Dracaena angolensis (Sansevieria cylindrica) 'Fan'

Natural fans in southern tropical Africa

In the dry lowlands and thickets of southern tropical Africa, Dracaena angolensis grows from thick underground stems. Each shoot usually carries three to six cylindrical leaves in two facing rows, creating the species’ natural fan shape. As the underground stem spreads, new fans appear nearby.

Drying and root care for snake plants

• Fan shape: The flat fan develops naturally from the rhizome. Let emerging leaves open freely and use a loose support only if a heavy fan needs temporary stability.
• Watering: The thick cylindrical leaves and rhizome store water. Allow the rootball to become dry before soaking it thoroughly, then let it drain.
• Light: Place Dracaena ‘Fan’ in bright, indirect light. Gentle sun can be introduced gradually, while sudden intense midday exposure may mark leaves that formed indoors.
• Substrate and pot: Use a coarse succulent mix that drains freely and remains airy. Choose a heavy container only slightly larger than the rooted fan if the leaves make the plant top-heavy.
• Repotting and propagation: Repot when rhizomes press against the pot or roots fill the container. Separate a complete rooted fan with its rhizome section to keep the leaves arranged in the same flat fan.

Fan snake plant: common problems

• The one-plane fan: Leaves arranged in a flat fan are normal for this form of the species. A fan that tilts but remains firm may simply be growing toward the strongest light. Wobbling at soil level, a sour smell or a yielding base points to root or basal failure.
• Softness between the leaf bases: Water can remain where the cylindrical leaves meet, creating a wet point even when the surface mix looks dry. Separate the leaves enough to inspect the centre. Remove decayed tissue with a clean tool, keep firm sections dry at the wound and discard a fan when softness has entered the whole base.
• Wrinkled leaves: Wrinkling can follow a very dry rootball, but damaged roots can produce the same loss of water pressure while the pot stays wet. Firm roots and dry substrate support thorough rehydration; dark, soft or rootless tissue calls for cleanup and a smaller pot filled with fresh, open mix.
• Scale or mealybugs: Check the sheltered inner face of the fan, leaf bases and underground rhizome for white wax or fixed shell-like bumps. Some sap feeders leave sticky honeydew, but hard-covered scale may remain dry. Remove visible pests, then select an indoor-plant product that names the insect on its label. Reach the inner fan and leaf bases and follow its repeat instructions.
• Dry scratches and splits: Old handling damage stays dry and does not spread. A damaged cylindrical leaf cannot fill in a split or rebuild its tip, so trim or remove it only for appearance or when the tissue is unstable. Wet, widening edges or a soft base are not ordinary scars.
• Light and cold injury: Abrupt strong sun can bleach the exposed side of a leaf, while chilling can create dark or translucent patches. Correct the exposure and keep the rootball on the dry side while the plant is cool. New firm growth, not a colour change in dead tissue, shows that the problem has stopped.

Dracaena angolensis (Sansevieria cylindrica) ‘Fan’ is toxic to people and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• It contains saponins that can irritate the mouth and digestive tract.
• Chewing may cause drooling, vomiting, stomach pain, reduced appetite or weakness. Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms develop.

Which name is used now: Sansevieria cylindrica or Dracaena angolensis?

Dracaena comes from Greek drakaina, meaning a female dragon. Angolensis means ‘from Angola’.

Carl Linnaeus established the genus Dracaena in 1767 in Mantissa Plantarum, page 9; Domenico Vandelli had proposed the name.

Élie Abel Carrière first described it as Sansevieria angolensis in 1861 in Revue Horticole (Paris), volume 10, page 447; Friedrich Welwitsch had proposed that name. James W. Byng and Maarten J. M. Christenhusz later placed it in Dracaena as Dracaena angolensis in 2018 in Global Flora, volume 4, page 64.

Sansevieria remains common in horticulture. Pei-Luen Lu and Clifford Morden showed that it belongs within Dracaena in a 2014 DNA study in Systematic Botany, volume 39. Kew’s World Checklist treats Sansevieria cylindrica as a synonym of Dracaena angolensis.