When your Snake Plant starts drooping it can range from an annoying look all the way to a serious sign that something isn’t right.
Either way you shouldn’t ignore this when you first notice that your Snake plant looks like it is starting to fall over or droop down.
So now that I have your attention, let’s take a look at several reasons why your Snake plant is drooping and what you can learn from this.
The temperature isn’t right
One of the first things you should take a look at is the actual temperature that your Snake plant is currently growing in.
After all, this will be the easiest way to spot why your plant is falling over.
So Snake plants really thrive in warm temperatures just like their natural habitat and if you’re growing your plant in temperatures lower than 40 degrees Fahrenheit or even under 50 degrees then you’re going to have a problem.
Snake plants seriously need to be in warmer climates so if you don’t live in one then you should grow indoors where you can at least grow in room temperature.
This will prevent your Sansevieria from drooping if you suspect this is the actual cause of the plant falling over.
It’s a very simple fix, provided that you can actually grow indoors or live in a warm climate.
But if you cant do either, then just use a good mini greenhouse.
Lack of light or too much
Somewhat related to the amount of heat needed to thrive, there also is a light requirement for your Snake plant but a limit at the same time.
I know sounds contradicting.
Just hear me out.
You may be able to get away with very little light for your Snake plant but it will eventually start to droop if you’re doing this.
On the contrary, if the light given is way too direct or if the heat is too extreme then this may also cause a drooping Snake plant.
You have to find that middle ground.
Providing between 5 and 8 hours of bright sunlight, partial and full throughout the day is recommended to mimic the snake plant’s natural environment.
This will provide the best growth possible and prevent the chance of a drooping snake succulent, provided that the light isn’t too direct or the heat isn’t 100 plus.
This will certainly cause sunburn and brown tips on a Snake plant by the way.
Avoiding too little light while keeping temperatures reasonable will prevent problems from happening.
This is where a quality indoor grow light can come into play to find that middle ground.
For more in depth information on lighting, check out my article on Snake plant light requirements.
Poor drainage and overwatering
Another common cause for a drooping snake plant is a mix between weak drainage and overwatering.
Snake plant’s are similar to cacti and thus require less water than most succulents.
This means you should water sparingly as this succulent thrives on neglect just as it would in the wild.
By watering too much you will most certainly increase the odds of your Snake plant drooping by causing other problems along the way such as Snake plant root rot.
Poor drainage and or overwatering is also a major cause for yellow leaves on a Snake plant as well.
The same goes for having the wrong type of soil mix, as in slow draining potting mix will be no good for your plant.
Instead consider using high quality cactus soil, succulent soil or a mix of both with some perlite included for extra drainage.
This will prevent standing water which will cause rot, a drooping plant and much more issue that you really don’t want.
So only water when the soil has become dry and you can get away with watering once a week to once every two weeks.
In the winter during the snake plants dormancy, you can water once a month or even less.
Just don’t over water or have bad soil and you can prevent this from causing your snake plant to droop.
Your container is too small for your Snake plant
I’m not sure how common this is but I do know for sure that if your growing your Snake plant in a container that is too small then this can certainly cause your snake plant leaves to fall over.
This happens when the roots have no space to grow properly and will eventually twist all around each other causing them to not be able to breath properly.
One way to check to see if your container is too small is just to remove the soil and take a look at the roots.
If you see they have all bunched up and are twisted around each other then you have your answer.
You will need to repot your Snake plant into a container that is at least slightly larger than the one you are using and then give it some time.
Keep in mind when doing a repot, there is a chance your Snake plant may get transplant shock which can produce drooping on it’s own and other issues.
Your snake plants leaves should slowly recover as long as the roots have enough room this time.
Pests Causing Drooping
Pests are another major cause for drooping or wilting leaves on a Snake plant.
Pests such as mealy bugs, scales, spider mites, fungus gnats and more can make their way to your Snake plant and start feeding on the sap, ASAP.
Some signs of pests on your Snake plant include holes in the leaves, drooping leaves, discoloration such as white or yellow leaves, cotton fuzz, webbing and overall discoloration and dehydrated looking foliage.
Not only all of that but most of these pests will leave behind honeydew, which eventually turns into sooty mold and who wants that?
So to get rid of these pesky pests, you have a few options actually.
One of the options is to use just water with some pressure to spray the bugs of your plant.
This can work quite well for some pests, but on others not so much.
Another option is to use a cotton swab with rubbing alcohol to remove these pests by hand, but this can take quite a bit of time.
Plus you got to get up close and personal with these pests and personally I’m not a fan of getting close to bugs.
I’ve found one of the best ways to get rid of pests and help keep them away is to use neem oil which is not only an effective pesticide but it’s a good fungicide as well.
This is the neem oil I recommend if you’re looking to get some for yourself.
Just make sure your Snake plant is in shade when applying until it dries as it can burn the leaves if left out in the sun.
For the most comprehensive guide on how to identify and get rid of Snake plant pests, you should check out my article how to get rid of bugs on Snake plants.
Other Common Questions
Below are some other common questions or issues involving drooping or wilting on a Snake plant and or related on the topic.
How Do I Fix My Snake Plant Drooping?
In order to fix your Snake plant drooping, you need to identify which of the causes listed above is the culprit and then follow the steps that proceed as each issue is at least a bit different.
I would start with checking if you’re overwatering or if you have pests as those are the more serious issues that can affect the Snake plant the most.
Should I Cut Drooping Snake Plant?
Most of the time you should not cut away drooping leaves on a Snake plant as this is only temporary, especially if it just started to happen.
The sooner you sort out the cause for wilting, the better chance your plant has at correcting itself.
Now in the case of rot, it’s going to be much harder for it to correct itself, and for discoloration, you might as well prune the affected leaves.
Can A Snake Plant Recover From Overwatering?
Absolutely, A Snake plant can recover from overwatering as long as you correct the issue and act quickly to save your plant, especially when root rot has set in.
To learn all the necessary steps to take, I have a full article on Snake plant root rot that you should check out for the most detailed information.
Why Is My Snake Plant Drooping After Repotting?
Your Snake plant does have a chance to droop or wilt after repotting due to what is known as transplant stress.
This occurs when the plant is introduced to a new growing environment such as new or different soil or a different size container.
When it comes to the container, having a new one that is too large will have a tendency to cause droopy leaves as overwatering is that much easier to have happen with all the extra unused space.
With that said, transplant stress is quite normal and you can just give your Snake plant some time to recover on it’s own as it gets itself acclimated to the new growing environment.
How Do I Make My Snake Plant Stand Up Straight?
If you notice your Snake Plant is drooping or getting stretched out a bit, odds are this is caused by the lack of light.
A lack of light will not only cause wilting downwards, but your Snake plant can stretch out in any direction, usually towards the nearest light source.
To make your Snake plant stand up straight or stabilize it, you can try rotating it by a window until the growth looks even all around.
Just have your Snake plant face the window or light source from a different side every few days or until the growth starts to look even and then switch sides.
Pour Conclure
So there you have it, everything you needed to know about why your Snake plant is drooping and what you can actually do about it.
Identifying and solving issues is one of the many things needed to provide great Snake plant care so keep at it.
As always I appreciate you taking the time to read this article and I hope you find the culprit to this issue so you can get back to growing one of the most popular plants on the planet!