ZZ plant: several months of stored water
The ZZ plant is built as a reservoir. Thickened tuberous rhizomes below the soil and fleshy stalks above it let it go without water longer than almost any other houseplant. Hence its reputation as the plant nobody manages to forget to death.
Visually it is a dense cluster of upright stems carrying glossy paired leaflets. It grows slowly and holds its shape for years without intervention.
Conditions
- Light from bright indirect down to moderate. Direct sun scorches the glossy leaves.
- Watering only once the substrate has dried through, and in winter as little as once every few weeks.
- An open substrate with a coarse fraction and compulsory drainage.
- Warmth. Anything below normal room temperature is poorly tolerated.
Yellowing and softening at the base of the stems indicates overwatering. At that signal stop watering and inspect the rhizome.
Slow growth is normal for the species rather than a problem. A new stem may appear only once in several months.
Wipe dust from the glossy leaves regularly. Film shows up sooner on a dark shiny surface than on a matt one.
Repotting and propagation
Repot rarely, every two or three years, into a container only slightly larger. An established rhizome sometimes deforms a plastic pot.
Propagate by dividing the rhizome or from a leaf cutting. Cuttings take a long time, sometimes months, and form an underground tuber before anything appears above ground.
Choose a stable pot. A mature plant carries tall stems, and a lightweight container underneath tips over.
The sap contains irritant compounds, so wash your hands after repotting or cutting.
A ZZ plant outlasts a business trip, a holiday and a renovation. The one thing it does not outlast is a permanently wet pot.
Who it suits
Offices, rented flats, people who travel, and rooms with moderate light or north facing windows.
It is toxic to cats and dogs if eaten, so in a household with animals it goes above their reach.
As a gift it wins on predictability. It looks the same in every season and needs no seasonal change of routine.
If a plant crosses Johannesburg in winter, packaging is essential. Frosted stalks darken and drop.
JFLOO files the ZZ plant with cactus plants because of how it is watered. It is the right choice wherever nobody will be looking after it.