Sansevieria, Miniature Creeping Sansevieria 'Bally 12681'

I've planted this under two big guavas and massed in ferns in a problem area in my garden here in south florida. The ferns drink the wat...Read Moreer rapidly leaving the Mother in Law's tongue not as wet. The silvery green stippled leaves look lovely with the ferns and cinnamon colored bark of the guava. This plant was a real problem solver for me in a corner of my yard that didn't ever get much company before. Now its a quiet retreat in the "way back"(as my kids call it!)
!!!!!!One Year later!!!!!!
Had to rip this out, as it was really invasive, popping up everywhere and really scraggly and ugly in the end...probably better left in pots when in this zone! It became burned and faded looking, dying out from the center and then throwing out shoots that got about 4 feet tall.

This is one of the few Sansevierias that grow well outdoors in Southern California. It can take some sun but the highly variegated forms...Read More seem to burn a little in hot, dry weather. Unlike most other species of Sansevieria, the cold, wet winters don't make it rot, for some reason. This quality must also make it even more fool proof as a houseplant as most people are more apt to overwater Sansevierias than underwater them (which is hard to do). It grows in dense patches of thin, twisting, flat leaves erupting out of the ground and ending in points about 2-3' high. The two most common color patterns are striped green and yellow, and the mottled green with little yellow flecks.
Sunset Western Garden lists Mother's in Law Tongue as Sansevieria trifasciata.
The reason they are called Mother's in Law Tongue are due to the poisonous oxyates in the fleshy leaves. These oxylates cause pain and swelling of all the mucous membranes if eaten. The result is vocal cord and glottis swelling which results in the inability to talk (and swallow or breath if you ingest enough of it)... hence a 'good thing to give to your Mother in Law' to shut her up.

Basket type, white scented flowers, when it feel like it.
Slow easy, very small leaves, tight rosettes. A real trouper.