5 Houseplants That Are Native to Africa

The snake plant, nicknamed “mother in law tongue,” is native to West Africa. I have seen this plant my entire life – nearly every family member of mine has one or more in their home. This is an easy going plant. It can flower in the spring, and if pollinated, it’ll produce babies. If you ever get the chance to repot the snake plant, check out those roots! They’re orange and even have bulbs that help store water – and that means that you don’t have to water it often. This is one of my older plants, and I really adore its chill nature and simple lifestyle.

🌍 Native to West Africa

☀ indirect light

🜃 well-draining, even soilless poting mix

💧 allow soil to dry, don’t overwater

🚫 toxic to humans & pets

This star is native to Central Africa, specifically Angola. The Starfish Sansevieria (sansevieria cylindrica compact) is a variation of the sansevieria cylindrica. Instead of standing straight up, the spears form in a more compact way, if you will. In this way, the spears fan out from a central point, forming what looks like a fan, and in some ways it looks like a starfish! This is my latest plant on my journey to become plant mama to many variations of sansevieria plants.

🌍 Native to Central Africa (Angola)

☀ partial – full sun

🜃 succulent potting mix for soil

💧 water when completely dry

🚫 toxic to humans & pets

The Spider Plant is native to South and West Africa. It took a while for me to learn exactly how to care for my Spider Plant, but it looks so happy now that all of its needs are met! This poor thing has seen some sad days, but with a change in soil, a breathable terra cotta planter, being moved out of direct sun, and getting watered less often, this baby is thriving. I can’t wait until it grows some pups so that I can care for even more Spider Plants.

🌍 Native to South &West Africa

☀ bright indirect light

🜃 general soil, or soilless medium

💧 keep soil moist in spring & summer

🚫 non-toxic; hallucinogenic to cats

The ZZ is indestructible, y’all! This is a plant that can weather the storm of you being a bad plant parent. But I encourage you to do your research and care for it well – it really doesn’t take much. It’s also an absolutely beautiful plant. There are variations in color, as well – one that has green and white foliage and another that has a dark black foliage. The ZZ Plant, scientific name “zamioculas zamiifolia,” is native to East Africa.

🌍 Native to East Africa

☀ avoid direct sunlight, ok with low light

🜃 prefers dry & well-draining soil

💧 water when completely dry, prone to root rot

🚫 toxic to humans and pets if ingested

Aloe vera is another plant that everyone in my family had in their homes. It’s a remedy for small cuts and scars because the gel inside of it is soothing. I’ve learned recently that it is great for deep conditioning my curly hair. In recent years, I’ve even drank aloe vera juice. But I didn’t make it on my own, they sell it in stores. It’s important to note that there are different types of aloe vera and it’s important to know which is which before you ingest it. I’ll stick to the pre-made juice for now. While the aloe vera plant is actually native to the southwest Arabian peninsula (directly north of the African continent), it is now naturalized in North Africa, as well.

🌍 Native to North Africa

☀ prefers bright light

🜃 prefers dry & well-draining soil

💧 water when completely dry

🚫 toxic if high amounts ingested