Zamioculcas Care: ZZ Plant Light, Water and Repotting

Zamioculcas care is mostly about holding back: give a ZZ plant bright indirect light or even a dim corner, water it only when the soil has dried out completely, and keep it warm. NC State Extension's schedule is about once a month during winter dormancy and twice a month in summer, and only when the soil is completely dry. The plant stores water in thick underground rhizomes, which is why it forgives a missed watering and does not forgive a wet pot.

It is an aroid, a member of the Araceae, from eastern Africa. NC State lists its native range as Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, and puts its size at 2 to 4 feet tall and wide, growing slowly.

Almost anywhere except a sunny sill. NC State lists its light range from deep shade, meaning less than two hours of direct sun, to partial shade of two to six hours, and warns that leaves can scald and brown in direct sunlight. The Sill describes the ideal as medium to bright indirect light, with lower indirect light tolerated, and says it is not suited to intense direct sun. Patch Plants calls bright indirect light the spot where it thrives, and The Little Botanical suggests desks, hallways or any corner.

Two things to keep it away from. Patch says to keep it out of cold drafts and away from open windows in winter; The Sill advises avoiding temperatures below 60 F. And because NC State lists the plant as toxic to cats and dogs, a shelf out of reach is a better home than the floor in a house with pets.

Under the soil a ZZ plant has what Wikipedia describes as a large, fleshy, potato-like rhizome that stores moisture. The leaves are storage too: the article cites measurements of 91 percent water in the leaves and 95 percent in the leaf stalks, and reports that the plant survived four months without water under indoor low light.

That is why every source says the same thing about watering, in different numbers:

• NC State Extension: about once a month in winter, twice a month in summer, only when the soil is completely dry.
• The Sill: every 2 to 3 weeks, letting the soil dry between waterings, more often in brighter light.
• The Little Botanical: check every 4 weeks and water only when the soil is completely dry.
• Patch Plants: water only when the soil has dried out completely, and less in winter.

When you do water, water through and let the pot drain fully; The Little Botanical's warning is that the plant does not like sitting in moist soil. If you are unsure, wait a week. An underwatered ZZ shows it with wrinkled leaves and recovers; an overwatered one rots.

A ZZ plant is happiest slightly snug. Patch Plants says to repot every two years, or when the plant is pot-bound, which you can see when roots push out of the pot or circle tightly inside it. The Little Botanical says every two years or less, because growth is slow and the plant dislikes having its roots disturbed.

So choose a pot only a little larger than the current one, with a drainage hole. A pot much larger than the rhizomes holds wet soil the roots cannot use, which is the route to rot. For the mix, Patch recommends a well-draining, cactus-friendly potting soil; The Sill suggests adding perlite or lava rock for air; NC State lists highly organic or sandy soil with good drainage.

Feed lightly and only in the growing season: Patch says a diluted liquid fertiliser once a month in spring and summer, and The Little Botanical says a general houseplant fertiliser every two to three months over the same period. Nothing in winter.

Humidity is not a concern. Patch and The Little Botanical both say misting is unnecessary, and The Sill says ordinary household humidity is enough. Temperature matters more: The Sill gives 65 to 85 F as the best range, Patch gives 18 to 27 C, and NC State says to bring the plant indoors when temperatures drop below 60 F.

NC State lists division and leaf cuttings as the methods, and Patch adds stem cuttings. Division is the quickest way to a second plant: at repotting time, separate a section of rhizome with its own stems.

Leaf cuttings work but take patience. Wikipedia describes the method: the cut leaves may rot, but small bulb-like structures should form, and these can be potted up; it says the process may take more than a year.

• Yellow, mushy stems and wet soil. Root rot from overwatering, per The Sill; The Little Botanical also ties yellowing leaves and drooping stems to overwatering. Unpot it, cut away soft rhizome and roots, and repot in dry, fast-draining mix.
• Wrinkled leaves or wilting in dry soil. Thirst, per The Sill. Water thoroughly.
• Scorched, browning leaves. Direct sun, per NC State. Move it back from the window.
• Insects. NC State names scale insects as the main problem; Patch adds mealybugs and spider mites. Our guide to common plant pests shows how to spot each.
• Very slow growth. Normal. NC State rates the growth rate as slow.

None of the sources we opened gives a lifespan for the whole plant, so we are not quoting one. What Wikipedia does report is that individual leaves last at least six months and that one of the plant's common names is eternity plant. A plant that is divided and repotted from time to time keeps going.

• Toxic to pets. NC State lists it as toxic to cats and dogs, and to people if eaten in quantity, with medium severity. The leaves are the poisonous part, the toxic principle is calcium oxalate, and the listed signs are diarrhoea and vomiting if leaves are eaten in quantity. The Sill says the foliage can irritate cats, dogs and humans if eaten. See our ZZ plant pet safety page.
• Slow. A small plant stays small for a long time.
• Easy to overwater. Its tolerance of drought tempts people to water it like other houseplants, and the rhizomes rot.
• It will not clean your air. Wikipedia reports that the plant removed some volatile organic compounds in laboratory tests, but that any effect in real indoor environments is inconclusive.

If a pet has chewed the plant, call your veterinarian or ASPCA Animal Poison Control on (888) 426-4435. If a person has eaten part of it, call your local poison control centre or a doctor. Do not wait for symptoms, and keep a photo or the label to hand.

No. A ZZ plant wants a dry, fast-draining mix, and a damp layer of grounds on top works against that. University of Minnesota Extension adds that coffee grounds have not been shown to consistently lower soil pH; their value is as an addition to compost. Compost them instead.

Research and drafting for this page were done with the help of AI, and every figure was then checked line by line against the sources listed at the end of the page. Sources were opened on 2026-09-25. If you find a mistake, tell us and we will correct it.

Clemson Extension lists five ZZ plants sold in the US, which differ mostly in colour and size:

• Standard. Dark green, 3 to 4 feet.
• Variegated. Cream or white variegation, 1.5 to 3 feet.
• Chameleon. New growth yellow, turning green, about 4 feet.
• Raven. New leaves green, maturing to near black, about 2.5 feet.
• Zenzi. A dwarf, 10 to 12 inches.

Care is the same for all of them. Clemson rates the ZZ as suitable for novice growers and its growth as very slow, so buy the size you want rather than expecting a small plant to fill a corner soon.

• Soil. Clemson gives a specific mix: 50 percent peat moss or coir-based potting soil, 25 percent perlite and 25 percent sand, coarse and fast-draining.
• Feeding. Only once or twice during the growing season, with a balanced fertiliser (Clemson).
• Watering rhythm. Clemson says one to two times a month, only after the mix has dried completely; Brooklyn Botanic Garden's grower waters about every three weeks.
• Black spots on the stems. Clemson says these are normal. Soft, collapsing or yellow stems in wet soil are not; that is rot.
• Propagating from a leaflet. Brooklyn Botanic Garden notes that fallen leaflets can root, and that it can take a few months for a cutting to sprout.

This section was added on 2026-09-25. Research and drafting were done with the help of AI, and every figure was checked against the sources added to this page. If you find a mistake, tell us and we will correct it.

Year round, only in frost-free climates; elsewhere, outdoors in summer and back inside before it gets cool.

• All year. UF/IFAS rates ZZ plant for USDA hardiness zones 10B to 12 outdoors; NC State Extension lists zones 9a to 10b. Either way it needs a climate without freezing: UF/IFAS says it has no freeze tolerance below 32 F, and that growth slows and leaves may discolour below 50 F.
• In the garden. UF/IFAS describes strong, filtered light but no direct sun, and tolerance of a range of well-drained soils. NC State lists deep shade to partial shade (up to two to six hours of direct sun) and warns that direct sun can scald the leaves.
• Summer on a patio. NC State says it can go outdoors in a container in warm months, but should be brought in once temperatures fall below 60 F. Put it in shade, not sun, and make sure rain cannot leave the pot standing in water, since the rhizomes rot in wet soil.

UF/IFAS also describes how it copes with drought outdoors: the leaflets and the upper part of each leaf stalk drop off, and the swollen base of the stalk is left to carry the plant until the next rain or watering. If your ZZ drops its leaflets after being left dry, that is what is happening; water it and new stalks follow from the rhizome.

Zee zee is simply how ZZ is spoken; the plant is Zamioculcas zamiifolia. Other names you will see on labels: NC State lists aroid palm, emerald palm, eternity plant, Zanzibar gem and Zuzu plant, and UF/IFAS adds African coontie, arum fern and cardboard palm. If a label is unclear, a photo in PlantLens will confirm it.

Yes, it is one of the easiest. Clemson Extension rates it for novice growers and gives its light range as bright indirect to low, and Costa Farms, a large grower, says it can get by with very little natural light, anywhere from a nightstand to a bathroom. It also tolerates neglect: Costa Farms says it can go several weeks without water because it stores water in its fleshy tubers, and that in extreme drought it drops its leaflets and then regrows once it is watered.

For steady growth rather than survival, Costa Farms puts it within 3 to 4 feet of an east- or west-facing window. The main drawbacks are covered above: it is toxic if eaten, and Costa Farms adds that the sap can cause discomfort to people with sensitive skin, so wear gloves when you divide or repot it.