Zamioculcas zamiifolia

23 years ago

If you don't have a zz plant, please get one. That is, if you enjoy tough indoor plants that actually look good and grow in low light (they also work in almost any other lighting save direct afternoon sun), don't mind low humidity at all, rarely need water, look amazingly beautiful (prehistoric feel with amazing tubers), are slow growers, and are very resistant to pests.

BTW, they also propagate easily from leaf cuttings. Good luck in your search!

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exoticrainforest

15 years ago

Part of the information above is not scientifically correct. According to the very technical scientific text The Genera of Araceae by Dr. Simon Mayo of the Royal Botanic Garden Kew in London, J. Bogner and P.C. "Pete" Boyce (all botanists) this plant comes from Tanzania and close by countries in southern Africa. It grows in a region on rocky lightly shaded terrain that has a distinct wet and dry season. During the wet season it is extremely wet and does not mind that condition at all. It does, as was stated, need extremely porous soil in order to survive.

The plant is an aroid (Araceae) and reproduces by producing a spathe and spadix somewhat similar to a Peace Lily. Many tropical botanical gardens are now growing this species within their tropical atrium in what most growers would consider very wet conditions. That simulates the wet rainy season in Africa. The plant does not seem to care. I have been growing one in an enclosed tropical atrium in the ground for 3 years with no ill effect. The trick? It is in very porous soil that drains quickly. A sandy soil mixture is necessary but in these conditions the plant will grow larger and more beautiful that almost any seen growing in totally dry conditions.

I have written an article in consultation with one of these botanists as well as the curators of several botanical gardens. You will likely be very surprised to learn about this plant from a scientific point of view. The link is below

Here is a link that might be useful: Zamioculcas zamiifolia

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Comments (10)

erja
23 years ago
I got a plant as a X-mas present, and all I know about it is it's name is zamioculcas or zamiaculcas.
Now, I'm in a trouble, because I'm not quite green-thumbed person and I don't know anything about my dear plant! Please, you seem to know something about it, could you or anybody else help me?!

p.s I'm sorry because my language, I'm not English.
Gwist
23 years ago
Hi Brooks,
I got one!!!! I was at our local "Home Depot" store today, and they had Zz plants advertised for 16.50 Swiss Francs( about 9 dollars)!!! I just had to have it! I won't tell you about the other 4 plants that I bought today, though..lol
Running out of space,Gwist :)
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Thanks for the compliments, Larry, Hans-Werner, and Biwako. Luke would thank you too, but like all cats, he believes all praise is his due. Larry, I haven't posted in the Aroid forum in years. Although I like aroids, and did know that ZZ is one of them, I never thought of posting the picture there. Biwako, of the four cats in my household Luke is actually the most likely to nibble at plants. Chelsea has no interest in nibbling, Peppermint and Bopper will go after grassy looking foliage. So I do have keep poisonous plants in areas that are inaccessible to them. My ZZ is normally in my home office, where the cats aren't allowed without supervision, and the door is closed when it's not in use. I placed it by the front door for the photograph, where the height of the doorknob could be a size reference. In this case Luke was hanging around the door because he wanted to go outside, and was too preoccupied to bother the plant.
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Is this growing indoors or out? I wouldn't wish to risk the plant by experimenting like that. Since I know for certain alcohol is OK for Jades, I'd try that since ZZ are succulents as well. Just swab w/ a Q-tip dipped in alcohol, will darken the bug as you remove it. Maybe try just a couple of the stems w/ it FIRST, to see if it does OK. Give it a day or 2 to see the reaction. If OK, this treatment needs to be repeated every few days (3-4 days or so) to keep up w/ the mealy youngins. I'm not sure all those things were meant to be used together (concoction-wise). If you're growing indoors, pls. DON'T use the Rose systemic as I'm sure that was meant for outdoor use only.
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You can grow Zamioculcas zamiifolia by two methods. Place a leaf in sandy soil and high humidity and under good conditions it will produce bulblets and a new plant. The second is to grow from seeds but seed production has not been observed in captive growth since no one knows the exact pollinator. It is possible to cause pollination artificiallly but if it has been done, no reports can be located. The petiole (stem) won't produce a new plant unless it has roots and a bulblet. The information in the link I'm giving was taken from the scientific text The Genera of Araceae by Dr. Simon Mayo of the Kew in London along with J. Bogner and Peter Boyce. All three are botanists. That text is the only scientific material of any consequence available on this species. You will likely be very surprised at the true scientific information regarding this plant as opposed to the internet material which is often accepted by collectors, especially about water. There is a great deal of myth on the internet. This article will tell you much about the science of this species including how pollination works: Here is a link that might be useful: Zamioculcas zamiifolia
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This might be way off but have you considered 'leaf scorch'? It has a distinctive mark like a triangle or diamond on the tip of the leaf. Usually there is a yellow band between it and the green part of the leaf. Google it for some photos and see if it looks like your problem. There are several causes, bacteria, or wind, or drought.
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angel
23 years ago
Brooks, you are so bad, its sad enough you have me hunting all over for one, and now your spreading the word to everyone! No wonder i can't find any! LOL
Gwist
23 years ago
O.k., Brooks,
I thought you can give me a bit of advice on my new Z.z plant. It is still in it's 4" pot,but bulging!! Should I re-pot it, or do they like to be very root-bound? And when I do re-pot it,should I do it now, or wait until Spring? It seems to be happy, but maybe it would be happier in a bit more space! Thanks for your help,Gwist
Ynaddas
22 years ago
I got one plant last spring and it put new leaves shortly after. Now it has new buddies. Is it normal? And, what should I do when the house will be heated? Should I put it in another place without heating?
I'll be very grateful for any suggestion.
Sorry, for my English, I'm writing from Italy.
Thank you, Ynaddas
Cherril
21 years ago
Got a fascinating plant at Home Depot just labeled "Tropical" with medium-eveything-instructions, no one at the store knew what it was, but I wanted it anyway (you know how it is). It immediately started to yellow and drop leaves, but I couldn't find any reference to it or anything like it at the library. Found more at White Rose Nurseries, just called "ZZ Plant", but no one there knew what it was or how to look after it either. Their head office finally gave me the latin name and the rather odd instructions that it would take frequent watering or none at all for months, didn't care if it got full sun or full shade, was the next best thing to a plastic plant. Not much help. Meanwhile at home, all the poor thing's roots have rotted off (I watered it once, but really well; no, I didn't leave it sitting in water) and I have only 5 "stems" remaining of the original dozen or so. Could somebody give me the basics on (a) what this really is and (b) how to look after it? I can't post a picture (no camera), but my plant is is about 12" to 14" high, individual stems growing in clumps from the soil, stems swollen in the bottom half to third of their length, two rows of glossy, medium-thick leaves at about a 90 to 110 degree angle to each other. There was a tuber, has since rotted away; there were also watery roots (like bean sprouts) mostly also gone, but I think it's growing new ones. Can this poor plant be saved???
taigiseadh
19 years ago
Just got this reacton to a post I just placed regarding my mystery plant just solved!

----------------------------------------------------

The plant looks like a Zamioculcas zamiifolia, or ZZ plant. They need a soil mix with excellent drainage, and they can rot easily if they soil mix is too dense or if they get too much water. They do best if they get quite dry between waterings. If all the stems (petioles, technically) are soft, your plant is probably in serious trouble, I'm sorry to say. If some are still firm, I'd take the plant out of the pot, cut away any mush parts of the tuber and roots, dust cuts with sulfur to discourage further rot, and re-plant in a very well-aerated, quick-draining mix. Perlite or pumice added to a commercial cactus & succulent mix would be good.
If all the leaves are going soft, you can still probably propagate the plant from a leaflet set in nearly-dry mix, and misted occasionally to keep it from desiccating before it roots. It's a very slow process, I'm told, though I have't propped mine.
Best of luck!
magazinewriter
19 years ago
Hi -- I just bought a ZZ plant from my excellent local nursery, and was trying to find the formal name. Now I know!
The one I bought (on sale for $12.49) is extremely healthy and the tuber is beginning to bulge out of the plastic pot. I was told to wait till spring to repot it.
I have had very good results with low-moisture house plants (except for cyclamen), and this one makes a striking appearance in a narrow gold-colored metal pot on the floor under a long, thin print of a purple iris. The effect is sort of Japanese.
verdant_croft
15 years ago
Ummmmm....what can you suggest for a plant that grows well under the same conditions that is NOT a ZZ plant?

I love most house plants, but I've never been able to get into these. They hit an "irritant" spot about as much as crotons do.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks.

Verdant Croft

Zamioculcas zamiifolia

exoticrainforest

Comments (10)

erja

Gwist

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angel

Gwist

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