ZZ Plant
Glossy, architectural, and close to unkillable. The ZZ stores water in its rhizomes and tolerates dim corners, which makes it the plant we hand to friends who say they kill everything.
If you only ever buy one plant, buy this one. The ZZ has thick, waxy leaflets on arching stems and a fat rhizome under the soil that holds weeks of water. Ours lived through a summer in a west-facing room with the blinds open and did not blink.
It grows slowly, which is part of the appeal: it looks the same in five years as it did the day you brought it home, only bigger. The black-leaved Raven form is the same plant with a darker wardrobe.
Light
Anything from a dim hallway to bright indirect light. Medium light is the sweet spot, where it grows steadily without stretching. It survives a windowless office under ceiling lights, just very slowly.
Direct afternoon sun scorches the leaflets and bleaches the gloss, so keep it a few feet back from a south or west window.
Water
The rhizomes are water tanks. Water deeply, let it drain, then leave it alone until the soil is bone dry all the way down. In summer that is every two to three weeks; in winter, monthly or less. Overwatering is the only way most people kill this plant, and it shows as yellowing stems that go soft at the base.
When in doubt, wait another week. It will not mind.
Soil and potting
A gritty, fast-draining mix: regular potting soil cut with a third perlite or cactus mix. Repot every couple of years, or when the rhizomes start pushing the plant out of the pot, going up only one size. Terracotta helps if you tend to overwater.
Feeding
A balanced feed at half strength every eight weeks in spring and summer is plenty. It grows slowly and does not need much. Skip feeding entirely in winter.
Propagation
Division is fastest: unpot, separate a rhizome with a stem attached, and pot it up. Leaf cuttings work too but take months: press a single leaflet into damp soil and wait for a tiny rhizome to form at the base before it sends up a shoot.
In a hot, dry home
Low humidity does not bother it. Air conditioning does not bother it. Just water a little more often in July than the label suggests, because a terracotta pot in Arizona dries fast. It is the plant we recommend first to anyone here.
ZZ Plant varieties
Same care, different look. These are the named forms you will see for sale.
- Zamiifolia (green)
The standard glossy green ZZ.
- Raven
Leaves emerge green and mature to near-black.
- Zenzi
A compact, curly-leaved dwarf.
- Chameleon
New leaves open yellow-gold and turn green. Rare.
Problems and fixes
Yellow, mushy stems at the base
Likely cause: Overwatering and rhizome rot
Fix: Unpot, cut away soft rhizomes, repot in dry, gritty mix. Water again in two weeks.
Leaflets curling and browning at the tips
Likely cause: Too much direct sun
Fix: Move it three to six feet back from the window.
Stems leaning toward the window
Likely cause: Reaching for light
Fix: Rotate the pot a quarter turn each month.
Wrinkled stems
Likely cause: Genuinely dry, after a long gap
Fix: Water thoroughly. It plumps back up within days.
We have owned three. The oldest is six years old and has been repotted once. It sits in a room with no direct light and gets watered when we remember, which is not often.
ZZ Plant questions
Is the ZZ plant safe for cats?
No. All parts contain calcium oxalate crystals and are toxic to cats and dogs. Keep it on a high shelf or choose a cast iron plant instead.
How often should I water a ZZ plant?
Every two to three weeks in summer and about monthly in winter, only when the soil is completely dry. When in doubt, wait another week.
Can a ZZ plant live in a room with no window?
Yes, under ceiling lights that are on most of the day. It will grow very slowly but it will hold its looks for years.
Plants with a similar rhythm
Snake Plant
- Light
- Low to direct sun
- Water
- Every 3 weeks
- Pets
- Toxic
Dragon Tree
- Light
- Low to bright indirect
- Water
- Every 10 days
- Pets
- Toxic
