplanting ofD. hyacinthoidesand seven other species of invasive plants .
According to the Florida Invasive Species Council , D. hyacinthoidesis classified as a Category II invasive , which imply it has significantly increase in number from its pre - Category II state , but has not yet alter the ecological functions of , displaced , or hybridized with aboriginal coinage to the extent of Category I invasives .
For a more collegiate assessment , the University of Florida ’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences set via their Assessment of Non - aboriginal Plants in Florida ’s Natural Areas thatD. trifasciatahas a “ gamy Invasion Risk , ” and its use is not recommended in north , cardinal , or south Floridian landscape .
Why Bother with Control?
Well , for starters , I ’m willing to bet that all of you gardeners understand this would rathernotdisrupt the local ecosystem wittingly .
But even if there ’s no chance of your Snake River plants spreading beyond your landscape painting into the surrounding environment , an ungoverned spread within your own garden can result in a dense footing top that will prevent the growth of other , more desirable planting .
As a general rule , any specimen that youdon’twish to cultivate will hog blank space , water , and nutrient , keeping these resource from the ones that youdowant to grow .
And while female parent - in - law ’s knife is n’t all that thirsty , its large leaves will definitely forget sunshine from reaching your smaller yearly and perennial .
Even in shaded surroundings where sun - hogging is n’t as much of an issue , a snake industrial plant ’s origin system will still take up nutrient and existent estate that could be going to your other garden specimens .
talk of stem systems and soil spacing , root bindage in mother - in - constabulary ’s clapper actually spurs flowering , which potentially leads to evenfurtherspread via seeds .
Tips for Managing Invasive Snake Plants
Along with being worth a British pound sterling of remedy , prevention will lay aside you the dogfight of later remotion .
First and foremost , check your local constabulary and environmental regulation . If they say that you ca n’t get these guys in your landscape , then do n’t .
If you have the O.K. to get them , then make certain to contain them within an enfold area so that they ca n’t spread via their rhizomes .
Pots , planter , raised beds , or plots beleaguer by wall , concrete , and/or walkways all bet as enclosed planting spaces , so you have atonof options !
Ourguide to growing snake plants indoorscovers the ins and outs of container culture .
But if you have any out - of - bounds specimens – or their designated zone is overcrowded with them – you ’ll have to remove them to check their cattle farm .
As the fictional Snake River malice expert Dr. Steven Price once said , “ Make it fast . sentence is tissue . ” Venomous bite are n’t endure to be a concern here , but unless you get to work speedily , those ophidian are just die to keep on growing .
Due to the waxy coat of their leaves , chemical controls are n’t undertake .
But mash your inner pyromaniac and skip the blowtorch . Your good bet is to physically absent snake works from the ground via digging .
dig up down about two feet deep , and about a invertebrate foot away from each snake plant life , going around the border .
Any severed rhizome fragments left in the territory can easily resprout to constitute a new mother - in - law ’s tongue , so prove to avert damage the root system of rules as you dig . This may want switching out your bulky shovel for a modest bridge player trowel as you get faithful to the rootage organization .
Once the intended specimens have been lifted , contain for and remove any rhizomes that may be stealthily lying in the soil .
Living flora can take base in constitutive refuse , so dispose of any removed specimens in the scraps if you do n’t desire them growing from yourcompost pile , or spreading into wild lands beyond culture in your own backyard .
If you do n’t want any seminal fluid to be circulate by animals , deadhead peak stemsbefore they give way to seed - bearing berries .
Tools used for any of the above subprogram should be unsex beforehand – you do n’t want to spread disease !
After you remove the snake plants , you ’ll finish up with gaping holes in your garden where they used to be . you may either fulfill them with soil , or put newfangled planting in their place .
For the latter , I ’d advocate fond tropical specimen native to your local area .
Elephant ears , birds of paradise , orcanna liliesmay be suitable . satisfying familiar for the snake plant youdidn’tremove include colorful option such aspetunias , marigolds , andcoleus .
undesirable specimens that have self - propagated around your garden can also be divide and pot up . See oursnake plant generation guidefor tips .
If you give any cutting or divisions away to friends , be sure to warn them of the invasive tendencies for in - ground planting , and pass along the tip that you ’ve acquired here !
An Occasionally Abrasive Invasive
Even the best of friend can get on your nerves at clip . If you consider snake plants close and devout to your heart , do n’t be surprised if they tap you on occasion with their belligerent elaboration .
As Samuel L. Jackson ’s Neville Flynn might put it : enough is enough ! Have you had it with these * expletive * ophidian plant life in your * expletive * garden ? Then this scout is certain to total in handy .
Whether you adjudicate to put a barrier between yourself and the snakes , trim any efflorescence stalks prior to fruit yield , or pull out your trusty garden artillery and get to dig out – shovels are much favored to sporks here , so there ’s a bonus tip for you – the problem ahead is n’t overly onerous , and you’re able to get back to enjoying your landscape painting in no sentence .
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About
Joe Butler
