🌱 Why Is My Snake Plant Not Growing?
Noticing your snake plant sitting still for weeks (or months)? You’re not alone — and yes, there’s a reason it’s stuck.
Noticing your snake plant sitting still for weeks (or months)? You’re not alone — and yes, there’s a reason it’s stuck.
I remember the first time I wondered if my snake plant was broken.
It looked healthy enough — stiff leaves, no browning, no pests.
But for nearly three months, it didn’t grow even a millimeter.
No new leaves, no height, nothing.
I almost gave up on it.
What I didn’t realize is that snake plants grow on their own terms, and sometimes they pause for reasons you can’t see on the surface.
Whether it’s light, watering, temperature, or even the size of the pot, these subtle factors can slow growth down — or stop it entirely.
I’ll try to walk you through why your snake plant isn’t growing, what each sign means, and what I personally do to get them going again.
So, if you’re dealing with a slouched plant, a stubborn shorty, or just a slowpoke, there’s always something you can do to help.
When I don’t see new growth on a snake plant for a while, my first instinct is to worry.
“Is it stuck?
Sick?
Am I doing something wrong?”
But over time, I’ve learned that no new leaves doesn’t always mean something’s wrong — sometimes it’s just about conditions not being ideal for growth.
Snake plants are tough, but they’re not fast growers — and they’re very picky about when and how they push out new leaves. T
he biggest growth spurts usually happen in the spring and summer, when the light is strong and the plant is actively feeding and absorbing moisture.
Here’s what I check when I’m waiting on new leaves and nothing’s happening:
Snake plants survive in low light, but they don’t thrive in it.
Without enough light, the plant focuses on staying alive, not growing.
I had one sitting in a dark hallway for months — zero new leaves.
After I moved it near a bright, indirect window, it started showing pups within weeks.
👉 If you’re unsure what kind of light your snake plant needs to grow well, here’s my full light guide for snake plants.
It sounds odd, but both extremes can stall growth.
Too much water suffocates the roots, while too little leaves the plant too dry to build new leaves.
I used to underwater mine thinking it preferred “neglect.”
But after I learned to water thoroughly only when the soil is bone dry, it started thriving again.
✅ If you’re not sure how much is too much, I break it all down in this watering guide.
In cooler weather, snake plants go into a kind of hibernation.
They won’t grow at all during the winter, and that’s totally normal.
As long as the leaves look healthy and firm, don’t stress.
I wait until late spring before expecting any big changes.
Sometimes, no matter what you do, the plant just pauses.
I’ve seen mine sit still for 2–3 months after repotting or after cutting back damaged leaves.
It’s just recalibrating.
If your plant seems healthy otherwise — firm leaves, no mushy spots or discoloration — you’re probably just in a non-growth phase.
Stay consistent, be patient, and trust the process.
🌞 Did You Know?
Snake plants grow faster in bright, indirect light — but they can survive in almost complete shade.
I used to think my Sansevierias was just quirky when it started leaning to one side.
The leaves looked fine, but they were all reaching in the same direction — like the whole plant had a preference.
It turns out, they kind of do.
When snake plants aren’t growing straight, it’s usually a sign that they’re chasing light — literally.
Snake plants are known for being resilient, but like most plants, they’ll lean toward their strongest light source.
If you always keep it facing the same way, over time the growth will tilt, and some leaves might even buckle or bend.
Here’s what I do to keep mine upright and balanced:
I’ve made it a habit to give my snake plants a quarter turn every week or two.
This helps ensure even light exposure and encourages the leaves to grow vertically.
It’s one of those tiny habits that makes a big difference.
Sometimes, leaning or flopping leaves are due to loose or unstable root systems.
If the plant’s top-heavy and the roots don’t have enough room or grip, it can wobble and lean more.
I had one snake plant doing this after being in the same pot for 4 years — no room left to support new upright growth.
Repotting into a slightly larger pot with fresh, supportive soil gave it the base it needed to hold itself up.
And of course, a pot with a drainage hole is non-negotiable (here’s why).
Leaning can also happen when the base of the leaves gets soft or weak — a classic sign of overwatering or root rot.
If the plant feels wobbly or like it’s sitting in mushy soil, I always unpot and check the roots.
Saving it early is easier than you think — just follow this step-by-step recovery guide.
If your snake plant is leaning but still putting out new growth, you’re in good shape — just tweak the environment.
A small change in light or soil support goes a long way toward keeping those sword-like leaves standing tall.
🧬 Tip:
‘Hahnii’ and dwarf cultivars will never grow tall. Know your variety before you wait on height!
🪴 Quick Fix:
If your plant’s stuck, check if it's root-bound. Repotting often kick-starts new growth.
This one puzzled me for a while.
I saw gorgeous, towering snake plants online — 3, 4, even 5 feet tall — while mine stayed squat and short.
It looked healthy, but it was definitely taking its sweet time.
The truth?
Some snake plants grow tall, but most take years to get there.
If your snake plant is stuck at a modest height, don’t worry.
It doesn’t mean something’s wrong — but there are a few things that can hold it back or slow its vertical growth.
Not all snake plants are meant to grow tall.
Some cultivars, like Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Hahnii’ or the “Bird’s Nest” type, are naturally compact.
They max out at around 6–10 inches tall.
I learned that the hard way after waiting a year for my Hahnii to “stretch.”
Want to know what kind of growth to expect from your variety?
Here’s a handy growth comparison table that helped me figure mine out.
When snake plants have the right light and nutrients, they’ll push taller leaves — but it happens slowly.
In my bright sunroom, I saw leaves grow an inch or two every couple of months in spring and summer.
But in low light, they focused on staying alive instead of stretching up.
What helped me:
If your snake plant is packed with pups or in a pot that’s too small, growth might stall.
I had one that looked lush on top but wasn’t getting taller — until I divided it and gave the main plant more space.
After that?
New, taller leaves within a month.
If your plant is short but throwing out new pups like crazy, it might just be focusing on multiplication — not height.
Which is still a win in my book.
So if your snake plant isn’t getting taller, check the variety first.
Then fine-tune the light, soil, and pot — and be patient.
Snake plants play the long game, but once they start growing tall, they hold their shape for years.
📏 Fun Fact:
Some snake plants can reach up to 4–5 feet tall, but it often takes years to get there indoors.
In a word?
Yes. (Here’s a full explanation about it)
And if you’re feeling like your snake plant is taking forever to grow, you’re absolutely right.
These plants are known for their patience. They’re one of the slowest-growing houseplants, especially when grown indoors.
At first, this drove me a little nuts. I’d check every week for new growth, expecting dramatic leaf spikes like you see with pothos or spider plants. But with snake plants? It’s more like… “blink and you’ll miss it” growth.
Here’s what I’ve learned from years of growing them:
A healthy indoor snake plant might push out just 2 to 4 new leaves per year — often during spring and summer. Outdoors in warm climates, or under grow lights, they can grow faster… but even then, don’t expect weekly progress.
In colder seasons or dim corners, growth basically pauses. And that’s fine! Snake plants are survivalists first, growers second. They’ll wait out poor conditions instead of pushing new growth that might flop or rot.
This used to worry me, but now I see it as part of their charm. They’re low-key, low-maintenance, and happy to hang out until they sense it’s the right time to grow.
There are a few things I do when I want to gently encourage more growth:
So yes — they grow slowly.
But once they do grow, it’s clean, structured, and stunning.
Every new leaf feels like a little celebration.
💧 Reminder:
Water only when the soil is fully dry — overwatering is the #1 growth killer.
Embrace the spirit of horticulture and spread the seeds of wisdom
