ZZ plant
Zamioculcas zamiifolia · also called Zanzibar gem
Foliage and indoor
- Light
- Part sun, Shade or indoors
- Pot size
- Medium pot (about 5 to 15 litres)
- Care level
- Easy
- Year round or seasonal
- Kept year to year; in a pot, keep it above about 15.6 °C (60 °F)
- Pets
- Not pet-safe (NC State)
Light and position
Does best in bright, indirect light; NC State warns that direct sun can scorch and brown the leaves.
Size and pot
NC State lists 2 to 4 feet tall and wide. Our pot band: medium pot (about 5 to 15 litres).
Watering
Treat it like a succulent. Let the mix dry out completely, then water: about once a month in winter and up to twice a month in summer.
Potting mix and feeding
Well-drained potting soil; it does not tolerate wet feet. NC State suggests a balanced liquid houseplant feed only once or twice a year.
Growing through the year
Kept outside in a pot, it should come indoors once temperatures fall below 60 °F (about 15.5 °C).
Winter outdoors
Cold limit in a pot: about 15.6 °C (60 °F). NC State says to bring container plants indoors when temperatures fall below 60 °F.
| Your coldest winter nights | What to do |
|---|---|
| Coldest nights 15 °C or warmer | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 15.6 °C |
| Coldest nights 10 to 15 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 15.6 °C |
| Coldest nights 5 to 10 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 15.6 °C |
| Coldest nights 0 to 5 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 15.6 °C |
| Light frost: nights down to about −5 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 15.6 °C |
| Hard frost: nights below −5 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 15.6 °C |
A plant can stay out only when its limit is below the coldest night in your band; a limit equal to that night counts as needing shelter. A rare cold snap, wind or a wet pot can still damage plants. We convert °F to °C with NIST’s formula.
Watch for
Scale insects; otherwise few problems.
Pets and people
We did not find an ASPCA entry. NC State rates it medium toxicity for cats and dogs (calcium oxalate); eating the leaves in quantity can cause vomiting and diarrhoea.
General gardening information, not professional advice. Plant toxicity details are a starting point, not veterinary or medical advice: if a pet or child may have eaten a plant, contact a veterinarian or doctor promptly.
Care level: NC State’s maintenance rating (Low). Pot band and summary wording are ours, based on the sources below.