10 Incredible Snake Plant Benefits Proven by Science

Most of you must have indoor plants strategically placed in various corners of your rooms to create an aesthetic appeal and perhaps to maintain Feng Shui.

However, are you aware if any of these plants have health benefits? Among indoor plants, snake plants (Sansevierias) are known for their good looks. However, they provide many benefits other than just aesthetics.

Read on to discover 10 incredible snake plant benefits backed by science and experts.

What is Sansevieria Good For?

1. Removes Air Pollutants

The air-purifying quality of a snake plant is one of the most incredible benefits of having these plants around your house.

Studies have indicated that the air quality found indoors is worse than the air quality found in densely populated areas.

Chronic exposure to air pollutants like benzene, formaldehyde, etc., results in various health issues. These pollutants are present in many common indoor items like paint, varnish, cleaning supplies, carpeting, etc.

A NASA study has deemed snake plants as efficient air purifiers as they work double time to filter out harmful toxins from the indoor atmosphere.

According to the study, plants with a larger leaf surface area were better at air purification. Among these plants are snake plants.

2. Produces Oxygen At Night

Plants do not always produce oxygen. In fact, in most plants, oxygen production only occurs during daylight hours through photosynthesis.

Once the sun sets, plants absorb oxygen and give out carbon dioxide. However, snake plants stand apart from the rest.

Among all houseplants, snake plants are known to produce the most oxygen and release the least amount of carbon dioxide during nighttime. This is due to a capability known as crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM).

3. Effective Against Allergies

Since snake plants are capable of purifying the air and producing oxygen, there is no question they can be an effective tool for combating allergies.

They can filter out harmful pollutants and absorb volatile airborne chemicals, thus decreasing the likelihood of airborne allergies.

When this air-purifying quality is combined with oxygen-producing abilities, it results in better indoor air quality and easier breathing.

Simply placing a snake plant in your bedroom can help alleviate allergy symptoms, improve sleep quality, and lower the risk of getting sick.

4. Mental Health Booster

Snake plant benefits are not only limited to physical advantages. There are several studies that have proven snake plants act as excellent mental health boosters.

They have been shown to help improve mood and lower stress, anxiety, and depression. All these factors have a negative impact on human health and productivity.

According to research conducted on indoor plants, interacting with houseplants and having them in your bedroom can put you at ease and help you deal with mental health issues.

It is not necessary to have big foliage inside your house. You can begin with a single snake plant to create a soothing environment.

5. For Protective Energy and Feng Shui

According to the Chinese philosophy of Feng Shui, snake plants are important for maintaining a balance across the natural world and our living spaces.

They have associations with good luck and protective energy. It is recommended to have snake plants in rooms where there is emotional turbulence or use of electrical appliances.

It is believed these plants are capable of consuming negative energies and getting rid of emotions like jealousy and anger.

Having a snake plant indoors and caring for it can lead to blessings of strength, longevity, intelligence, prosperity, art, beauty, and health. They are symbolic of good virtues.

6. Relieves Minor Physical Ailments

Though this benefit of keeping snake plants has no scientific basis, it is a widely accepted benefit by numerous plant experts.

It is believed that snake plants help reduce inflammation, maintain standard blood pressure, heal wounds and burns, strengthen the immune system, relieve headaches and flush out parasites.

Aromatherapy with the plants may help relieve headaches, whereas sap from the leaves, when applied to inflammatory skin, wounds or burns, could help the healing process.

However, care must be taken when using these plants for healing, as their leaves contain poisonous substances known as saponins in large quantities.

Make sure you get a professional consultation before using the plants for healing purposes.

7. Ornamental Value

Snake plants have an appealing aura to them, which creates a natural look in your home.

The shape, length, and pattern of the leaves of these robust plants make them ideal plants to place in corners of your interior space.

Despite there being various types of snake plants, their main element is the sword-like leaves and the interest attention-grabbing pattern. Aesthetically, they create an atmosphere of vitality and easily complement your interior design.

8. Low Light Tolerant

Snake plants are quite resilient. They tolerate low-light scenarios quite well. They keep well in rooms where there is minimal lighting.

In fact, they handle light fluctuations much better than any other indoor plants. They can do well with plenty of natural light, in addition to relatively low light.

Since they are succulent plants, they are able to withstand direct light much better than other delicate indoor plants. However, care must be taken to ensure the lighting is not too harsh.

Kept at proper temperatures, snake plants can survive dim environments relatively easily. They might not grow, but they also will not struggle to survive.

Though there are a few exceptions, you will notice when given the right care, snake plants will thrive in various lighting conditions.

9. Drought Tolerant

Most indoor plants are low maintenance. Of them, snake plants are extremely easy to care for. Besides thriving in various lighting conditions, they are also able to tolerate the lack of water.

Even if you forget to water them from time to time, they will not wilt under neglect. This makes snake plants the perfect houseplants to nurture for beginners or busy folks.

They have little water requirements and need almost little to no upkeep to thrive.

10. Easy To Propagate

The best benefit of a snake plant is that all its species are easy to propagate. They have various propagation methods, all of which require zero amount of fuss.

You can easily sprout them to grow your collection of plants. The most basic propagation process is to simply replant pups with roots that were separated from the parent plants.

Under appropriate conditions, they will begin to grow, and you will have an endless supply of new plants at no cost.

You can also use leaf cuttings and place them in water or soil to root.

Conclusion – Snake Plant Benefits

Snake plants are incredible plants to have in your interior space. They have proven health benefits besides being visually appealing.

They require almost no maintenance, help in indoor air purification and create a safe and healthy vibe around you. Maybe it is time you consider welcoming a snake plant into your home for health and aesthetic purposes.