Sansevieria Kirkii Pulchra Coppertone with its rigid, wavy leaves and mottled colouring gives the impression that it has been hammered out of metal. This is all the more true of the 'Coppertone' variety, which was chosen for the copper colouring of its leaves when growing in good light. It is also more compact than other forms with leaves of around 30 cm instead of 60 to 100 cm in length; from our own sansevieria collection, planted in a well-drained, self-mixed organic substrate (repotting only desired in 1-2 years); not over-fertilised therefore top healthy and robust (100% organic quality before quantity!), very slow growing, the new side shoot/plant is just emerging, not hardy; sunny location (so that the brown discolouration of the leaves remains) & please no waterlogging.

The cultivar name pulchra, meaning beautiful, seems particularly appropriate for this form. The specific name kirkii honours Sir John Kirk, who accompanied Livingstone's Zambezi expedition in 1858. He collected the species and sent it to Kew, where it was described by Baker in 1887. The species is native to Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania.

All my Sansevierias from my collection (over 100 species) grow slowly, without being massively fertilised, with the growth pausing in winter. As a result, they are top healthy, robust and simply look natural. Sansevierias are not hardy, as plants are supposed to clean the indoor air and increase the oxygen content in the house. Enjoy your new Sansevieria Kirkii Pulchra Coppertone!