These $15 Snake Plants at Costco Can Help Clean the Air in Your Home
One bright spot peeking through the craziness that is 2020? A jump in interest about all things gardening—both indoors and out. It's a safe hobby, a proven mood-booster, one of the quickest options for adding color to your home, and if you choose to grow herbs or produce, a simple and affordable way to get even more color on your plate.
Now that we're aware of all of those benefits (and are greening up our own homes), we're keeping a keen eye on the best plant deals around. We recently discovered a huge one, thanks to @costcohotfinds: $15 snake plants at Costco.
Snake plants, also called mother-in-law's tongue or sansevieria, are rapidly becoming one of the most popular houseplants because they:
- Are hardy enough to tolerate care from those who aren't naturally plant people. (Read: they're really, really hard to kill.)
- Purify the air through pores that open at night and may help remove toxins such as formaldehyde, xylene and toluene from your space. (Here are 9 other plants that can clean the air in your home!)
- Do best right around room temp, between 70° and 90° F.
Just note that they are toxic to cats and dogs, like many houseplants, according to the ASPCA. Oh yes, and to humans, too, so don't allow any of the above to chew or ingest snake plants.
When you're at Costco selecting your $15 new plant child, seek out one that has dark green leaves—a sign of a healthy, thriving plant. If you re-pot it, use terracotta that won't trap too much water inside and plant in a free-draining soil. Allow at least the top inch of soil to fully dry before you water again, and try not to pour any of the water on the leaves (this may cause them to rot).
No warehouse store nearby? Amazon has dozens of solid back-up plants to consider. We love this potted Costa Farms 12-inch Snake Plant ($27.99, amazon.com) and this 12- to 14-inch Burpee Black Floral Snack Plant ($22.99, amazon.com).