How to Grow and Care for ZZ Plants Zamioculcas zamiifolia
ZZ plants are charming tropical perennials that have become increasingly popular as houseplants in recent years.
They are incredibly resilient, can do well in low light conditions with little water, and have been known to survive long periods of neglect. If you tend to struggle with keeping houseplants alive, this may be the one for you!
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Continue reading to learn all about growing Z. zamiifolia indoors.
Here’s the lineup:
What Are ZZ Plants?
Zamioculcas zamiifolia, also called Zanzibar gem, aroid palm, zuzu, or ZZ plant, is a tropical perennial with small, waxy, dark green leaves that grow along multiple fleshy stems.
Hardy in USDA Zones 9 and 10, they make fantastic indoor houseplants everywhere else. They can grow as tall as five feet, but typically only reach two or three feet indoors.
Every part of this plant stores water, from its bulbous underground rhizomes to its fleshy leaves, hence its high tolerance for drought and neglect.
When grown in their native habitat, ZZ plants produce small white spadices protected by green spathes near the base of the stalk that are often hidden by the leaves, similar to what you might see on a peace lily though they are less showy.
But flowering is not typical when these are grown as houseplants.
Cultivation and History
ZZ plants are native to rocky, arid regions of eastern Africa, from Kenya to northeastern South Africa.
They were originally documented as early as 1829 under the name Caladium zamiifolia, but did not become widespread as ornamentals until the 1990s, when Dutch-owned nurseries in South Africa
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Oxalis triangularis, also known as false shamrock, is an eye-catching bulbous perennial that makes an excellent and long-lived house plant. Bold, dramatic foliage in shades of dark purple to wine-red creates a striking contrast to blush-white flowers borne in summer. The leaves are three-lobed, hence the name of shamrock which it resembles, though is not actually related to. Oxalis triangularis is native to from Brazil. Its leaves have extra fascination because they open during the day and close at night.
Acidanthera (Acidanthera murielae syn. Gladiolus murielae) – also known as the Abyssinian gladiolus, callianthus, sword lily or peacock lily – is a graceful summer-flowering perennial. It has erect grass-like leaves and slender stems up to 1m tall, each one bearing several nodding, funnel-shaped, white flowers with purple throats. The flowers are attractive to a range of pollinators, including bees, which visit for nectar and pollen.
Goji berries (Lycium barbarum) are a popular ‘superfood’ to eat fresh or dried. Native to China, they’re packed with vitamins and antioxidants and have been used in Chinese medicine for over a thousand years. They’re easy to grow at home in the UK and bear fruit after just one or two years. The best thing about growing your own goji berries is that you can eat them straight from the bush – most commercially available goji berries are dried.
Peace lily, Spathiphyllum wallisii, is a popular, low-maintenance house plant with glossy, green leaves and white flowers, called spathes. Native to Central America, it’s used to a warm, humid environment and is perfect for growing in a bright bathroom. Peace lilies are easy to grow and relatively trouble-free.
Common juniper (Juniperus communis) is one of only three conifers native to the UK. It’s a member of the cypress family and grows on chalk or limestone in lowland areas, and moors, woodland and cliffs in northern Britain. Juniper is in decline in wild populations and has been designated a UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority species. This special tree has disappeared from several areas in the south of England. Many remaining colonies are so small that they’re considered functionally extinct. Scotland is now the stronghold for 80 per cent of the UK’s juniper trees.