ZZ plant
Sources last read 13 September 2026.
Forgiving Among the more tolerant plants here.
Also called Aroid Palm, Emerald Palm, Eternity Plant, fern arum, Zanzibar Gem and Zuzu Plant.
ZZ plant is toxic
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Toxic to people. Harmful when eaten; irritates skin and eyes. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it. RHS
What the sources say about its care
- Light
- Full shade, Partial shadeRHS · read 11 September 2026
- Water
- Well-drainedRHS · read 11 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
Most foliage plants prefer more humidity than a heated room gives; succulents are named as an exceptionPenn State Extension · read 11 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H1B — 10–15°C 10–15 °CRHS · read 11 September 2026- Soil
- Loam, Sand; pH Acid or Alkaline or NeutralRHS · read 11 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 11 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 11 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- Harmful when eaten; irritates skin and eyes. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it.RHS · read 11 September 2026
How it usually goes wrong
- Leaves soften and curl inward
Leaves on the zZ plant turn dull and soft before any colour changes, and water poured on the dry surface runs straight down the inside of the pot.
Its source describes well-drained soil. Below that the cells lose pressure, and pressure is what holds a leaf out straight.
Telling it apart: Water it and look the same evening. A thirsty plant firms up fast; one that does not has a root problem instead.
RHSZZ plant soft or mushy stem: causes- New leaves are smaller than the old and further apart
Growth on the side of the zZ plant away from the light slows or stops, so the plant becomes lopsided over a few months.
Light is the budget every other process is paid from. Under the full shade, partial shade its source names, the plant spends down reserves and shows it in thin, pale growth.
Telling it apart: What the newest growth looks like beside the oldest. Light changes what arrives next; feeding changes what is already on the plant.
RHSDiagnose leggy growth on this ZZ plant- The base of the zZ plant turns soft and dark
Firmness goes first and colour second. A leaf pinched gently stays dented, and the lowest ones may drop away whole.
Rot organisms thrive in wet compost around soft tissue. Its source describes well-drained soil, which leaves them little to work with.
Telling it apart: How recently it was watered. Soft tissue within a week of watering points at the water; soft tissue in dry compost points at cold.
RHSZZ plant soft or mushy stem: causes
Not sure which it is? Ask the diagnosis questions for ZZ plant.
Routine care
- Watering
- Its swollen, fleshy rhizomes produce glossy leaves that hold water, making it very drought tolerant. Indoors, use a well-drained potting soil, water on a routine, and let it dry between waterings, since it does not tolerate wet feet.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Feeding
- Give a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer one or two times per year.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- Use division or leaf cuttings to propagate.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Take leaf cuttings from single leaflets.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pruning is not needed. Cut faded leaves and flowers off at soil level.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Can be troubled by armored scale.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Usually free of pests and diseases.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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About the plant
Zamioculcas is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae, containing the single species Zamioculcas zamiifolia. It is a tropical herbaceous perennial plant, and is native to eastern Africa, including Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Its common names include Zanzibar gem, Zuzu plant, emerald palm, ZZ plant, aroid palm and eternity plant. It is commonly grown as a houseplant, mainly because it has attractive glossy foliage and is easy to care for. Zamioculcas zamiifolia is winter-hardy in USDA Zones 9 and 10.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- Kenya to KwaZulu-NatalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026AfricaNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026E Tropical AfricaRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- seasonally dry tropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- perennialWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Herbaceous Perennial, Succulent; habit arching, erectNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Bushy (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 24–48 in; width 24–48 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Height 0.5-1 metres; spread 0.5-1 metres after 2–5 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers cream/tan, green, whiteNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Flowers green in summer; white in summerRHS · read 13 September 2026
Common problems with ZZ plant
More of the Araceae family
Arrowhead plantEdges of the leaf blades brown while the middle stays sound
Calla lilyEdges of the leaves brown while the middle stays sound
Dumb caneLeaf tips go crisp and brown
Elephant earCrisp margins that appear in winter
Flamingo flowerBrown brittle margins with a green centre
Heartleaf philodendronA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
Plants with similar care
Aloe veraMushy tissue at the base of the aloe vera
Baby rubber plantLeaves turn glassy from the stem outward
Bunny ears cactusLeaves go soft and slightly see-through
Crown of thornsLeaves soften and curl inward
HoyaDry scorched spots after a move into a sunnier spot
Jade plantPale dry areas across the upper leaves only
Sources
- ASPCA · read 11 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 11 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.