Woman Says She Forgot To Water One Houseplant for Several Months — It Still Thrived Somehow

Inside a secluded village in South India, a temple stands untouched, guarded by tangles of glossy silver snakes amid thick groves of snake plants. On every full moon night, the villagers crush and squeeze some of these snake plants, crafting an intoxicating brew. As the moon emerges from the twilight sky, the village’s head priest drinks this brew and falls into a trance. Legend has it that this trance is evoked by the protective spirit of snake plants, which are also a portal to communicate with non-earthly spirits. No one knows for sure whether this legend is true, but if there’s one thing that’s true about the snake plants, they’re indeed protective and resilient. Writing in Southern Living magazine, an expert revealed how a snake plant thrived even though she forgot to water it for months.

“I’ve tried to maintain various succulents, grow herbs in my kitchen window, and propagate a fiddle leaf fig, but nothing has lived a very long life under my not-so-watchful-eye, except for my trusty little snake plant,” wrote Cameron Beall in the magazine. Confessing her lack of care for the plants, she described that while most of the other houseplants failed to survive, her “resilient little snake plant and [she] are still chugging along.” Beall explained that snake plants are “easy to care and hard to kill.”

Native to Africa, a snake plant is an evergreen, perennial plant with long, stiff, sword-shaped leaves that shoot upright from a basal rosette, spreading all the way to a creeping rhizome, like green bands that resemble its namesake reptile, explains HowStuffWorks. Often called by names like also referred to as “mother-in-law’s tongue,” “viper’s bowstring hemp,” “Skoonma-se-tong,” and “Nagapushpa,” these serpentine divas are hardened souls that possess a remarkable tolerance to rugged conditions like low light, dryness, and neglect. While other plants in the house nursery may droop down or die due to underwatering or shadiness, a snake plant will stand tall, patient, and proud. This makes the plant an all-time favorite for all the brown thumbs out there.

“As a heat- and drought-tolerant variety, they’re pretty forgiving when it comes to water intake. As long as you give it a splash of water every now and then and don't overwater, it’ll live on,” Beall described. The tough snake plant isn’t too picky about its surroundings either, said Beall. She tried moving her snake plant to different locations in her house, such as the coffee table, fireplace mantle, kitchen window, a low-light corner of her bedroom, and dim nooks, but despite less lighting, the tough beast survived. “With little care, my hardy plant has made it almost three years,” Beall exclaimed.

Not just Beall, but tons of people are in love with this succulent lioness that stands unflinching despite rough conditions, patiently awaiting its owner for water and light. A snake plant is “more loyal than my boyfriend,” @Urvannindia said on X. However, like every living thing, a snake plant too is mortal. So remember, “low light” doesn’t mean “no light.” Less water doesn’t mean no water. Like every other plant, this serpentine beauty becomes thirsty from time to time. When the soil starts to feel dry and the leaves feel wrinkly and rubbery, know that it’s time to get the water sprinkler out.