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The ZZ plant, short for Zamioculcas zamiifolia and nicknamed the Zanzibar Gem, is the perfect low-maintenance and low-light plant. In this post, l’ll review ZZ plant care and ZZ plant propagation.
The ZZ plant is native to parts of Africa. While they’re slow growing, they’re incredibly easy to care for. After enough time, they can grow from being a couple of little stems to two to three feet tall and incredibly full.
A key part of successful ZZ plant care is understanding they have rhizomes, which produce new plants and also store water and nutrients. Therefore, ZZ plants can go long periods without being watered. We’ll discuss this more in the sections below.
Where can I buy a ZZ plant?
You can easily find a ZZ plant to buy on Etsy! Check out this nice, full ZZ plant from one of my favorite Etsy shops.
ZZ Plant Care
Does the ZZ plant need sunlight?
No, the ZZ plant does not technically need sunlight. It can survive under fluorescent light, which is why you can often find this plant in office buildings and malls. (See my post on grow lights for more info on artificial lighting for plants.)
If you can give your ZZ plant access to sunlight, medium, indirect light is best. It can survive in low light, too, which is part of what makes ZZ plant care so easy! But, keep in mind more light will help the plant grow faster, just don’t put your plant in direct light which can scorch the leaves.
For more help with finding just the right light for your ZZ plant, check out my easy guide to natural light for indoor plants.
How often should you water a ZZ plant?
ZZ plants will need to be watered about every two to three weeks and even less often in the winter. They like to completely dry out between waterings, and they store water in their rhizomes which is why they can go a long time without being watered.
For this reason, they are perfect for those who travel a lot or have a tendency to forget about watering their plants!
For more help on how to know when to water your houseplants, check out this post.
Humidity
Since they are native to tropical areas of Africa, some extra humidity will do the ZZ plant well. The pebble tray method or a humidifier are just a few ways to provide your plants with humidity. I wrote about more easy ways to create humidity for your houseplants with step-by-step instructions, so be sure to check out that post for more help.
Note: Since these plants are SO low maintenance, they are usually fine even if you can’t give them extra humidity.
Potting Mix
ZZ plants are easy to please and will be just fine with a well-draining indoor plant potting mix. I like to add an additional handful or two of perlite into my potting mix for extra drainage if I have it around.
Fertilizing
ZZ plants don’t necessarily need fertilizer. However, if you’d like, you can use a liquid houseplant fertilizer on your ZZ plant a few times a year during the growing season (the spring and summer). Overfertilizing can burn the plant and cause damage, so you really shouldn’t fertilize it too often.
Repotting
Generally, you’ll need to repot this plant every other year to every few years. It’s a slow grower, but exactly how often you repot it will depend on how fast it’s growing in your environment. You should also repot this plant if you notice it’s getting rootbound or it’s simply outgrown its pot.
Repot your plant in one the next size up from its current pot and make sure it has a drainage hole. It’s best to do your repotting in the spring or summer if you can wait.
Pruning
You shouldn’t need to prune your ZZ plant aside from removing any dead or dying leaves once they can be gently plucked off of the plant.
Propagating a ZZ Plant
Division
The easiest and quickest way to propagate the ZZ plant is through division of the rhizomes, which you’ll probably have to do at some point anyway once the plant gets too large. A rhizome is a modified part of the stem that grows underground on certain plants. They store water and nutrients and produce new plants. (Note that ZZ plants need to be at least a few years old to have several rhizomes.)
To propagate your ZZ plant, wait until it’s mostly dry. Then, remove the plant from its pot to find where each separate plant is attached to a rhizome. Separate the plants, gently untangling any roots and if necessary, using a pair of clean shears or a knife to separate any tangled roots. Try to keep as many roots intact as possible.
If the rhizomes themselves are stuck together, use a clean, sharp knife or shears to make a clean cut to separate them. If you end up needing to do that, cure the plant by letting it sit out for a few hours before planting it.
Pot the separated plants into a pot with good drainage. You can plant them in separate, smaller pots or all together in one larger pot. Once you’ve potted up your plants, water them and care for them as you normally would.
Stem Cuttings
You can also propagate ZZ plants by taking stem cuttings—either an entire stem or just a small portion—and rooting them in water. It can take many weeks to months, even, to develop roots this way. I would not go this route unless you like the look of ZZ plant stems in a vase of water and you don’t mind having that around for a long time.
Additional Information
Is the ZZ plant toxic to cats and dogs?
Yes, the ZZ plant is toxic to cats and dogs, so be sure to keep this plant out of your furry friends’ reach!
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