Skip to main content

Mother-in-law's tongue




Mother-in-law's tongue is the very mean nick-name for this common plant, otherwise known as 'Snake's tongue'. A very hardy succulent, I think it makes an attractive live fence. Known as NaagataaLi in Kannada, the sap from the 'tongue' is supposed to be a cure for ear ailments.



In addition to the one above, I have two other variations in my collection. This is 'Mother-in-law's tongue' with a dash of colour.... my favourite.
The 'tongue' in this type usually takes a twist or two and has a nice spiral shape.


And, kyonki saas bhi kabhi bahu thi, this dwarf variety is the Mother-in-law's tongue when she was daughter-in-law ;)


All the three above have their origins in my mother's garden. She had a huge collection of succulents.....

Most gardening websites root for the snake's tongue as indoor plant for its air purifying properties. They advice against over watering. But, you know, some years ago, I had accidentally separated a 'tongue'. I had kept it in water in a vase. Over time, it has grown roots and more 'tongues'. This is how it looks now ---



    Ah! I can now be accused of holding the mother-in-law's tongue!
    (Strictly tongue-in-cheek statement, that one!)

     Actually, instead of offending mothers-in-law & snakes, we should be calling it by the unimaginative 'green tongue'.  But, there's a hitch here. I have seen a variety where the 'tongues' are a beautiful shade of purple-green. The tip is very sharp... 'blade tongue', perhaps? 'Sword plant' because it looks like a sword???

Anyway, a tough, hardy plant that can adapt itself to suit any condition....whatever the name!

Labels:

Comments

  1. Sandhya08 August, 2012

    Thanks, for telling me that it is good for indoor air purification. It is so hardy, yet so beautiful, that it is ideal for people who cannot give much time to gardening :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sandhya08 August, 2012

    Informative, "punny" blog :))

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Soumya09 August, 2012

      Thanks :)
      Yes... adds life to the room.

      Delete
  3. Monark08 August, 2012

    Trees and plants are always useful and much needed thing to grow. Helps to control atmosphere temperature. Todays people are cutting them to build their own dreams. How selfish? They know the benefits of trees though they cut them. How fool?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Unknown15 July, 2020

    Hi

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ash gourd & beliefs

Whenever a farmer comes to my doorstep selling vegetables, I buy them. The other day, one of the regulars dropped in. This time, he had only ash gourds. Since my own ash gourd vine was looking good, I had to tell him that I didn't want any. He then expressed a desire to see the vine - to check out the variety, etc... Soon after seeing it, he told me that the vine would produce only one gourd and that I should be offering it to some temple instead of using it! Well! I hadn't heard this one before! Though nobody knew why, every single person advised me against using the ash gourd if it turned out to be the only yield from that vine. And, 'Give it to some temple' was the final line that everyone added! You know, as far as vegetables and beliefs go, the ash gourd is one that has many attached to it... each one of them, meaningless and without logic. My mother believed that a whole ash gourd should not be cut with a knife by people whose parents were alive. Fortunat...
20 comments
Read more

Ganesha's water-pot!

You will not find this place on the tourists' list of places to visit in Chikmaglur. However, you'll find it on my list of favourite places in Chikmaglur. Let me take you there..... A half-an-hour's drive from home will take us to the not-so-sleepy town of Koppa. From here, onto  the road to Kesave village.  About 3-4 kms on this road, to the right - a rusty arch and the mud track beyond welcome us. Blink, and we'll miss the place! We are now on private property. This part of the estate is open to all. Because, it is here that the river Braahmi has her origins. The Braahmi is a small tributary of the river Tunga. Infact, she joins the Tunga within 20 kms. from her place of birth. The presence of an idol of the elephant-headed God lends some piety to the place.    Someone has done a neat job -  making it seem like the water is gushing out of a water-pot. This, and the presence of God Ganesh... the place is locally known as 'KamanDala Ganapati'. Lik...
69 comments
Read more

Plant Mythology

 One thing I like about Indian mythology is that we have very beautiful stories about how rivers, plants, flowers, etc. came to be. The stories are so reassuring that sometimes, I wish science and its complicated theories didn't exist! According to Indian mythology, all plants have been created from the hair of Lord Brahma. I had read this in a book called Brahma's Hair by Maneka Gandhi. The book is a collection of myths and stories from all over the country - of about thirty sacred plants and trees, along with some historic and botanical details.  The book has very few stories from the South. Some flowers and trees that have mythological and religious importance here are missing. Of course, writing an exhaustive book on this subject would be quite a task! Recently, I have been curious about the mythology behind some flowers common to my surroundings. The plant is a parasite and is always found attached to the branches of huge trees.... The flowers bloom once a y...
Post a Comment
Read more