Snake plant leaves curling? I discovered the cause behind this common problem and fixed it – here's how you can get your plant to grow straight again, too

My snake plant was one of the first houseplants I bought. It's a staple for any plant lover and with a generally easy-to-care-for nature, it's a great choice for the novice indoor gardener, too. However, I'm the first to admit that I've made care mistakes that have caused some problems, like my snake plant leaves curling.

The good news? Rectifying curling foliage of a snake plant is just as simple as snake plant care. Once I did my research and got to the bottom of why my snake plant leaves were appearing curled, it was easy to restore the strong structure of my sword-shaped plant.

The common cause behind snake plant leaves curling is an indoor plant mistake many of us are guilty of making for a range of houseplants. It all comes down to watering. By making the same simple change I did, you'll get your snake plant looking healthy once again. Here's what you need to know.

Why are my snake plant leaves curling?

Snake plant leaves curling all comes down to one thing: water. In fact, not familiarizing yourself with how often to water a snake plant can cause more than just an issue of curling foliage - you might also find your snake plant drooping or even your snake plant dying.

'Curling leaves can be a sign of dehydration for your snake plant,' explains Rachel Bull, Head of Gardens at Homes & Gardens. 'While these aren't the most thirsty houseplants, an extended period of drought will cause foliage to turn brown, curl, and droop,' she adds.

Like other succulent plants, snake plants are native to drier environments, so you can get away with allowing up to half of their soil drying completely before watering again.

However, this isn't the only cause of snake plant leaves curling. In my case, overwatering was the culprit.

This is explained by a snake plant not taking up the excess water in its soil, leaving it sitting in a saturated growing environment. This causes problems of houseplant root rot, leading to curling and wilting.

Rachel Bull

Rachel is a gardening editor, flower grower and floral designer. Her journalism career began on Country Living magazine, sparking a love of container gardening and wild planting. After more than a decade writing for and editing a range of consumer, business and special interest titles, Rachel became editor of floral art magazine The Flower Arranger. She then trained and worked as a floral designer and stylist, before joining the Homes & Gardens team. 

How to revive curled snake plant leaves

Depending on whether your snake plant is curling from over or underwatering, it is possible to save the foliage.

'Give your underwatered snake plant a deep watering to provide it with sufficient moisture,' Rachel says. 'If the curling is only minimal, you may see the foliage straighten up again as the moisture levels restore,' she adds.

However, if your snake plant is curling from overwatering, like mine, you might not be able to salvage the foliage. This is especially true if the foliage has discolored and feels mushy. What you can do, though, is prune your snake plant to bring it back to health.

Using essential pruning tools (like these pruning shears from Amazon), I cut away damaged curled snake plant foliage at the base of the plant. You might find you also need to prune houseplant roots if they have rotted from oversaturation.

I chose to then repot my snake plant in fresh potting soil and provided optimal care going forward. This included placing my snake plant somewhere bright and always checking the soil with this soil moisture meter from Amazon before watering. It then didn't take long for my snake plant to produce luscious new foliage.

FAQs

Do snake plant leaves curl from cold temperatures?

Yes, it is possible for cold temperatures to cause snake plant leaves to curl, but this is largely only on new growth that is weaker. This is because snake plants are fairly cold-tolerant and mature foliage can cope with temperatures as low as 50°F. Cold temperatures may also lead to leaf curl if your snake plant is overwatered during the colder seasons where it isn't taking up as much water, resulting in root rot.

Depending on the time of year you face the problem of snake plant leaves curling, it can also be helpful to fertilize your snake plant (with this snake plant fertilizer from Amazon). This should only be done during the warmer months when your snake plant is actively growing, giving it a boost of essential plant nutrients for new growth.