Variegated Form
Common Name: Mason's Congo sansevieria
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Asparagaceae
Native Range: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Zone: 10 to 11
Height: 2.00 to 3.00 feet
Spread: 1.00 to 2.00 feet
Bloom Time: Rarely flowers indoors
Bloom Description: Greenish-white
Sun: Part shade
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Ground Cover
Leaf: Colorful, Evergreen
Tolerate: Drought
Culture
Best grown in evenly moist to dry, well-draining soil in dappled shade. Can easily be grown as a houseplant and tolerates a wide range of cultural and environmental conditions. It prefers warm locations with plenty of bright, indirect light, but tolerates some shade. Protect from hot afternoon sun. Use well-draining potting mix. Water regularly during the growing season, with significantly reduced watering from fall through winter. Shallow, clay pots are recommended because the roots of this plant are not deep and the large leaves can make pots top-heavy and prone to toppling. Indoor plants may be taken to shady outside locations in summer. Easily propagated by division. Hardy in Zones 10-11.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Sansevieria masoniana, commonly called Mason's Congo sansevieria, is a rhizomatous, succulent perennial native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mature plants will reach up to 3' tall and will slowly form small, 2' wide colonies by spreading, underground rhizomes. The thin, upright leaves are succulent to leathery in texture, oblanceolate in shape, and can reach up to 3' tall and 8" wide. The foliage is dark green mottled with lighter green and the margins can take on a red tinge. Each rhizome produces one or two leaves. Clumps tend to grow wider before producing larger foliage. The inflorescence is an upright stalk bearing 1" long, greenish-white flowers. Flowering is rare if grown as a houseplant.
Genus name honors an 18th-century Italian patron of horticulture.
The specific epithet masoniana honors Maurice Mason (1912-1993), an English farmer and succulent enthusiast who first collected and cultivated this plant.
Problems
Overwatering often causes root rot. Watch for mealybugs and spider mites.
Uses
Good low-maintenance indoor plant. Can make an interesting tall ground cover for shady areas where hardy.