I love adding plants as decor in my home. House plants add life, along with texture and color. An otherwise flat, dull room gains energy and comes to life with that addition of a bit of green. Today I’m going to write about one of  my  favorite forgiving house plants. One that almost anyone can grow, even you brown thumbers. You know who you are, so pay careful attention.

NUMBER ONE on my easy to grow plant list is the ZZ plant, Zamioculos Zamiifolia, a mouthful if there ever was one, hence ZZ.  A native of the Southeast coast of Africa, in the Tanzania and Zanzibar areas, ZZ is one of those plants that looks good in any setting from contemporary to farmhouse. Plant it a silver cylinder pot and it becomes a modern art piece all its own, but pop one in a galvanized bucket and the look is dramatically changed to one that’s informal. Stems can grow up to about three feet and begin to arch as they grow making the plant look even bigger.  ZZ likes bright indirect light (not directly in front of a window), but also does very well in dim light. Plant your ZZ in a pot that has built-in drainage, or one that has a saucer so that excess water drains away. Forget the adding gravel to the bottom concept. The pot will still hold water and the plant’s roots will still sit in it, just not in the soil. So use a light soil mix and a pot that drains. ZZ likes to be slightly root bound and will grow happily in the same pot for a couple of years. If you re-pot, use a pot that is only an inch or two larger. ZZ plant is poisonous if ingested, so be careful using this plant around pets that like to nibble or chew. Pay close attention to toddlers who might be attracted to its thick leaves.

Regular watering isn’t required, in fact ZZ is one of those plants that thrive on benign neglect. Water is stored in its leaves, which are thick, bright green and waxy, and in the thick stems. Water only about once a month. I check my plants weekly, watering needs can change during either the growing or dormant seasons for different plants. Checking means you will water when your plant needs it and not when you think it does. Water the ZZ again when you notice the soil is dry to below one inch. Use the technical, scientific method of determining soil moisture by sticking your finger in the soil, if it’s dry below an inch or so, water, if still damp, don’t water. (That’s as scientific as I get.)

Dust its leaves periodically with a soft, plain water dampened cloth (do this for all your plants) and check for pests. ZZ plants are hardy but occasionally get spider mites or  scale. If you see tiny reddish bugs or a small web in between leaves, use a mild insecticidal soap (readily available at big box stores). Scale looks like waxy bumps usually on the underside of the leaves. You can also use the insecticidal soap mixture, but stubborn scale infestations may require applications of Neem Oil.  Follow the package directions for both treatments. Scrape off dead scale with a finger nail, gently so that you don’t scar the leaves.

Curling leaves, yellow or leaning stems means the light is too bright and your ZZ is trying to move away from it. Change it’s location to one that’s a bit farther away from the light source or move it to a different location with dimmer light.  If there are yellow or brown spots on the leaves it’s getting sunburned and needs to be moved immediately.  ZZ will die, one stem at a time, from over watering, if you notice a withering stem, or one with limp leaves, take the whole plant out of the pot and check to make sure the roots aren’t wet and rotting. Remove the rotten stem root and all , clean the pot and replace the soil. Re-pot and water once. Let the plant soil dry as recommended before watering again.

Try a Zamioculos Zamiifolia even if you’ve murdered every other plant you’ve ever brought home. This one will surprise you.  (I’m optimistic.)  If you kill it, there is no hope for you so just get your plants from Ikea, you can’t kill the never-alive-to-begin-with.

Save

Save

Save

Save