Houseplants 101: ZZ Plant

Amateur plant-owners always seem to ask the same questions: What plant is impossible to kill? What plant will forgive me for forgetting to water it? What plant will survive in my cramped dark apartment? The truth is that if you have all these questions, the best plant for you is a fake plant. All plants need the same basic things: sunlight, water, and space to grow, in varying levels. However, there are a few plants that are good for the beginner. These are hardier, have lower or adaptable light requirements, and need less frequent watering and repotting. Generally plants with thick or stiff leaves can tolerate less water, because they store more water for longer in their leaves. Plants with darker or broader leaves can often grow in lower-light conditions because their deep leaves are full of chlorophyll, and are more efficient at converting what sunlight they can catch into food. What you will sacrifice with a plants like these is generally the satisfaction of watching them grow and thrive. Succulent plants or low light plants tend to grow more slowly in low-water, low-light, or cramped pots simply because they are lacking the nutritious food and water they need to grow big and strong!

Now, with all that out of the way, I would like to present my personal favorite candidate for the new house plant owner: The ZZ Plant! ZZ stands for the plant's scientific name, Zamioculcus zamiifolia, and it is increasingly popular amongst college students, apartment renters, office workers, and others with little ability to change the poor lighting conditions in their spaces. The ZZ plant, with its profusion of dark, glossy leaves will look happy with little sunlight and sparse water, and with a little more light and the proper amount of water and pot space, it will reward you with happy new shoots and leaves! This plant comes from drought-ridden parts of Africa, and its roots are tuberous like little potatoes, so they hold water for quite a while under the cool soil. It won't grow terribly big or fast so it doesn't require much repotting, and propagation is as easy as a leaf or stem cutting.

I own two of the few cultivars of the ZZ plant: the original ZZ and the Raven ZZ. The original sports deep green leaves, and its rarer cousin The Raven has black leaves. Despite being tough to find because of a patent preventing casual propagation of the Raven ZZ, I found two of them at a local Stop and Shop! Other types of ZZ Plant include the ZZ "Zamicro," a dwarf version of the plant, and a few others with variations of leaf shapes and even variegation! This plant is rapidly increasing in popularity among aesthetic Instagram users, so i think we will see the invention of new cultivars and many more ZZs for sale in the near future! 

I keep my ZZ on shelves further from the window, where other soft-leaved or cactus-like plants might not get enough light. Keep in mind that to a plant, even a bright window where you can't quite see the sky is considered "shade." Your ZZ can live in shady conditions, but it would prefer a spot where it can view the sky but not the sun itself. I water almost all of my plants on a weekly basis, but it's ok if you forget a week here and there. If you're a first-time plant parent, or you're overwhelmed with many houseplants to care for, the ZZ can be the perfect low-maintenance addition to your collection! Plus, it's deep shiny leaves reflect light and therefore look great in Instagram photos.