ZZ plant care is the simplest consistent set of instructions in indoor gardening, and the instructions are: water every two to three weeks, put it somewhere with indirect light or no direct light, and then leave it alone. That is the entire guide. What follows is the explanation for why the guide is that short.
A ZZ plant communicates through absence.
It does not wilt.
It does not yellow.
It does not drop leaves dramatically to let you know something is wrong.
It simply continues, at its own pace, completely indifferent to whether you are paying attention.
I find this restful.
Why ZZ plants survive low light: The ZZ plant evolved in the seasonally dry forests of eastern Africa, where light is variable and water is unreliable. It stores water in swollen underground stems called rhizomes — which means it can go completely dry between waterings without distress. Its waxy leaves reflect available light more efficiently than almost any other houseplant, which is why a ZZ in a dim room looks better-maintained than the conditions should logically allow.
Why ZZ plants are the ultimate low light plant
The ZZ plant — Zamioculcas zamiifolia — is native to the seasonally dry forests of eastern Africa, where the light is variable, the rainfall is unreliable, and the plant that insists on consistent conditions does not survive long enough to have an opinion about it. The ZZ evolved for exactly the conditions that defeat most houseplants: low light, irregular water, periodic complete neglect. It stores water in swollen underground stems called rhizomes, which means the soil can go completely dry between waterings without causing the plant any particular distress.
The waxy surface of the leaves reflects available light more efficiently than almost any other low-light plant, which is why a ZZ plant in a dim room looks better-maintained than the conditions should logically allow. The leaves are not shiny because they are healthy. They are shiny because that is how the leaf works, and the shininess is the ZZ plant's primary argument for being placed in rooms that other plants have given up on.
I have neglected a ZZ plant for six weeks and returned to find it had grown two new leaves while I was gone, which is the plant equivalent of someone handling everything while you were away and not mentioning it.
This is the character of the ZZ plant. It does not require acknowledgment. It does not need check-ins. It has a job and it does the job and the job includes producing new growth during the periods when you are not watching, which is almost certainly when it does its best work.
ZZ plant care — the complete guide
Light
Low to moderate indirect light. The ZZ plant tolerates more low light than almost any other houseplant, which is what the "ultimate low light plant" designation means in practice. It will grow more slowly in lower light and more quickly in brighter indirect light, but it will grow in both. Direct sunlight will scorch the leaves. North-facing rooms, interior apartments, offices with small windows — these are the conditions the ZZ was designed for.
Watering
Every two to three weeks in the growing season. Every three to four weeks in winter. Let the soil dry completely between waterings. The rhizomes store water as a buffer, which means missing a scheduled watering by a week does not constitute an emergency. Overwatering is the one thing the ZZ plant cannot work around — standing water leads to root rot, and root rot is the ZZ plant's only genuine vulnerability. Water thoroughly when you water, then wait until the soil is entirely dry before watering again.
Soil
Well-draining potting mix with added perlite. Standard indoor potting mix is usually suitable on its own, but adding twenty to thirty percent perlite by volume improves drainage and reduces the risk of overwatering. The ZZ plant is not particular about soil pH or nutrient density. It is particular about not sitting in wet soil. The soil choice is in service of the drainage requirement rather than the other way around.
Pot
A pot with drainage. Non-negotiable. A ZZ plant in a pot without drainage will eventually root rot regardless of how carefully you water, because without an exit point the soil cannot reach the dry state the rhizomes require between waterings. Terracotta dries faster than ceramic — an advantage for ZZ plants that appreciate the dry period. If you prefer ceramic, choose a pot with a drainage hole and a saucer you will actually empty after watering. The Chive Minute is the pot that appears most often under ZZ plants in the spaces we supply, partly because the size range is right and partly because the drainage hole is not a feature someone remembered to include but a baseline that was never in question.
If you want a taller, narrower profile — ZZ plants do well in pots where the stem height carries the visual weight — the Virago is the other pot we reach for. Porcelain, drainage hole, a shape that lets the stems read as architecture. For a larger specimen or a metal finish, the Joe Pot is worth considering. The proportions suit a ZZ that has been in the same spot for a few years and earned a bigger container.
Fertilizing
Once a month in spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted to half strength. Do not fertilize in fall and winter. The ZZ plant grows slowly enough that excessive fertilizing causes salt buildup in the soil faster than the plant can use what was provided. Less is the correct quantity.
Repotting
Every two to three years, or when roots appear at the drainage hole or above the soil surface. ZZ plants grow slowly enough that they are content in a slightly tight pot for longer than most plants. Go up one pot size at a time. The rhizomes will be visible when you remove the plant — they look like potato-like structures and they are the reason the plant survives drought. Handle them carefully. They are the entire storage system.
ZZ plant problems — the short list
Root rot from overwatering is the most common problem. Yellow leaves at the base of the plant, combined with wet soil that stays wet, is the signal. Remove the plant from the pot, cut away any black or mushy roots, allow the root ball to dry completely, then repot in fresh well-draining mix. This is not a death sentence. ZZ plants recover from root rot if caught before it progresses to the rhizomes.
Brown leaf tips from low humidity. Not serious. Trim with clean scissors. Increase humidity if possible — a pebble tray with water beneath the pot works. Not required; more of an option if the brown tips are bothering you.
Slow growth is not a problem. It is the ZZ plant's natural pace. A ZZ plant that looks the same in month four as in month one is not failing — it is building rhizome mass underground that will produce visible stems later. The growth is happening. It is simply not performing for an audience.
Chive Studio has been designing and handmaking ceramic plant pots and wall flowers since 1999. Our pots are stocked at the Norfolk Botanical Garden, the Andy Warhol Museum, Chihuly Garden and Glass, and in museum shops, and botanical institutions across North America and the UK. We have shown at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show for thirteen consecutive years, receiving the 5-star booth award — the highest rating given. All Chive plant pots include drainage holes. Designed in Toronto. Ships to 40+ countries.
