Zamioculcas

The ZZ plant: a single species of tough, glossy-leaved aroid from eastern Africa, and one of the most forgiving houseplants there is. It stores water in a fat underground rhizome, which lets it shrug off low light and long stretches without water. This guide covers the plant and its cultivars, from the near-black 'Raven' to the dwarf 'Zenzi'.

Care at a glance

Origin & history

One tough species. The ZZ plant is Zamioculcas zamiifolia, the only species in its genus, an aroid native to the dry forests and grasslands of eastern Africa, from Kenya south to KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa (Plants of the World Online, n.d.). Its glossy, dark-green “leaves” are really long, pinnate fronds, each lined with thick, waxy leaflets.

Built for drought. Underground, the plant stores water in swollen rhizomes, the secret to its reputation for near-indestructibility. Those reserves let it survive low light, dry air and weeks of neglect, and they are also why the fastest way to lose one is to keep it wet. It is drought-adapted first and foremost.

Growth is slow and steady, and the plant stays upright and self-supporting, so it never needs staking. Breeders have added a handful of cultivars, most notably the dramatic near-black 'Raven', but the care is the same across all of them.

Care in depth

Light. The ZZ plant is famous for tolerating low light, but tolerating is not preferring. It grows fuller and faster in bright, indirect light, and merely hangs on in a dim corner. Keep harsh direct sun off the leaves, which it can scorch. Give it the best light you can spare and it rewards you.

Water and the rhizome. This is the whole game. The rhizome stores water, so let the mix dry out completely before watering again, often only once or twice a month, then water thoroughly and drain. Err dry: an underwatered ZZ recovers in a day, but a wet one rots at the rhizome. A coarse, fast-draining mix and a pot with drainage are the safeguards (Clemson Cooperative Extension, n.d.).

Warmth, feeding and growth. Keep it in normal room warmth above about 60°F (16°C) and away from cold drafts; it is cold-sensitive. Feeding needs are minimal, a light balanced feed once or twice through the growing season. Growth is slow, so be patient; a ZZ that seems to do nothing for a month is simply being a ZZ.

Common problems & pests

What you see	Likely cause	What to do
Yellowing leaflets	Overwatering / soggy mix	Let it dry fully; check the rhizome; ease off.
Mushy stems, soft rhizome, smell	Rot from wet soil	Unpot; cut away rot; repot dry; water minimally.
Wrinkled leaflets, leaning stems	Underwatered (rhizome depleted)	Water thoroughly once; it rebounds.
No new growth	Normal slow habit, or low light	Be patient; give brighter indirect light.
Scorched tips or patches	Direct sun	Move out of direct sun.

In this genus

Each plant inherits the genus care above; the note is only what differs.