ZZ plant care comes down to three habits: give it bright indirect light, water only after the soil dries all the way through, and keep it in a fast-draining mix in a pot with a drainage hole. Do that, and a ZZ plant will grow steadily for years with very little help from you.
It’s one of the toughest low-maintenance houseplants you can buy, but it isn’t unkillable. Almost every ZZ that dies indoors dies from too much water.
Its thick underground rhizomes hold moisture like a camel’s hump, so the plant would much rather go dry for a few weeks than sit in wet soil for a few days.
ZZ Plant Care at a Glance
A ZZ plant needs less from you than most indoor plants, and this table holds the numbers I’d keep in mind when learning how to grow ZZ plant indoors. If you are stocking up, a good potting mix is the first thing I would pick up.
| Care need | What I recommend |
|---|---|
| Light | Bright indirect light; tolerates low light but grows slowly |
| Water | Water deeply when the soil is dry all the way through, about every 2 to 4 weeks in summer and once a month or less in winter |
| Soil | Fast-draining mix, such as cactus and succulent potting mix or houseplant mix with perlite |
| Temperature | 65°F to 75°F is ideal; keep above 45°F to 50°F |
| Humidity | Average household humidity is fine |
| Food | Half-strength liquid houseplant fertilizer once or twice in spring and summer |
| Pets and kids | Toxic if chewed; contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals |
If you only remember one row, make it the water row. Light and soil come next, and everything else is fine-tuning.
Meet the ZZ Plant and Its Water-Storing Rhizomes
The ZZ plant’s survival skills come from potato-like rhizomes under the soil and waxy, water-filled leaves above it. You can grow the classic green form or pick a darker, variegated, or compact type, and they all share the same care.
What Makes This Houseplant Drought-Tolerant?
The botanical name is Zamioculcas zamiifolia, and you’ll also see it sold as Zanzibar gem, eternity plant, aroid palm, or zuzu plant. It’s native to eastern Africa, where it grows through long dry seasons in places like Kenya and Tanzania.
To handle drought, it stores water in three places:
- Rhizomes: thick, pale, potato-shaped storage roots just under the soil
- Stems: fleshy, swollen at the base
- Leaflets: glossy and waxy, which slows water loss
That storage system is why I tell people to treat a ZZ more like a succulent than a tropical leafy plant. It’s also why soggy soil is so dangerous. Those stored-up rhizomes rot fast when they sit wet.
Which ZZ Plant Varieties Can You Grow?
Most garden centers carry the standard deep-green ZZ, which handles low light best. A few other ZZ plant varieties are worth knowing:
- Raven ZZ: new leaves come in bright green and age to purple-black. It needs a little more light to hold that dark color.
- Variegated ZZ plant: green leaves splashed with white, cream, or yellow. Variegation fades in dim spots, so give it your brightest indirect light.
- Zenzi: a compact form with shorter stems and tightly packed, slightly curled leaflets. Good for desks and shelves.
- Zamicro: a dwarf type that stays smaller than the standard plant, handy for tight spaces.
Rare varieties cost more and grow just as slowly, so I’d start with the green form if this is your first ZZ.
How Much Light Does a ZZ Plant Need?
Bright indirect light gives you the best ZZ plant, though it will survive in surprisingly dim rooms. Low light keeps it alive; brighter indirect light makes it grow fuller and faster.
Bright Indirect Light vs. Low Light
The sweet spot is a few feet back from an east or west window, or near a north window. In the Northeast and Pacific Northwest, where winter light is weak, you can place it closer to the glass from November through February.
In low light, like a hallway or an office with only overhead fluorescent bulbs, a ZZ will hang on but may push out only one or two new stems a year.
If your spot is that dim, a grow light on a timer for 8 to 10 hours a day makes a big difference.
Keep it out of direct afternoon sun, especially in the Southwest and Southeast. Hot sun through glass scorches the leaflets. For more detail on window placement, see my guide to ZZ plant light requirements.
Signs Your Plant Needs a Different Spot
Your ZZ shows you when the light is off. Watch for these clues:
- Too little light: long, thin, stretched stems that lean toward the window, pale new growth, and very little new growth at all
- Too much light: yellow, bleached, or brown crispy patches on the leaflets facing the window
- Faded variegation or a green Raven: it needs a brighter spot
Rotate the pot a quarter turn every month so all sides get even light and the stems grow straight.
When and How Should You Water a ZZ Plant?
Water a ZZ plant only when the soil is dry all the way through the pot, then soak it. Watering ZZ plant soil on a fixed weekly schedule is the most common way people lose this plant.
Check the Soil Instead of Following a Calendar
Push your finger into the soil as far as it goes, or use a wooden chopstick and see if it comes out with damp soil stuck to it. In a small pot, the whole mix should feel dry before you water.
A soil moisture meter helps with large pots where your finger can’t reach the bottom. Wait until it reads in the dry range. Lifting the pot also works: a dry pot feels noticeably lighter.
In most homes this works out to every 2 to 4 weeks in spring and summer. My full breakdown of how often to water a ZZ plant covers pot types and room conditions.
Water Thoroughly, Then Let the Pot Drain
When it’s time, water slowly until it runs out the drainage hole. That wets the entire root zone, rhizomes included.
Let the pot drain for 10 to 15 minutes, then empty the saucer or cachepot. Standing water in the bottom keeps the lowest rhizomes wet, and that’s where rot starts. Room-temperature tap water is fine.
Adjust Watering in Winter and Low Light
From about October through February, growth slows and the soil dries much more slowly. Most ZZ plants need water only once every 4 to 6 weeks then.
Low-light rooms also slow drying all year. In heated Northeast and Midwest apartments, radiators dry the air but not always the bottom of the pot, so keep checking the soil before each watering.
What Soil and Pot Work Best?
ZZ plant soil should drain within seconds of watering and never stay soggy. The pot needs a drainage hole and should fit the root ball snugly.
Choose a Fast-Draining Potting Mix
A bagged cactus and succulent potting mix is the easiest choice. Regular indoor houseplant mix also works if you loosen it up.
My go-to well-draining potting mix recipe:
- 2 parts regular houseplant potting mix
- 1 part perlite or pumice
- 1 part fine orchid bark (optional, for extra air pockets)
Skip garden soil and dense moisture-control mixes. Both hold water around the rhizomes for too long. A slightly acidic to neutral pH, around 6.0 to 7.0, suits the plant. My picks for the best potting soil for a ZZ plant go into specific bags.
Use a Pot with Drainage Without Oversizing It
Every ZZ pot needs at least one drainage hole. If you love a decorative pot without one, set the plant in a plastic nursery pot inside it and pour out any water that collects.
Choose a pot only 1 to 2 inches wider than the root ball. Extra soil holds extra water that no roots are using, which invites rot.
Terra cotta dries faster and suits people who tend to overwater. Plastic holds moisture longer, which helps in the dry Southwest.
Temperature, Humidity, and Feeding Indoors
Average home conditions suit a ZZ plant well, so the main jobs are blocking cold air and keeping fertilizer light.
Keep the Plant Warm and Away from Drafts
ZZ plants grow best between 65°F and 75°F. Below 45°F to 50°F, the leaves and stems can be damaged, so move the plant away from cold windows, exterior doors, and AC vents.
If you summer it outdoors on a shaded porch, bring it in once nights drop toward 50°F. In much of the Northeast and Midwest that’s early to mid-September. ZZ plants grow outdoors year-round only in USDA zones 10 to 12.
Average indoor humidity is fine. You don’t need a humidifier or misting; wet leaves don’t help this plant.
Feed Lightly During Active Growth
ZZ plants need very little food. Use a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer diluted to half strength once or twice between spring and late summer.
Water the soil first, then fertilize, so you don’t burn dry roots. Stop feeding in fall and winter. Too much fertilizer causes salt buildup and brown leaf tips faster than it causes extra growth.
When Should You Repot or Divide a ZZ Plant?
Repot a ZZ every 2 to 3 years, or when the rhizomes start crowding the pot, ideally in spring or early summer. Repotting is also the easiest moment to split them into new plants.
Signs the Rhizomes Have Outgrown the Pot
A ZZ likes to be a little snug, so don’t rush. Repot when you see:
- Rhizomes pushing up above the soil line
- A plastic nursery pot bulging or cracking
- Roots coming out of the drainage hole
- Water rushing straight through without soaking in
- The plant tipping over because it’s top-heavy
How to Repot and Separate Rhizomes
Wait until the soil is dry, then put on gloves. Here’s my process:
- Tip the pot on its side and slide the plant out. Squeeze or cut a stuck nursery pot.
- Shake off old soil and look at the rhizomes. Healthy ones are firm and pale; trim any soft, brown, or smelly parts with clean pruners.
- To divide, look for natural