Hi Elsie,
From the description you gave I think it is Sansevieria trifasciata 'Moonshine' also called S. 'Moonglow'. It is not one I have in my collection, but intend to add someday. I am including a link below which might help for you to compare. - Elaine

Here is a link that might be useful: S. t. 'Moonshine'

I concur. The name 'Moonglow' followed much after 'Moonshine' so, just to be a pain, I ALWAYS use 'MoonShine'. Just the type of thorny girl I am...

It is a beautiful and lustrous plant. I have had mine for over 30 years, with a brief stewardship at my mothers house. Found this one in the 70's at Ben Franklin's Five & Dime. One worth taking the trouble to keep alive over time.

I have Moonshine/Moonglow too, the new growth on this plant is absolutely fabulous, a lovely silvery pale green. It does change to a darker olive green as the leaves mature.

I have this one too. The little one seems to stay silver for a long time before it changes. I wonder if light effects this? I find some of my other sans seem to be a different color in shade than when in mostly sun. The one little moonshine I have is in half a day of sun, while a bigger one that is greenish is in the shade. However, it was greenish when I got it so I'm not sure. I didn't want to put it in the sun as it had been gown in the shade. Now the pups on that one are the whitish silver again.
Marcy

I was given a Moonshine/Moonglow several yrs. ago, a mother plant & pup, the pup was the palest green, looked like white/pale green marble. I was sort of disappointed when it darkened up w/ age. Then suddenly I lost it.

I got another one last Spring at a propagation workshop I helped give. Was from a mature plant that I broke up into divisions. So the divisions are true in color. This thread just made me look at it for new growth (it was only a rhizome & 1 leaf when potted up last Spring). Am happy to see 2 tiny new leaves coming up in the center -- yippeee!

From what I hear their darkeing up w/ age is perfectly normal, tho' I prefer the very pale color & DO wish it would stay like that. Also, FYI, once this gets going it can grow really fast. I used to refer to my late one as 'jet fueled' as once it got going, the pup grew double, then almost almost triple the height of the parent in just one summer.

Enjoy yours!

As to what the "botanically correct" name should be--well, I don't know. But, 'Moonshine' seems to be the universally recognized name for this cultivar. But, I got my plant waay back around 1980 from Mobile Gardens in NY state, under the name "Silver Moon', which is a name that I personally prefer but I guess I have to go with 'Moonshine' when I distribute props. Oh well. What's in a name!

The greening up of growths is a natural occurance. Only the young pups are white-silver. If an old plant is under cared for, it will stop pupping and then the whole plant will appear to be greenish. But, when it pups the new growths will be silver again. To get a plant where all the growths are silver you just need to pot up only the silver growths and take out the older greener pieces, to be potted up separately for propagation. I have done this from time to time, just so that I could have a nice looking plant. On the other hand, a pot with growths at various stages of coloring from silver to pale green is very attractive too. It is such a good variety that I still grow it after 24+ years, though I can't say that I have a particularly attractive specimen going at this time.

Jon

Thanks everyone for the input.

Elsie

Where can I get one? I love it.

I was not sure if it was moonshine or moonglow, so thanks for the correct info.

Mine was purchased last year from Lowe's or Home Depot. Home Depot had them again last week.

Elsie

One can also get them from most cactus & succulent clubs. Just find one in your area.

It's official name is S. trifasciata 'Moonshine', since
it's a trifasciata cultivar. Unofficial names are
'Moonglow', 'Moonbeam', 'Moonlight', and 'Silver Moon'.
If you will cut and plant a leaf of this, it will produce
new plants of the same stature and leaf width, but will be
all green with lighter banding, like regular trifasciata.
This cultivar is called trifasciata 'Robusta', a pretty
plant in it's own right.
Russ

Not that this will help anyone far away, but I saw three beautiful ones at the Walter Anderson nursery in San Diego (the one off Enterprise St. near Pacific Highway) this Monday. Almost bought one, ($7-something), but then came back to the reality that there won't be space for duplicates in our house this winter, and I already have a beautiful 'moonshine' from Russ in Fla. (Thanks again, Russ, for all the beautiful sans. I mean to write you more about how well they have been doing, but keep putting it off till I can take some pictures.)

I had another source(can't remember where now, but they were pretty reliable) that an old name for this one is 'Moonstruck'. I like that one best of all.

I bought mine at a local Safeway. It was $6.

Brenda

Jon, I only saw 'Silver Moon' used once in a Catalogue. 'Moonshine' was the most used name. Do you have an old Podestra nursery catalogue before 1980? I am currently trying to trace this name at this time. Have spent hours doing do. "Moonshine" is shorter with a wider leaf. Tri-'Silver Queen' the leaves are narrower and much taller no border trim. Then there is S.trifasciata v.silver with borders of a very lite yellow cream. Which also grows tall, they later turn a light jade green in the centers. HGB 60922 1982 ex Bill Barnett

Norma

If any one has any Catalogues before 1980 I would appreciate it if you would look in them to see if it is even listed. If you don't need them anymore I would appreciate them, and of course pay for the postage.
The nurseries wasn't doing much with that sport until 1980. The Huntington has it listed as 'Moonshine' Bob Altman also and David Grigsby's Cactus all the same year 1980. Any other information found would be appreciated. Norma

Thanks to all for identifying my new Sansevieria just purchased at a supermarket. I like the name "Moonglow" best. Mine lives inside. There are 3 different types in the pot; a medium green, the Moonglow and one I've never seen; it has a light and dark green mottled pattern with a Moonglow color strip about a half inch wide running up the middle on the outside of leaf. They need to be repotted; all crammed together on one side. I read Sans like to be rootbound. Are terracotta pots best? I would appreciate any input from your experiences. Thanks!

Mine's new pups are light green and it's striking against the darker green of the older growth.

Susan

Hi Joyce2,
I think plastic pots are better than terra cotta. As the plants grow larger, the roots and new plants expand sideways. If in a plastic pot,it will push and distort the sides of the pots, come out the drain holes and sometimes even split the pot down the side. I would not like to lose a nice ceramic pot or even a terra cotta pot, which could break.

Elsie

Russ,
I think I may have the 'Robusta' you describe, bought from Ikea and naturally without a name. Thanks for the info.

Joyce,
I'm going to differ on the pots and suggest terracotta. They're not that expensive, their porosity reduces the possibility of the Sans' staying too wet, and they're better looking than plastic. They are heavier, though, if that's an issue. My Sans are all in terracotta pots (inexpensive ones). I generally repot them all yearly, moving them up to larger sizes if necessary, and haven't yet had one get so potbound it broke the pot.

Melissa

If I propagate by leaves, will the moonshine variety be true? Or will it revert to a different leaf color?

Someone in this post stated, "If you will cut and plant a leaf of this, it will produce new plants of the same stature and leaf width, but will be all green with lighter banding, like regular trifasciata. This cultivar is called trifasciata 'Robusta', a pretty plant in it's own right."

Planto

Blast from the Past! It is amazing how they know in there genes what to turn back into. They revert to where they came from. Almost all the new cultivars revert back to Robusta. All this time I thought they were it's own species coming from India.