Snake Plants are easy enough to take care of and great plants for beginners. Though they are still called Sansevieria, their name was changed to Dracaena Trifasciata. However, they were previously known as Sansevieria Cylindrical, and the name stuck.
However, there is more than just the common Snake Plant. It has many cultivars. Two well-loved ones are known as the Silver Queen and Moonshine. These two plants both have silvery coloring instead of green and yellow.
At first, it may seem difficult to tell these two plants apart because they have very similar silver colors. However, looking at their shape, you will notice that while one is tall and lanky, like most of the common Snake Plant varieties, the other is short, stocky, and has more rounded leaves.
Sansevieria Silver Queen has long, skinny leaves with a gray-green silvery hue and grows to 3 feet (1 m) tall, while the Sansevieria Moonshine has shorter, rounder leaves with a silver-green color and grows 2 feet (0.6 m) tall. The best option is a Sansevieria Moonshine if you want one that flowers more easily.
About Sansevieria Moonshine
Sansevieria Moonshine is a succulent. It is technically a cultivar of Sansevieria Trifasciata, but it goes by many names. Some common ones are:
- Sansevieria Futura Silver Offset
- Sansevieria Trifasciata Moonshine
- Moonlight Sansevieria
- Silver Moonshine
- Moonshine Snake Plant
- Moonlight Snake Plant
- Sansevieria Craigii
- Sansevieria Jacquinii
- Sansevieria Laurentii
The names referencing moonlight have to do with the leaves that are a silver-green color. The genus is often called a Snake Plant or a Mother-in-Law Tongue. They are usually around 3 to 5 inches (8 to 13 cm) at the widest part of their leaves. They also reach about 2 feet (0.6 m) in height.
When you think of Snake Plants, you may think of plants with long, skinny leaves. However, the Moonshine variety has shorter, rounder leaves.
Is Moonshine Sansevieria Rare?
The Moonshine Sansevieria is considered rare. It is originally found in the Congo and Nigeria and is challenging to get your hands on.
Though it is technically not rare in its native environment, it is considered difficult to find and can be expensive to buy due to its remote habitats.
How Big Do Moonshine Snake Plants Get?
Moonshine Snake Plants are around 2 feet (0.6 m) tall. They are relatively slow growers, as most Snake Plants are, so it can take a few years to grow to this height. This is a pretty average height, as some Snake Plants, like the Sansevieria Trifasciata Hahnii, are only about 1 foot (0.3 m) tall.
How Often Do You Water a Moonshine Plant?
Snake Plants don’t need a lot of water. Moonshine Plants work similarly to other Snake Plants. This means they can often go four to six weeks before needing to be watered again. During their growing season, they can be watered every two weeks if you live in a hot and dry climate.
About Sansevieria Silver Queen
Like the Moonshine Sansevieria, the Sansevieria Silver Queen is also a cultivar of the Sansevieria Trifasciata. It is a tall, skinny version of a Snake Plant and has a more common sword-like shape.
They are gray-green, giving off a silvery hue. They often have horizontal green bands as well that are irregular. These stripes are usually paler and harder to see than a traditional Snake Plant.
It goes by other names such as:
- Sansevieria Trifasciata Silver Queen
- Silver Queen Sansevieria
- Dracaena Trifasciata Silver Queen
- Silver Queen Snake Plant
- Silver Mother-In-Law’s Tongue
Is Sansevieria Silver Queen Rare?
These Sansevieria Silver Queens are not particularly rare. However, it can be tough to make them flower, to the point that most people don’t even know what the flowers look like.
How Big Does the Sansevieria Silver Queen Get?
The Silver Queen can get pretty big, reaching up to 3 feet (1 m) in height. The leaves are often about 2 inches (5 cm) wide at their widest points.
How Often Do You Water a Sansevieria Silver Queen Plant?
Like most other Snake Plants, the Sansevieria Silver Queen doesn’t need much water. Being a succulent, they can usually go several weeks between watering. You want the soil to be completely dry at least 2 inches (5 cm) before watering again.
If you aren’t sure if the soil is quite dry enough, it is okay to wait a couple more days until you are sure.
What Are the Differences Between These Sansevieria?
The main differences between these Sansevieria are the shape and color of their leaves. While Sansevieria Moonshine is shorter and rounder with gray-green leaves that are fairly solid in color, the Sansevieria Silver Queen is taller and skinnier. It also is more of a gray-silver color with horizontal lines.
For the most part, their growing conditions are the same. So unless you want to know more about the plant you care for, you don’t have to worry about which one you have.
They are both cultivars of the main Snake Plant and are both silver in appearance, so their light requirements are the same, as well as watering, soil, temperature, and more.
Which Sansevieria is Best?
There is no hard and fast reason why one Sansevieria is better than the other. It comes down to personal preference. The Silver Queen is a good option if you want a plant that looks similar to the traditional Snake Plant but is more silver in color.
However, if you want a plant that has a unique shape and a silver-green hue, then the Moonshine Snake Plant is a good option.
Additionally, there is no reason why you can’t get both. They have similar care requirements, so you can even keep them in the same room inside your home.
One thing to note is that if you want a Snake Plant that flowers, the best option is a Sansevieria Moonshine. They bloom much more frequently and easily than the Silver Queen cultivar.
Additionally, the Moonshine cultivar is a little smaller, so if you don’t want a tall or big plant, the Moonshine might be a better option for your home. Though there is only a foot (0.3 m) difference between the two, most of the time, Moonshines tend to stay pretty squat.
Is the Sansevieria Silver Moon Different?
There aren’t many Sansevieria Silver Moon varieties available. Many think Silver Moon is just another name for the Moonshine variety. However, some people see subtle differences between them.
For example, Moonshines have a more silvery underside to their leaves, while Silver Moons don’t.
The last time the name Silver Moon was on a Snake Plant cultivar that was widely distributed and not just sold by other plant owners online, was in 1980 from a place known as Mobile Gardens in New York.
The common belief is that Silver Moon may have been a specific company’s name for the cultivar, or the name was changed to something easier to understand.
The same idea goes for a species that is known as Moonglow. Moonglow is also the same species and cultivar as Moonshine, but people aren’t positive, and it doesn’t come up as one of the common names for this cultivar.
With many plants having multiple common names and scientific names, it can be challenging to determine which plant is which, and it is easy enough to get them mixed up. This is common with Snake Plants, where many are just cultivars of the main plant and not necessarily their own species.
Can You Propagate Moonshine Sansevieria?
Moonshine Sansevieria can be propagated. They are best propagated through leaf cuttings or division. Leaf-cutting involves cutting off a piece of the leaf about 2 inches (5 cm) long and planting it in water or soil.
For division, you separate the clumps of leaves from each other and treat them all as separate plants. You will want to carefully move the rhizomes and roots around to avoid damaging them.
Why Is My Moonshine Snake Plant Not Growing?
The most common reason a Snake Plant, including the Moonshine Snake Plant, wouldn’t grow properly is light or water. Moonshine Snake Plants need a lot of bright but indirect light. They can go a little while without water since they are succulents, but chronic underwatering can also lead to stunted growth.
Cool temperatures, stress, pests, and overwatering can cause stunted growth.
Summary
Snake Plants, or Sansevieria, are good plants for beginners – they are easy to take care of. They are considered succulents, so they can handle a little neglect. However, when picking out the type of Snake Plant, it can take time to pick one.
Sansevieria Silver Queen and Moonshine have similar care requirements, but which one is better depends on your preferences. The Silver Queen is tall and skinny with a gray-green, silvery hue, while the Moonshine variety has shorter, rounder leaves and a silver-green color.
There is always the traditional, but if you want something a little more unique, you can look at ones like the Silver Queen or Moonshine. They are both cultivars of the common Snake Plant but have more silvery coloring.