I take on a huge porch plant, and win!

The sansevieria at top is divided. The photo from it
on the porch is before it was divided.

     My father, Emery Cox Jr., passed away in 1989. It was a shock, of course, and we received many plants at his visitation and funeral.

    One of the green gifts was a sansevieria, also called a Snake Plant or "Mother-in-Law's Tongue." I took this and planted it in a pot. You can see from the photo that it has grown like Topsy over the years.

    I knew I had to divide it this year, so a few weeks ago, my husband Steve and I wrestled the giant sansevieria on the porch over to the driveway.

    It really didn't take long: I picked out part of the huge plant, and placed the other in one of those heavy paper yard bags, Boom! All done!

    Sansevieria is actually native to the African country of Madagascar. It's in the genus of Dracaena.

    My plant does bloom, because it is located in a bright but indirect light position. It is an excellent house plant because it's very easy to care for, and it looks terrific both indoors and out.

    Actually, the hardest thing to do with a sansevieria is to divide it.

    According to a Better Homes & Gardens magazine article, this plant is toxic to little children and to pets. You don't want them to try and eat the leaves!

    But it's perfect for an office or busy home. Tips are to give it plant fertilizer, occasionally, and it should be repotted every 3-5 years. Water it when it's dry, and don't let the plant sit in water as root rot may develop.

    The type I own is called the "Laurentii" sansevieria. It's not a cactus, but is related to succulents, such as aloe and agave plants. The plants live 10-25 years.

    I've had my plant for about 34 years, and I've divided it twice. Wow!

    The last time I divided it, I gave one part to our daughter, Kirstin. Soon, I'll be dividing that one, too!