House Plants 101

A Fun & Easy Plant to Grow

By Kevin Borkman, Horticulturist

A new plant joined our family a few months ago. It’s a ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia), which is a fairly common houseplant that thrives in low-high light conditions, except that this one is a bit more unique because this one has blackish/purplish/ dark green leaves. It is called Raven ZZ. It’s one of the most desirable plants around and ultra-trendy, featuring lime-green new growth that matures to a stunning purple black color!

Black plants like this are super hot with houseplants enthusiasts. I found this one at a local nursery. When you bring it home, give the leaves a good rinse, especially the back of the leaves since that is where many pests like to hang out and cause problems.

GROWING ZZ PLANT

Light:

ZZ plants do best in bright to moderate, indirect light, but will do fine in extremely low levels of light. This plant makes an ideal plant for a window -less office or bathroom where it will only receive small amounts of fluorescent light.

Temperature:

Indoors, grow at average room temperatures of 60 to 75 degrees F.

Humidity:

Most household humidity levels are fine, but avoid placing your plant near air conditioning and heating vents, which could dry out the air and cause browning of the leaves.

Soil:

Use a potting mix that drains well and includes perlite.

Watering:

One way you can kill a ZZ plant is by overwatering. During the active growing season (spring through early fall), only water every two weeks or when the top inch or two of soil feels dry. Water less frequently during the winter months or if growing your plant under low-light conditions.

Fertilizing:

ZZ plants can store nutrients in their roots, so they don’t need frequent fertilization. Feed every month or so during spring and summer using an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer diluted to half the recommended rate. Do not fertilize in winter.

Toxicity:

All parts of the plant are toxic if consumed. Keep out of reach of children and pets. Also wear gloves when handling to avoid skin irritation.