Top 4 Best Plants For Snake Cages

Are you looking to spruce up your snake’s enclosure? 

Do you want to add some plants but don’t know where to start? 

While some snake owners like very simple enclosures, many others want to make their enclosures look as beautiful and natural as possible. 

Plants are a great way to accomplish the latter goal.

The best plants for a snake’s cage will depend on several factors, such as humidity requirements, upkeep, and your snake’s activity level. Some universally accepted plants are bromeliads, snake plants, golden pothos, and aloe vera.

However, picking the right plant for your specific snake enclosure requires careful consideration and planning. 

Keep reading if you’re interested in learning more about selecting the proper plant for your needs.

How To Choose The Right Plants

While plants are an amazing way to liven up your snake’s cage, you need to make sure you don’t include anything potentially dangerous to your pet. 

You must ensure they wouldn’t cause any toxicity issues if ingested and won’t overgrow in the enclosure. 

Additionally, you need to know about the requirements they need to grow and thrive, so you are prepared to care for both your snake and the plants surrounding them.

To further explore the best plants for your snake cage, we’ll first look at temperature and humidity requirements. 

Some plants do better in more humid cages, while other plants thrive in drier environments. 

You should choose your plants based on the humidity needs of your pet.

Humid Enclosures

Certain pet snakes need environments with a specific humidity requirement, especially snakes, found naturally in more humid climates like South America. 

These plants can tolerate temperature drops in the night and usually require some lighting source at night. 

If your snake has a UV light already, this can sometimes be adequate as a light source for your plants. 

If not, you’ll want to invest in a separate light source as well.

Here are some beautiful plants which thrive in a humid environment:

• Orchids: a long-stemmed plant with flowers
• Rosary vines: heart-shaped leaves on long vines
• Corn plants: thick trunk with leaves highlighted with a lime green stripe
• Bromeliads: bold, colorful plants
• Chinese evergreen: big, leathery leaves
• Golden pothos: another trailing vine with heart-shaped leaves
• Boston ferns: hardy sword fern

Dry Enclosures

Other snakes, who naturally thrive in more arid environments, prefer enclosures with less humidity. 

Plants with the ability to survive in these conditions are generally lower maintenance. 

These are the types of plants you might have seen in mainstream media lately as the best plants for new plant owners, and their use in snake enclosures follow the same principles. 

They’re nice to look at and easy to maintain.

Here are examples of dry enclosure plant options:

• Dwarf aloe: a relatively small succulent which doesn’t grow much larger
• Geranium: fragrant flowering plant
• Thornless cacti: a cactus without projections which are injurious to your pet
• Snake plants: succulent with sword-shaped leaves (the name fits the purpose well here)
• Ponytail palms: sleek trunk and curly leaves
• Elephant trees: large, tropical foliage
• String of pearls: cascading succulent

Pros and Cons Of Adding Live Plants To A Snake Enclosure

You may be wondering: why should I add plants to my snake’s cage? 

Are there benefits? 

As long as you’re making sure you get the right kinds of plants and keep them healthy, they are fantastic to have for your pet! 

However, there are also certain disadvantages to consider before purchasing and planting real plants. 

Here’s a list of pros and cons regarding the addition of live plants:

Pros

• Contribute fresh air to the snake’s environment
• Increase humidity levels by releasing water vapor
• Add more nutrients to the soil
• Manage the toxic byproducts of your snake’s waste
• Provide hiding spots

Cons

• Need appropriate soil and planting techniques
• More upkeep than fake plants
• Require special lighting
• Must be planted in strategic areas of the enclosure
• Risk of overgrowing their space

Pros and Cons Of Adding Fake Plants To A Snake Enclosure

Sometimes you don’t want to deal with the upkeep and maintenance of real plants but still want your cage’s naturalistic feel. 

In such a case, fake plants are a good option. 

They may not provide the benefits of live plants, but they require considerably less monitoring and management. 

Like real plants, they also have a list of pros and cons to consider before purchasing, which you will found below:

Pros

• Low maintenance (do not need to be watered and are not at risk of death or disease)
• Don’t require trimming or upkeep
• Still provide hiding spots
• Look natural if you purchase the right type

Cons

• Generally more expensive to buy
• Have no air or soil benefits to the overall environment
• Dangerous if ingested
• Cannot regenerate if damaged, so require replacement

Our Reviews Of Best Plants For Snake Cages

We scoured the internet to find some of the best live plants available online for you to purchase now. 

Find many of the plants listed above on the internet.

We compiled a list of the best-rated plants currently available to be bought online and forgotten about until they arrive.

Perfect Plants Snake Plant

This Perfect Plants Snake Plant, colloquially known as mother-in-law’s tongue, is an easy plant to purchase online. 

It comes in a 6″ inches (15 cm) pot, but can grow to over 2′ feet (0.61 m), making these plants more ideal for taller enclosures. 

We don’t recommend this for use in smaller cages due to size and growing capacity. 

On the plus side, this plant only needs to be watered every 3 weeks and can thrive in low or bright light. 

This means any type of light source you utilize with your enclosure will be adequate for its growth and survival. 

It’s called a snake plant due to its bright yellow and green stripes, which give it a snake-like appearance, making it perfect for a snake’s enclosure. 

Do not overwater this plant; only add water when the soil looks dry. 

This plant comes delivered in a ventilated box, carefully wrapped and transferred. 

The plant arrives in a timely fashion. 

If your plant comes with smaller sprouts on the sides, utilize them as additional pieces of foliage. 

Plant these and watch as they grow and create new off shootings, which is a great experience.

Pros:

• Arrives on time
• Infrequent need for watering
• Low maintenance light requirements
• Delivered in a ventilated box
• Often comes with small sprouts

Cons:

• Can only be used in tall, large enclosures
• At risk for overwatering

Costa Farms Golden Pothos

This golden pothos plant from Costa Farms is an easily maintained plant which arrives at anywhere from 10 to 12″ inches (30 cm) tall, making it better for smaller enclosures if they don’t have the height or space necessary for a larger plant. 

This is a perfect plant for beginners. 

It will grow horizontally along the ground of the enclosure, filling the space with greenery. 

However, be sure it doesn’t overgrow and infringe too heavily into your snake’s environment. 

This plant is great at purifying the air and providing fresh oxygen for your pet. 

It is sent from Costa Farms packed well with slow-release fertilizer to ensure it arrives at your place in good condition. 

It also can thrive in various light settings ranging from low to medium to high.

Pros:

• Low maintenance
• Shorter for smaller cages
• Great air purifier
• Packaged with a slow-release fertilizer
• Thrives in various light settings

Cons:

• Can overgrow its space horizontally
• Treated with pesticides

Costa Farms Red Chinese Evergreen

This Chinese Evergreen from Costa Farms has large red leaves with the ability to add the perfect pop of color to your snake’s cage. 

The coloring is a unique feature which makes it different from some of the other non-flowering plants on our list. 

If you’re looking to add some vibrance beyond solely green foliage, this might be your pick. 

It comes in different sizes, ranging from 14- 30″ inches (0.76 cm). 

You should select a height based on your enclosure at home, though you’ll probably need to opt for the 14″-inch (0.36 cm) plant. 

It comes in a beautiful pot, so after you remove it to plant it into the soil of your enclosure, you’ll have a nice pot to use in your home. 

It is also packaged well in a sturdy container to ensure it arrives intact. 

Most customers have been happy with the condition in which the plant arrived at their doorstep. 

This plant also has well-researched properties for increasing the quality of the surrounding air.

Pros:

• Unique coloring with red leaves; adds a fun accent
• Comes in a few size options to fit your needs
• Arrives in a nice, sturdy pot which is perfect for other house plants
• Purifies air quality

Cons:

• Can grow too high for its enclosure

5 Pack Succulents

This set of 5 succulents is hand-picked by the company from their local-owned greenhouse in Florida and delivered to your door, which allows you to get a variety of smaller plants instead of a larger one. 

This option is perfect for smaller enclosures while also requiring very little management. 

Succulents, in general, can store water for long periods and do not necessitate regular watering. 

These plants, in particular, do not require any type of special fertilizer for growth. 

This product comes with a 30-day guarantee, ensuring plants arrive at your door within 30 days of the day of the purchase. 

The company also uses your money to support animals’ adoption fees at a local shelter, so your purchase will be put towards an admirable cause and help other people who want to bring a new friend into their home. 

Customer service is receptive to feedback and concerns if you have any of the plants’ issues upon arrival.

Pros:

• Get a variety of plants to spread through the enclosure
• Perfect for smaller enclosures
• Low-maintenance in regards to watering and fertilizer requirements
• Comes with a 30-day guarantee
• Supports a local cause
• Provenly great customer service

Cons:

• May be too small for larger enclosures
• Easily trampled by big snakes

Commonly Asked Questions

How often do I need to water my plants? – Watering requirements will vary by the type of plant. 

Most of the humid category plants will require more regular watering, while the plants accustomed to drier environments can sometimes go a couple of weeks without additional water.

What kind of light do these plants need? – 

If you have a UV light for your enclosure, this can sometimes be sufficient. 

However, certain plants require further light exposure. 

This lamp from Zoo Med combines UVB qualities with heated lighting.

What are some plants I should avoid using? – Some plants have the risk of toxicity or invasiveness and should not be planted near your pet. 

These plants include daffodils, common sages, wandering Jew, tulips, Devil’s Ivy, heliotropes, hydrangeas, and philodendrons. 

If you want to purchase a plant which isn’t named on one of our above lists, please do some research first to make sure it is safe.

Conclusion

We hope this review of the best plants for snake cages helped you. 

Decorating your snake’s enclosure with plants is a great way to liven up the environment while adding some worthwhile benefits like air quality purification, humidification, soil improvement, and waste management. 

Fake plants are also an option for owners who want to spruce up their snake’s cage with minimal upkeep. 

Both have factors to consider before purchase, which were listed above for your perusal. 

Regardless of what you decide, your snake will love having some beautiful additions to its living space.