Do you need toadd a little verdure to your home , but just do n’t have enough light to keep most plant live ? While shady rooms may spell doom for many plants , there are a few options you’re able to choose from for refinement - loving houseplants . One you may not be familiar with is the ZZ plant . rum about this interesting and exotic industrial plant ? Here ’s what you need to fuck about caring for it !

What is a ZZ plant?

The first motion on many peoples ’ minds when first hearing about the ZZ plant is " what do the z ’s stand for ? " The answer : Zamioculcas zamiifolia , the plant ’s scientific name . It ’s no wonder masses have shorten it to ZZ plant . Thistropical recurrent plantis currently the only plant life in the Zamioculcas genus , making it passably unequalled . It produce primarily for its glistening leaf , although it can make flowers under the right conditions .

The ZZ plant is aboriginal to eastern Africa , which might lead you to believe it ’s difficult to care for if you subsist in a radically different climate . However , while the ZZ flora may not be a good scene for every outdoor garden , it ’s amazingly easy to worry for as a houseplant .

One thing you should be aware of before bringing this flora into your home , though , is that it is vicious . Keep it away from pets and nipper . It can also irritate your skin , particularly if you have a preexist skin term or sensitiveness . We commend wear down glove when cover it !

ZZ plant care

Here ’s how to keep your ZZ flora healthy .

Step 1 : embed your ZZ plant in well - draining dirt . ZZ plant are incredibly drought insubordinate , thanks mostly to their roots , which are thick rhizome that store water . However , this means they are easy to overwater .

dance step 2 : Only water your ZZ industrial plant when the grunge is dry . Typically this will be every few workweek , but it can diverge look on how much luminosity your plant is perplex .

dance step 3 : Avoid placing your ZZ plant life in lineal sun , as its leaves can burn . ZZ flora are tolerant of most lighting stipulation . They flourish in medium to bright indirect lighter , but will get even in low light . An interesting feature of these plant life is that they grow particularly well under fluorescent light , make them excellent office plants .

measure 4 : Keep the temperature above 60 degrees Fahrenheit and avoid placing your ZZ plant near drafts .

whole step 5 : Avoid placing your plants in bathrooms and under air vents , as these both significantly change the humidness in the air . ZZ plants are not picky about humidness , but they choose a nice midrange .

Common ZZ plant problems

Overwatering and pests are the two most common offspring with ZZ plants . Here ’s how to nullify them :

Step 1 : watch out for yellow , droopy leave of absence ( a star sign of overwatering ) and color piece on the leaves and stem ( a sign of pest scathe ) .

Step 2 : Err on the side of forethought when watering . If you ’re on the fence about whether your ZZ plant is quick for a lachrymation , hold off just a bit longer . ZZ plantsare drought hardyand will recuperate much more easily from underwatering than overwatering .

whole step 3 : see your ZZ plant regularly for plague . ZZ works can become target for small worm , especially aphids , mites , whiteflies , and shell . You may notice the bugs on the plant life , especially on the undersides of the leaves .

footprint 4 : Apply neem oil or another best-loved repellent to the leaves .

footstep 5 : Keep your ZZ plant in a stead with good melodic phrase circulation and dust them semi - regularly .

Companion plants for your ZZ plant

There are several heavy associate plants that will grow nicely next to your ZZ plant , but by far the best companion plant is the snake plant . Snake plants have the same upkeep needs as ZZ plants and are incredibly easy to produce . If you ’re a father and are looking for an impressive - looking but humiliated - maintenance couple , then ZZ plant and snake plants are ideal .

A few other sound options are :

Why do some ZZ plants cry?

If you ’ve never escort this happen , you might think it ’s a unusual doubtfulness . plant life ca n’t actually call , of course , some plants seem to . If you ’ve ever acknowledge water droplet organise on the leaves of your ZZ plant with no obvious source , do n’t interest . It ’s part of a normal process that some industrial plant go through called guttation . Guttation take place when there is a build up of piddle or other fluids in the plant . The plant vex rid of the excess water supply by unloosen it as droplets through their leaves .

During the day , and in modest to mid humidity environments , supernumerary piddle is liberate through evaporation and transpiration , so guttation does n’t occur . For that reasonableness , you ’re most potential to see guttation if the soil is sozzled at night , or if the humidity is particularly high .

Whether you grow it on its own or with a few familiar , ZZ plants are an splendid way to bring a bit of the outdoors in . They ’re especially well suited to office blank , just make indisputable to admonish your coworkers not to touch its leaves ! bear attention to how much water system you give it and your ZZ flora should thrive in your home plate .