If you are a well-informed planter or just a plant enthusiast in general, you may already know about ZZ Plants. These unique plants, just like their name, make for one of the most easy-to-care-for indoor homegrown plants. In fact, many growing guides list them as their top choice for plants best suited for beginners because there is hardly any step in the process that you’d do wrong. They are truly planter-friendly greens that make for a gorgeous indoor addition.
All about ZZ Plants
ZZ Plants are also known as eternity plants or commonly referred to as Zanzibar gems. However, their botanical name is Zamioculcas zamiifolia which is shortened to give them their most popular name, i.e., ZZ plants. They are incredibly low-maintenance plants and are well known for their ability to survive even in conditions where most plants tend to wither and die like low light, etc.
However, the best part about ZZ plants that makes them so beginner-friendly is that they are very hardy for being simple houseplants. You can plant them indoors, stick them almost anywhere, and they will look just as beautiful with their think stems and aesthetic foliage. Many people tend to add ZZ plants to their interiors simply for the statuesque property of the plant with clean lines and a design capability.
ZZ Plants have green leaves that are oval in shape but a lightly wider oval along with a shiny surface. The waxy leaves are mostly spotless and can often even look like artificial plants. Maybe that is why many people find them easier to place indoors as they don’t even require to be repotted as often. With the spring and summer season being their active growth phase, ZZ plants otherwise lie dormant. They are toxic to animals and humans if consumed.
Growing ZZ Plants
We know you have been searching on the internet for a while now, looking for ways to grow the ever beloved ZZ plants. However, some of the top-most results are misleading and don’t talk about “growing” ZZ plants at all. Fortunately, you have finally landed in the right place as we will tell you everything you need to know, including how easy it is to take care of this plant.
Propagating ZZ Plants
ZZ plants are not your usual seed-based plants. Instead, the easiest way to grow a ZZ plant is by propagating. While many of you may assume that propagating a plant is difficult, you’ll be delighted to know that there are three ways to propagate ZZ plants for growing them:
- Propagating by Leaf Cuttings
- Propagating by Rooting Leaflets
- Propagating by Division
It is important to note that propagating by division is the easiest of the three methods. However, if we prioritize according to the success rate enabling a good growth spurt of the ZZ plant, then the other two methods stand out.
Caring for ZZ Plants
Once you have worked your way into propagating the plant by using any of the methods, it comes down to how you care for the propagated plant. However, this amazingly low-maintenance plant needs less to almost no regular steps for growing. Given the time of planting, it will take a few months for rhizomes to grow. These act as the plants’ water storage units, allowing the ZZ plant to be effectively drought tolerant.
That is also why the ZZ plant is known as the Zanzibar gem, as it has been seen thriving outdoors in Africa. However, nowadays, being propagated as a house plant, it is widely recommended to plant it indoors. It does great even under low light and little to no water where other plants may not survive. This makes it easy on the planter so that even if you forget to water your ZZ plant, you can expect it to stay well and alive.
Let’s take a look at some care factors that will help you maintain your ZZ plant:
Leaves
As we mentioned earlier as well, the leaves of the ZZ plants are oval-shaped and wide. They have a shiny surface with a waxy texture that almost mimics the artificial plants you see in the market. However, it is important to note here that these plants should not be cleaned using any artificial shiner to maintain their shine. Instead, use a damp cloth to simply wipe off the accumulated dust and debris and help your ZZ plant with its natural photosynthesis.
Light
Light is another one of the care factors when it comes to ZZ plants because many people tend to think the ZZ plant would thrive under bright light. In actuality, the fact is that even though the plant loves its light source and even grows towards it, direct light is its mortal enemy. Instead, your ZZ plant needs an indirect light source while the planter is placed well in the shade. This will help the plant grow towards the light and not get scorched under direct sunlight.
Water
ZZ plants have thick rhizomes that are basically their water hub. The rhizomes store the water and make the plant an extremely drought tolerant plant. That is why you might get shocked that despite your bad habit of infrequent watering for your plants, the ZZ plant would be thriving while others may be shriveled. However, infrequent watering doesn’t mean completely withdrawing any watering. A thorough watering every two weeks should do the trick.
Soil
Just like the ZZ plant isn’t picky or demanding about anything, it doesn’t even have a preference for some type of soil. In fact, it will easily thrive in almost any potting medium as long as it drains well and allows the plant to drain off the excess water. So you can use the standard soil mix that you use for all of your other plants in the garden or indoors. If you believe that it won’t be well-draining enough for the ZZ plant, mix a bit of perlite, and it should be good to go.
Temperature
The ZZ plant is also known as the Zanzibar gem, and that is because it is seen thriving in hot, humid weather. Therefore, don’t worry about temperature changes in the household for your ZZ plant, as it will easily withstand temperatures to 45°F. However, any lower than this will be cold for your ZZ plant, making it more challenging for the plant’s growth spurt to continue. Hence, ensure that you don’t place it in colder areas and the shaded area gets sunlight.
Fertilizer
You may be wondering that when a ZZ plant is so easy to grow and take care of, then how come there is a need for fertilizer? Well, truth be told, ZZ plants can stay dormant for months on end without any significant growth spurt. Therefore, a quality fertilizer diluted to have half of its strength may do wonders to speed up the growth process during the summer and spring growing seasons. It definitely enhances the plant’s size and growth vigor over time.
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Top 7 Tips for Growth & Care of ZZ Plants
Now that you are well aware of what goes into growing and taking care of ZZ plants, we believe some care tips can go a long way in helping you sustain a healthy ZZ plant in your home without any need to do much and simply the bare minimum. Hence, we have compiled a list of some of the easiest-to-follow care tips to help you out. Let’s break them down and see what the ZZ plant has in store for us:
Water the plant occasionally but thoroughly.
When someone gets a new plant, people tend to believe that watering it may be the best way to take care of it. However, the opposite is true when it comes to ZZ plants. Hence, make sure to water the plant occasionally but thoroughly simply. The plant shall drain off the excess water, and the rhizomes with store the water it needs for the rest of the time you don’t water it. Hence, please don’t disturb the natural process by watering it unnecessarily.
Save your love for other plants.
While getting a new gorgeous plant such as the ZZ plant may want you to shower all your love on it – the best care tip is to save your love for some other plants. ZZ plants are not as demanding, picky or needy as other plants and shall easily thrive on their own as long they have an indirect light source. So rather than wasting your time sitting and gawking as to why your ZZ plant is not growing, take concerning steps for other plants.
Do some manual cleanup.
The natural process of photosynthesis happens when the natural light falls near the ZZ plant, but the plant itself is in the shade. Moreover, the plant doesn’t even demand regular watering as much as other plants. Thus, it can often lead to dust accumulation on the plant’s leaves and disrupt photosynthesis. So what you can do is damp a cloth and manually clean its leaves and stems carefully one by one. It will make the plant healthier and retain its leaves’ shine.
Don’t place the planter in direct sunlight.
One cannot emphasize enough that you shouldn’t place your ZZ plant in direct sunlight. This is because direct sunlight scorches the plant’s leaves, and they will eventually burn down, compromising an otherwise healthy plant. Instead, get an aesthetic marble planter and place it indoors to match your interior design and let sunlight fall on it as it spreads across the room and not directly on the plant.
Give the planter indirect bright light for growth.
The ZZ plant needs indirect light because it grows towards it. Therefore, try not to limit the indirect light by hyper-focusing on keeping it away from direct sunlight. Find a spot in your house that best suits the ZZ plant and see it grow towards the light. For instance, choose a nice round ceramic planter and place it in a clay dish beside your lounger. This way, it will get plenty of indirect sunlight, and you would also know when to water it.
Choose the adequate size of the ZZ plant for your space.
One of the best parts about including a pre-grown ZZ plant in your house is that you can choose the perfect size of the plant that fits the empty space. As the ZZ plant grows ever so slowly, by the time it outgrows the designated area, you will be in the heart to place another plant or switch up your interiors. Hence, if you have enough space, choose a big ZZ plant and if you have small to just enough space, like a corner, choose a medium-sized ZZ plant.
Rotate the planter for even growth
We have mentioned this time and time again that the ZZ plant grows toward the light source. Therefore, in order to ensure that your ZZ plant’s growth spurt is structured, straight, and balanced all around, rotate your ZZ plant’s planter or pot every now and then for different sides of the leaves bearing direction toward the light source so that every stem and leaf grows towards the light at an even speed.
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Wrap Up
To sum it up, even if you have just started out by building a home garden or sprucing up your home interiors with some natural greens – the ZZ plant is your best friend. With occasional watering needs and almost no demand, this low-maintenance plant shall give you no worries or regrets. Simply ensure that it gets plenty of indirect light and that you care for some manual cleaning and need-based planter rotation for an even growth spurt, and you’re good to go.
Are you interested in reading more about such easy plant growth and educational guides? Then connect with us at Mo Plants – your one-stop gardening directory for more gardening know-how. Our comprehensive guides will be an excellent resource for reading more about other plants, vegetables, herbs, and fruits to expand your home garden into a colorful sanctuary of a diverse range of amazing plants from all over the world.
Happy planting!
