Do you know what this is?

I received this plant today as a gift. Can someone tell me what it is? I have no idea how to care for it!

Thanks!
--Michael

You have a lovely Sansevieira: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=sanseiveria&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&search_prefs%5Bblank_cultivar%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=rating&images_prefs=both&Search=Search&searcher[genus]=Sansevieria

I'm not sure which one but maybe you can scroll through some of these photo's and find a match.

no direct sunlight, water sparingly. it is a succulent. let the soil dry out thoroughly before watering. when you do water, water it good- let water run out the drain hole(s).

and don't re-pot until it gets crowded. they like to be a little pot-bound.

good point, trackinsand. you can gently tip it out of the pot occasionally and see if it is hopelessly rootbound before potting to the next size pot.

they used to be called cast-iron plant because they can take neglect. but that doesn't mean they don't respond to good care.

this is the one we always called cast iron plant, http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=cast+iron+plant&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&search_prefs%5Bblank_cultivar%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=rating&images_prefs=both&Search=Search . i didn't know sans were called that too. down here in florida, if i acclimate them slowly, they can take full sun but i keep mine on the shady porch in pots. if i put them in the ground, they take over!

Common names can be confusing. In our area, bachelor buttons are gomphrena globosa- in the north they are another plant called cornflower- I can't look up the botanical name right now or I'll lose what I've typed- but you are certainly right in that aspidistra is called cast iron plant almost everywhere. Sansevierias are called by the same name by some people; snake plant is another name for them.

Thanks everyone! I probably would have over-watered it, put it in a bright window and wondered why it died

we've always called them mother-in-law tongues! lol

i would make sure it gets morning sun, at least a couple of hours.

trackinsand, I'm glad you readdressed the light issue. Although these plants are survivors and can stay alive with less light than many plants, they respond to good light. Morning sun would be perfect. Likewise, we can underdo the watering. A watering schedule doesn't work because of variables such as temperature, the type of soil, humidity, etc., but if they are watered whenever the roots begin to dry out they will be happier than if they are allowed to get "bone dry." It IS important to let the water drain properly. Saucers that hold water at the base of the pot are a no-no.

exactly.

yours looks more like a dwarf sanseveria so it will not get so tall as the Mother-in-law tounge type. aloha