ZZ plant care
Glossy leaves on thick stems; stores water in its roots, so it is very forgiving. (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)
- Light
- Low to bright indirect light
- Water
- Soak the soil, then wait until it is…
- Cats
- Not on the ASPCA list
- Dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list
Care card
Light
Low to bright indirect light.
Water
Soak the soil, then wait until it is completely dry before watering again. Too much water is the main way succulents die.
Humidity
Dry room air is fine.
Soil and pot
Fast-draining cactus and succulent mix in a pot with a hole.
Feeding
A little cactus fertilizer once or twice in summer is plenty.
Through the year
Spring
Move it to the brightest window and start watering a bit more as it grows.
Summer
Water deeply when dry. If it goes outside, bring sun on gradually so it does not scorch.
Autumn
Water less as days shorten.
Winter
Water very little, about once a month. Keep it bright and away from frosty glass.
Common problems
Yellow stems
A yellow, softening stem on a ZZ plant is almost always too much water. Cut away the collapsed stem, let the pot dry, and stretch the time between waterings. Do not repot it into a much larger, wetter pot.
Watering a ZZ plant
When you are unsure, wait. A wrinkled leaflet on an otherwise firm plant can mean it is finally ready for water. A yellow stem means it was watered too soon.
Leaf trouble?
Why houseplant leaves turn yellow
Several yellow leaves at once usually mean the roots are staying wet. Feel the…How often to water a houseplant
There is no single weekly schedule. Water when that plant's soil says so, then…Brown tips and crispy edges
Brown tips usually mean dry air, a pot that dried out too far, or minerals in…Drooping houseplant leaves
Droop can mean thirst or roots that are too rotten to drink. Feel the soil…Fungus gnats and other small pests
Fungus gnats breed in mix that never dries. Letting the top layer dry, and…Background
Zamioculcas is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae, containing the single species Zamioculcas zamiifolia. It is a tropical herbaceous perennial plant, and is native to eastern Africa, including Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Its common names include Zanzibar gem, Zuzu plant, emerald palm, ZZ plant, aroid palm and eternity plant.
From Wikipedia’s article Zamioculcas, by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More succulent plants
Sources
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control: toxic and non-toxic plants Pet safety
- Wikipedia: Zamioculcas Background