What plant is this?

[Robert Hartmann]

Good evening all. My son is trying to id this plant with no luck so far. He got it when he was little (he's 18 now) and would like to transplant it. He wants to know what he should do depending on what it is. So, this plant has an interesting past. How does a plant have an interesting past...well, he got it when he was around 5 or 6 and at the time it had about 4 short stems or stalks (whatever they are). It has lived in Germany, Maryland, the Netherlands, Pennsylvania and now Missouri. It has been in the sun and in the dark, both for extended periods. He rarely waters it, but yet it not only has survived, it has also outgrown it's tiny pot.

Ok, so I had a rough day at work and needed a little levity. That said, we would still like to identify it. thanks

IMG20240103190254.jpg

[Warren Lake]

It might be cannibis. Ive never actually seen one but have heard people talk about them.

[Mel Fulks]

I think it’s called “ snake plant” .

[James Tibbetts]

I think Mel is correct.

[Steve Demuth]

It's one of the Dracaena species, probably D. stuckyi. Sometimes called mother-in-law's tongue, or snake plant. Might be one of the easiest to care for house plants in the world. Transplant it into potting soil with good drainage, but only when it really needs it. They like being rootbound. Only water it when the soil is fully dried out. Wipe the dust off it from time to time. Keep it in filtered light. It'll live forever.

[Mike Chance in Iowa]

I'm with Mel and James. The sword-like leaves appear somewhat rigid, so I think it's some variety of Sansevieria. If not that, maybe a variety of Bromeliad or even more likely a Dracaena. Has it ever bloomed?

[Brian Runau]

agree with Mel, on snake plant. Although the ones I've seen are straight upright leaves that are curved edge to edge.

https://www.amazon.com/Hollyone-Arti...2c309c4b610c0d

[Rob Luter]

It's a variety of Aloe Vera (I did an image search).

[jack duren]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=...AAAAAdAAAAABAD

[Steve Demuth]

To bring this together: Sanseveria is an alternate name for the genus Dracaena. For the purpose of this conversation, they mean the same plant. I don't think it's an Aloe plant - the picture pretty clearly shows curled, swordlike fronds, not fat, succulent spikes, as is the case for Aloes. If I'm wrong in that interpretation of the picture, then it may well be an Aloe - but for the purposes of the OP, it doesn't really make much diifference. The care for an Aloe plant is pretty much identical to how you'd treat a Dracaena. Both plants thrive on ocassional watering, and being rootbound in relatively poor soil and filtered light.

[Jim Becker]

Dracaena angolensis according to Google image search. Related to "snake plants" and "mother-in-law's tongue". One of the nice things about this whole family of plants is that they are very hardy and easy to keep alive for a very long time. They are even reasonable with variable light conditions. The large snake plant we have here is decades old.

[Patty Hann]

It may be related to a Mother-in-law's tongue, but that is not what it is.
MIL-Tongue grow pretty fast... I had one that took over the very large planter within 3 years. It got very big.
Snake plants (whatever the botanical name is) are slow growers.
If that plant is 10 years old and hasn't taken over the house, Id' say it was a Snake plant or a close relation.

Plant overwhelms house.jpg

[Erik Loza]

One of the (many) Sansevieria cultivars, possibly "Fernwood":

https://eureka-farms.com/products/sa...do-snake-plant

Source: I've been growing Sansevierias for 20+ years.

Erik

[Robert Hartmann]

Thanks everyone, you guys are awesome. I told my son there is always at least one person on this forum that can answer pretty much any question.

I don't think it came through in the picture, but it is thick like fingers and not flat.

[Dave Zellers]

I don't think it came through in the picture, but it is thick like fingers and not flat.

Well, I think that settles it then. Clearly it is a Snake Aloe Vera. Very rare.