My sympathy! There's quite a good chance they'll come back, but be sure they don't get too wet between now and when they start coming back--and I'm not sure how wet is 'too wet'! Take off the mushy stuff I think--that could bring on rot. I have things I didn't get in or covered that may or may not come back too, and I find it's a gamble, but one that I often win. I just have too many plants and not enough space to store them! I'm not as hopeful about the Mother-in-law tongue's chances as about the aloe I'm afraid--I have three different kinds of aloe outside and unprotected, and they're okay, tho' they're on the 'warm' side of the house. Can't remember what's happened when I left sansevierias out, but that may be why I don't have as many different kinds as I used to! Good luck!

I don't grow many of these, but when mine became a tangled ball of roots like this I just broke each cluster apart and let them dry out of soil for a day. Then potted them in their new home. They seem to be doing well as I find these plants impossible to kill. Sometimes they sit without water for months when I forget / ignore them and still look perfectly fine, not to mention they seem to grow like weeds. Also, you may want to check out the Sansevieria forums here on GardenWeb.

Yes, Please.

Plant Care Mother-in-Laws Tongue How To Water Mother-in-Laws Tongue has rhizomes that store water, so stay more to the dry side with this plant. In low to medium light, allow potting media to dry down completely in between watering. In higher lighting, allow to dry down at least 3/4 of the pot depth. Please see pages on watering indoor plants and lighting for your plants best health. It is often difficult to judge if a Mother-In-Laws Tongue needs to be watered so it is helpful to use a soil probe. This aids you in checking the soil at the bottom areas of the plant's root mass to check for moisture. A soil probe or moisture meter is very useful in helping you avoid over or under watering of your plants. I use a moisture meter often to double check myself in my indoor plant care accounts. An aluminum or steel soil probe will work well and not break. This is the type interior landscapers use as the inexpensive plastic probes can break easily. The 13 inch length will work for most indoor plants. The longer length would only be useful for grow pots with a diameter of greater than 28 inches. Also, be careful when you do water your Mother-in-Laws Tongue that you do not pour the water in the leaf rosette as it may cause them to rot. Water the soil only and use room temperature water. There are a few things to watch for with Mother-in-Laws Tongue. They are prone to scale and mealybugs and if you notice these pests they should be wiped off immediately with a cloth or cotton dipped in rubbing alcohol. Mother-in-Laws Tongue can be found in different sizes and colors. Some are shorter, with a rosette type of growth such as the Sansevieria 'Hahnii'. Sansevieria 'Superba' is somewhat larger but with wider leaves than the taller varieties. The Sanseveria Laurentii is the most common variety, with a broad, yellow edge on the thick, sword shaped leaves. The center of the leaf is cross-banded with pale markings. Sansevieria can be found with pale silver-green foliage as with Sansevieria 'Moonshine'. The 'Black Gold' has a dark leaf center, almost black, with a gold leaf edge. The Sansevieria 'Zeylanica' is more of a light silver-green with darker crossbands or mottling of the leaf. With the different growth types and unusual and beautiful colorations, the Mother-in-Laws Tongue has something for everyone who enjoys indoor tropical plants. And they are easy care, too! As I said, keep them pot bound, don't over water and place them in adequate light and they should be relatively trouble free. When the plant does become root bound you can remove it from the grow pot and divide the plant to make smaller individual plants. Make sure when you do divide your Mother-in-Laws Tongue, that you plant the smaller plants into pots that fit them. Remember, Mother-in-Laws Tongue is better pot bound. You can often place a cut leaf into moist sand or rooting media and get it to root and start a new plant that way. While it is usual to see Mother In Laws Tongue plant at a height of about 2-3 feet tall, I have seen them grow to over 5 feet tall and remain full. This was a Mother-in-Laws Tongue plant potted in a 14" diameter grow pot in a very good light situation. It is unusual to see them that large indoors but it can happen with excellent lighting and care.