The genus Sansevieria consists of sixty species native to rocky arid lands of Africa and southern Asia. From summer to autumn it has white flowers. This plant is well suited to pot culture as well as sunny or shady areas of the garden. The leaves are marked with pale irregular streaked spots and arise from a rhizome in loose rosettes. The plant blooms in winter. Although seldom mentioned, the translucent white flowers are fragrant, especially during the evening. In Africa, the plant was and still is traded for its medicinal value. The rhizomes, chewed or steeped as a decoction, are thought effective against intestinal parasites, stomach ulcers, and hemorrhoids. The leaves, heated to extract the juices, are said good for earaches, ear infections, and toothaches.

Sansevieria pearsonii commonly known as Spiky Mother-in-Law’s Tongue grows to 1 meter tall with a fan of leaves. It bears a dense inflorescence of creamy-pink to bluish-mauve flowers. It grows well in open soil and in pots.