All products for your Zamioculcas · ZZ plant
Plant profile
Care calendar
Position, benefits & character
Pruning & growth habit
Propagation & grafting
Nursery forms
Species & cultivars
Pests & diseases
A closer look
Fruit & seeds
Suitable products
Profile
Plant group
Tough foliage plant for bright to shadier rooms
Growth & habit
Fleshy, upright leaf stalks with pinnate leaves from a thick rhizome.
Foliage
Glossy dark green oval leaflets; almost black on 'Raven'.
Family
Arum family (Araceae)
Origin
East Africa, from Kenya to KwaZulu-Natal.
Height
Slow-growing, about 60–120 cm tall and wide.
Bloom
Green spathe with a white spadix close to the soil; rare.
Toxicity
The leaves contain calcium oxalate; larger amounts cause vomiting and diarrhoea. Keep away from children, cats and dogs.
Care calendar
Guidance for Germany and Central Europe. Position, weather, species and cultivar shift these windows; indoor and container plants also depend on their winter conditions.
Your seasonal care plan
Check moisture
Water only when the medium has largely dried; never leave standing in water.
Feed active growth
Months: Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep
Feed only during visible growth; in winter only as needed according to the label. Follow the product dosage.
View product dosage and application →
Refresh the root space
Months: Mar · Apr · May
Repot only when the rhizome fills or splits the pot; use a very free-draining medium.
Care through the darker months
Months: Oct · Nov · Dec · Jan · Feb · Mar
Keep bright and above about 15 °C; water very sparingly. From October to March feed only if the plant is growing.
Highlighted months are guidance, not fixed dates. Observe the plant, root ball and weather; water, feed and repot according to actual need.
Seasonal care intensity Seasonal guidance for Germany. Needs depend on location, weather and species. Check moisture in winter too; these markers are not a feeding schedule.
Peak care
Active
Reduced care
Care tips
1
Best in bright, indirect light; low light is tolerated, but direct sun can scorch the leaves.
2
Water only when the medium is largely dry; wet soil causes damage.
3
Water very sparingly in winter.
Fruit & seeds
Fruit and seed formation Fruit is unusual indoors.
Harvest and use Not a food crop.
Plant knowledge at a glance
Position, benefits & character +
Position & soil Bright to shady without direct sun; very free-draining medium. Below about 15 °C is unfavourable.
Distinctive features Rhizome, stalks and leaflets store water, making it very drought-tolerant.
Benefits Very easy care and suitable for less bright positions.
Partners & symbioses Combines well with other drought-tolerant houseplants.
Pruning & growth habit +
Fleshy, upright leaf stalks with pinnate leaves from a thick rhizome.
1. Retain foliageOnly remove dried or broken stalks close to the base; pruning is otherwise unnecessary.
Nursery forms + This overview explains nursery supply forms. It does not indicate current availability in the GREEN24 shop.
Container-grown Common form Rooted potted plant; check firm stalks, healthy pale roots and clean leaf undersides.
Young plant Common form Small young plants develop into larger specimens with suitable light and warmth.
Propagation & grafting +
Propagation Divide the rhizome or use leaf or leaflet cuttings; cuttings take months to produce new shoots.
Species & cultivars + Zamioculcas 'Raven' New growth green, later purple-black.
Zamioculcas 'Chameleon' Compact cultivar with paler new growth.
Zamioculcas 'Lucky' More rounded leaflets.
Pests & diseases + These signs support an initial assessment. Different causes may look alike; choose a treatment only after identifying the problem.
Scale insects Check stalks and leaf undersides for small brown scales.
Soft yellow stalks Almost always too much water; check the rhizome for rot and water less often.
Drooping stalks Too little light or overly wet compost.
Hardiness · USDA + Warm indoor cultivation all year
Frost-tender. Keep indoors all year in Germany; the USDA zone applies only to outdoor growing in warm climates.
Zamioculcas zamiifolia USDA 9a–10bNC State USDA range for outdoor cultivation in a warm climate. USDA zones describe long-term average winter extremes. Containers, young plants, wet soil, wind and late frost need separate consideration.
Understand USDA zones and maps →
A closer look Botanical features vary with age, species and cultivar.